email page to a friendSelf-Help Books That Help
Did you know that 2000 new self-help books are published a year? As a society, we’ve never been more focused on self-improvement. There is so much information on “better” ways to raise our children, lose weight, improve relationships, become leaders in the workplace and improve our personal effectiveness and happiness.
Do Self-Help Books Help?
For some issues, reading a book is a good way to learn about what to do. For more complicated problems though, there is nothing better than talking to a counselor, doctor, teacher or consultant who can address your particular concern with expertise and encouragement. Asking your Source Line Counsellor which books are best for your unique situation is a good first step. He or she might suggest books that can help increase the effectiveness of your counseling. In fact, practicing through self-help exercises between sessions usually leads to quicker results (Burns, 1994).
Which Self-Help Books Are Worth Reading?
Of those more than 2000 new self-help books being published each year, only 5% have research to document their effectiveness (Rosen, 1993). This is an astonishing figure.
Can you imagine what would happen if 95% of all Do-It-Yourself books on installing electrical wiring in your house were not critiqued by a certified electrician to ensure proper, safe advice on wiring!!
Self-help books promoted by Oprah or books written by high profile people like Dr. Phil or John Gray do not guarantee they are effective or well researched either.
Source Line has a recommended reading list of books we think can really help with our own Self-Help Book Rating System:
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Excellent – A must read – Meets all requirements |
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Very Good – A very worthwhile read |
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Good – An OK book but there are better |
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Fair – Not worth it – More fluff than substance |
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Poor – Avoid these books – Have some misleading info and advice |