Some do, some do not. I would say that the majority do not but I have heard of some excellent ones. They are most effective in conjunction with therapy which, well, nullifies the "self help" thing.

Not for the cases that REALLY matter--meaning, if you have a moderately bad issue, sure. You'll be able find a self-help book that will actually help. Those of us who have more serious problems should seek help, elsewhere.

For a variety of different reasons, there are a variety of different books and audio tapes. For a little more "food for thought", I also provided one of my favorite anecdotes which is also true: The Bible - Old and New Testaments - re-enforces my faith in God! "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George S. Classon How to properly manage money - no matter how much or how little. "The Magic of Believing" by Claude M. Bristol Demonstrates how great and powerful our brains and minds can be. "Acres of Diamonds" by Russell Cromwell No need to go far away from home. There's wealth and riches within a very short distance from your door. Going outside the restrictions of your Q: I LOVE Earl Nightingale's tapes. "How to Read a Book" by Adler and Van Doren. Very self-explanatary. Thank you for asking your question. I enjoyed taking the time to answer your question. You did a great job - not only for your information, but for every other person interested in reading my answer. VTY, Ron Berue Yes this is my real last name Sources: The terrific, inspiring books I read, mark-up and make notes in. The tapes I listen to. My many mentors, coaches, professors and teachers. My wonderful family. “THE University of Hard Knocks” also known as ("a/k/a") "life's valuable lessons"

Ender, I would like to add to the responses above. The "self" in self-help does not mean that you don't rely on others for your personal growth. That is not possible because we are always in relation to other human beings. Self means that you have the ability to develop internal (mind, thought, spirit, etc.) and external (relationships, friends, material, physical) resources to find what is best for you. We could never do anything on our own completely. Just a very simple example. In order for you to feed "yourself" you rely on a whole group of people (unseen to you and me) that grow the vegetables, fruits, raise the cattle, chickens, milk the cows, produce cheese, milk, butter, gather the eggs...transport goods to store, package the cereal...etc.) I could go on and on. You get the picture though. You and I could not live on our "selves" alone, we need others to sustain us. BUT you can take yourself to the store or restaurant (well, who built your car, the store, the restaurant)... and you eat your meal. So back to the self-help psychology books. There are many fantastic books out there. Simply choose one or a few that interest you and start from there. If you find along the way that you would benefit from a support group or therapy...why not? Many of us flourish from helping each other out. Personal growth is a attitude of life and I believe we are enriched by others' experiences. Best wishes, Romy

They can give you insight to yourself and something to relate to. You will often find cases of other people who tell their stories. Most of what you read in these books are generalized information and may or may not apply to you. Be careful about trying to diagnosing yourself just because you "relate" to something you read about. That's why a writer will say: "you MAY have this, or you COULD be that". They are covering their butts from liability. If you find something that "helps" you then it's a positive thing. Don't quote me on this. :)