An Examination of Self Help Books

By Anita Hale


Self help books have leapt in popularity over recent years, but why is this? For a start, these days it is no longer considered unusual to consider one's personal development. Furthermore, it is becoming more and more common to actively look for help when we feel lost or inadequate about ourselves.

Because of this, there is a large array of subjects that fit within the personal development grouping. However not all of these are focused on personal well-being. Wellbeing is merely one example of a sizable variety of different categories that are incorporated within the realm of self help. For instance publications dealing with wealth creation, effective communication, motivational advice and even public speaking can be found alongside books concerning phobias or meditation techniques. A number of these alternative therapies come under a sub-genre of self help, termed as Mind, Body & Spirit in most popular bookshops.

Having said that, all these books are united in the belief that they can improve your life and make you feel better about yourself. What varies is the methodology employed by each author and the theoretical basis behind their ideas. Many of these books will be based on a belief that change must begin inside the individual's mindset - that's to say the cognitive processes within a person. Viewpoints like these would fall under psychology or pop psychology as it is sometimes referred to.

The term Pop psychology is often used for legitimate sounding suggestions that are brought to the public consciousness through the medium of television, newsprint and now the internet. The prevalence of a scientific sounding theory can make it appear valid even when there is no actual empirical evidence to back it up. It is this lack of investigation that leads many a scientist to deride pop psychology. Nevertheless, some professionals can be overzealous in their denunciation of such matters. While there may not always be statistics to go with the theories, many times their guiding concepts are still logical.

It's also worth noting that not all self help books share this point of view. There is no hard and fast definition as to what self help is. But the themes it involves originate not simply from folk psychology, but additionally from personal development. Accordingly there is often an underlying philosophical view in a number of the self help titles that are available.




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