Do Self-Help books work?

Yes. No. It depends.

A dear colleague and perhaps one of the most natural learning artist, Nadeem Chauhan taught me this… when you are not sure about something, “It depends” is a very authentic and mature response.

So now the question… Do self-help books work?

To begin with, I don’t like the category title… Self Help. If someone wrote it, and you are reading it, how it can be Self-Help. But that’s not the agenda.

Every year, more than thousand new “self-help” titles hit the bookstores. This doesn’t include millions of self-published and pdf books. Few sell, fewer sell well and a rare number reaches the million reader.

Question: Do they work or are they an absolute waste of time?

I am biased. I am partial and I admit. But I have surely seen transformation. I’ve experienced it. I’ve witnessed it. But then, is my experience or witness a valid argument?

No.

There are plenty of crap, reproduced and poorly translated, self-promoting brochures, posed as books. But then there are jewels as well.

So here’s a story:

When my father got his heart surgery done, and on the first visit to the doctor, I told him that he is not the only one in the family who had heart trouble. To make my point I said, “Doctor, I think heart issue runs in our family”. To this statement, the doctor replied pleasantly, “No my friend, I think no one runs in your family”.

Got the point.

Self-help books don’t work. You have to work.

Most people criticizing books are the ones who are afraid to change. And the excuse… “I wish I had time…”, “books are so expensive now…”, “these books don’t work…”.

I am no one to push a certain genre of books. Read any damn thing you want to read. But read. It surely makes you a better person.

And here is the deal for my professional readers.

Books are almost free alternate to seminars [not training].

If simply reading “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and “Awaken the Giant Within” have produced so many trainers out there… I am 100% sure, it can also produce better professionals.

Read, before you can’t.