i read this from a review on amazon about a book attacking the self help movement::
"Self-Help Nation" opens with a sad story: The author, Tom Tiede, having once been a bookstore owner, is called to a near-empty house to purchase a personal collection. There are hundreds of books, three-quarters of them self-help, almost all "hardcover, rush-out-and-buy first editions." Mr. Tiede estimates the owner spent $12,000 on these books over a period of four years. This hapless man had lost his business, his wife, and finally his home. Had he put that 12 grand toward mortgage payments he would perhaps at least still have his house.
another book critical of this movement documents a fact: most self help books and seminars don't help people...now you can say its up to the people and I agree but I also think its because there's a lot of bad or wrong advice given by people who are just basically good salesman but not good at actually giving advice that works (i feel steve's advice and articles fall on the side of stuff that works...like this latest post
) And that's why I am highy critical of junk science 'cures' - they don't help then you go on looking for the next 'fix'.
I also think it's good to do 'maintenance' even deeply religious people still read the bible and said prayers every day. Why? to remind them to be religious. In the same way people who are improving should read stuff about improving everyday, but they need to actually improve too
I think i am going to get rid of most of my self help books and just concentrate on 3-5 -and resolve to buy no more.... and i think the most important thing you can do is write out your own 'system' of beliefs and actions (and constantly tweak and improve it)