Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Self Help / Self Improvement Books

Options
  • 04-01-2011 3:35pm
    #1
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭


    What's your opinion of them?

    Personally, I think if people wanna read them, then that's fine by me, though I suspect that a lot of them are fairly useless & are jumping on the bandwagon just to cash in on what is a huge market.

    So, what do you think... do you or have you ever used them? And if so, have they improved your life or helped you in any way?

    Self Help / Self Improvement Books 33 votes

    Have used them & found them helpful
    0% 0 votes
    Have used them & found them so-so
    15% 5 votes
    Have used them & found them useless
    15% 5 votes
    Never used them & think they're a scam
    18% 6 votes
    Never used them, but each to their own
    18% 6 votes
    Never used them but might in the future
    27% 9 votes
    Atari Self Helpuar
    6% 2 votes


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    KeithM89_old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,806 ✭✭✭✭KeithM89_old


    I just got the audio version since im fairly great already... :D


  • Options
    #3
    _feedback_
    Registered Users Posts: 4,269 ✭✭✭_feedback_


    Allen Carrs book was a smoking success for me. Other than that I wouldn't really bother.


  • Options
    #4
    FatherLen
    Registered Users Posts: 3,808 ✭✭✭FatherLen


    dont believe in them but i am not gonna stop someone buying them. if they need the motivation to believe they can do something then i wouldnt deprive them but personally would waste the time or money.


  • Options
    #5
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    elviscostello wrote: »
    Allen Carrs book was a smoking success for me. Other than that I wouldn't really bother.

    My missus gave me that book last year. I found it extraordinarily patronising & it made me want to smoke even more.


  • Options
    #6
    krudler
    Registered Users Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    George Carlin on self help: "Theres no such thing, if you do somehting by yourself you didnt need help to begin with, if you take someone elses advice, thats not self help, its just help!"


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    _feedback_
    Registered Users Posts: 4,269 ✭✭✭_feedback_


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    My missus gave me that book last year. I found it extraordinarily patronising & it made me want to smoke even more.

    It is a bit, but if you don't let it annoy you it is very good.

    Worked for me anyway.


  • Options
    #8
    Pherekydes
    Registered Users Posts: 16,120 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    Poll doesn't really work, because some are good and some are tripe.


  • Options
    #9
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    I suspect that a lot of them are fairly useless & are jumping on the bandwagon just to cash in on what is a huge market.

    You won't win any friends that way........
    or influence people.


  • Options
    #10
    AntiMatter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 447 ✭✭AntiMatter


    I've found them helpful, especially those on the subject of positive thinking.

    You only have to watch Derren Brown, and see how he influences the behaviour of others by dropping certain words into sentences, to realise how your conscious thoughts will affect your actions, feelings etc.


  • Options
    #11
    r3nu4l
    Registered Users Posts: 17,399 ✭✭✭✭r3nu4l


    Speaking with no bias whatsoever (cough, sig, cough), I can say that I've used some in the past. As has already been said, some are very useful, some are absolute tripe and there are some that contain useful bits and pieces but nothing more.

    Dale Carnegie's 'How to win friends and influence people' is brilliant.

    Robert Kobayashi's 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' is not so good [imo] (too many anachronisms there for half the stories to be true).


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    bonerm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,595 ✭✭✭bonerm


    mikom wrote: »
    You won't win any friends that way........

    Agreed. It's like trying to impress someone with salad.


  • Options
    #13
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    I have read a few if I lay hands on them for nothing and am bored, generally for the lols. When you think about it most purported 'self help books' especially the get rich books are composed of stupid tips and basic common sense you could get for free anywhere. In the end all you've done is contributed to the author 'getting rich quick'.


  • Options
    #14
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    I find that when you're already amazing it's near impossible to improve any more regardless of what books you read.


  • Options
    #15
    Jesus Wept
    Registered Users Posts: 25,243 ✭✭✭✭Jesus Wept


    Hi, I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from such self-help videos as "Smoke Yourself Thin", and "Get Confident, Stupid.
    r3nu4l wrote: »
    Speaking with no bias whatsoever (cough, sig, cough), I can say that I've used some in the past. As has already been said, some are very useful, some are absolute tripe and there are some that contain useful bits and pieces but nothing more.

    Dale Carnegie's 'How to win friends and influence people' is brilliant.

    Glanced at it and it seemed like pure american cheese to me.
    OisinT wrote: »
    I find that when you're already amazing it's near impossible to improve any more regardless of what books you read.

    Write a book imo.


  • Options
    #16
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    How To Beat Up Anybody by Judah Friedlander


  • Options
    #17
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    OisinT wrote: »
    How To Beat Up Anybody by Judah Friedlander

    Just in time, I have a manual duel arranged with Chuck Norris later on.


  • Options
    #18
    we'llallhavetea_old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,971 ✭✭✭we'llallhavetea_old


    yeah i used that allen carr book too, load of shoite, dunno how it works on some people.

    other than that, no, i haven't / wouldn't read any other self help books, they just wouldn't work on me because i find it hard to lie to myself.


  • Options
    #19
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    we'llallhavetea wrote: »
    other than that, no, i haven't / wouldn't read any other self help books, they just wouldn't work on me because i find it hard to lie to myself.

    There's a book for helping with that.


  • Options
    #20
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    Beth Gaga Shaggy is really the way forward.

    Here's the deal, you visualise the thing you want, draw a picture of it on a piece of paper, then you stand with your back to space and throw that paper over your shoulder and wish really hard. It's very helpful and based on the twin scientific principles of Starmaths and wishy thinking!


  • Options
    #21
    Boxoffrogs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 458 ✭✭Boxoffrogs


    r3nu4l wrote: »
    Speaking with no bias whatsoever (cough, sig, cough), I can say that I've used some in the past. As has already been said, some are very useful, some are absolute tripe and there are some that contain useful bits and pieces but nothing more.

    Dale Carnegie's 'How to win friends and influence people' is brilliant.

    Robert Kobayashi's 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' is not so good [imo] (too many anachronisms there for half the stories to be true).

    I received two of Dale Carnegie's books after attending one of their courses, How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. There are some tips in there that are useful, but the best of them are actually just common sense. Plus anyone who has attended one of their courses can spot a mile away when you are 'doing a Dale on them', just my opinion but it comes across to me as very contrived and insincere.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    r3nu4l
    Registered Users Posts: 17,399 ✭✭✭✭r3nu4l


    diddledum wrote: »
    I received two of Dale Carnegie's books after attending one of their courses, How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. There are some tips in there that are useful, but the best of them are actually just common sense. Plus anyone who has attended one of their courses can spot a mile away when you are 'doing a Dale on them', just my opinion but it comes across to me as very contrived and insincere.

    For the same reason many people in marketing in Pharma companies are no longer trained in NLP because a lot of the people they are marketing to have also received NLP training and can spot it a mile off.

    Insincerity will always be spotted by clever people so if you only attend these courses or try to learn 'tricks' then you're doing it for the wrong reason and your whole demeanour will give you away. Pointless.

    However, if you are sincere and really intend on improving yourself rather than learning tricks then some of these books can really help.


  • Options
    #23
    Boxoffrogs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 458 ✭✭Boxoffrogs


    r3nu4l wrote: »
    For the same reason many people in marketing in Pharma companies are no longer trained in NLP because a lot of the people they are marketing to have also received NLP training and can spot it a mile off.

    Insincerity will always be spotted by clever people so if you only attend these courses or try to learn 'tricks' then you're doing it for the wrong reason and your whole demeanour will give you away. Pointless.

    However, if you are sincere and really intend on improving yourself rather than learning tricks then some of these books can really help.

    Indeed, and I don't actually view such books as entirely useless. I would say that it's probably best to cherry pick rather than use them as some kind of rule book to be adhered to rigidly.


Advertisement