STOP Reading Self Help Books!

You’re making your life worse — I’m deadly serious!

Bill James-Wallace
3 min readNov 22, 2023
Photo by Claudia Wolff on Unsplash

You think you’ll find the answer! The golden nugget that solves all your problems.

But it won't, it’ll be worse! 😱

I’ve been reading these books for years. I’m a recovering productivity junkie!

I have my favourite (affiliate) which I will revisit from time to time, but for different reasons. (review coming!)

🧪 Solutions Looking For a Problem!

The self help industry (worth a cool $10.5B in 2020 according to the NPD Group) is based on helping people grow and be better. But it can prey on people’s fears and insecurities. It focuses on the gaps in people’s lives and personalities and infers a failing in some form.

This is how most people use self help books.

  1. I feel I could be more organised. I know, I’ll buy a book on organisation!
  2. I can’t seem to get on top of my work. Hey, I’ll buy a book on time management.
  3. That last brain surgery didn’t go the way I planned. I wonder if Amazon has a book on it.

The problem with self help books is, we use them as a solution to a problem we haven’t defined. As we read them, so much resonates, we…

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Bill James-Wallace
Bill James-Wallace

Written by Bill James-Wallace

I write about growth, self improvement and success! | Facilitator | Consultant | Tries to play golf. Runs a bit. | Interested in helping make life better.