Self Help Books


First let’s answer the question, what is a self-help book?

Any text that gives you a guideline, advisory, tutorial, steps or an approach or method to help you achieve improvements or changes in your personal or professional life in some way small or big would be called a self-help book.

It is written with the intent to solve the reader’s problems.  So this definition answers both your questions. What and why, doesn’t it?

 If reading this book is going to solve your problem or change or improve your life, why not give it a try? What’s to lose? But to give you more arguments


10 reasons to read self-help

  • With a book you don’t need to go to any one personally for help. I was skeptical about the benefits of quiting my job and starting a business. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Kiyosaki helped me understand them.
  • The approach given is tried and tested on numerous people and by numerous readers. Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill was written after 20 years of research and after being tested by a number of famous people.
  • The text has been written by subject matter experts. So you get advice from the best of the best. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie.
  • The options available are so vast that you can read broad strategies or narrow down to one specific niche and read about it. Every option is available. Have a look at the categories on Amazon under personal development books. There are atleast 10 and under each category there are thousands if not lakhs of books that include bestsellers, highest-rated, highly downloaded and so on.
  • And who said you should read them only if you have a problem. Read them to learn something new. Read them to grow your knowledge. Read them for the valuable information they give. Read them to inspire yourself to greater and better things. The 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Franke
  • There is no limit on how many experts you consult. You may read one book and stick to it or read ten and decide to implement one of each. Here are 3 books that stress the imporatnce of habits. The 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey. Atomic Habits by James Clear. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg .
  • Also the timeline of when you achieve, whatever it is you want to achieve is left to you. There is no pressure of an examination or a limited time course or an online class bound by time.
  • This is an excellent reading habit. Most influencers worldwide follow a daily reading habit or the 5 hour rule of reading. And what do they read? Self-help books. They believe in learning something new every day and practicing it.  Check out Bill Gates reading pile or Warren Buffett’s. It’s filled with non-fiction self-development books.
  •  Self-help books change the way you think. They make your thinking more positive. Anything seems possible just with the right choices you make. Learn the art of getting comfortable in your own skin. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson.

Final Verdict

In general reading is an excellent habit. And reading self-help books is better yet. Because they help you progress. They push you, motivate you and inspire you to do more in a better way.

They expand your world view and introduce you to fellows who have lived through your struggle and achieved the impossible.

Life is about learning every day and changing as per change. So while light reading is essential to refresh your mind, reading non-fiction is important to grow your mind. Keep reading!

Happy reading!

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