What is your opinion of these famous self-help gurus?

Interesting. What did the book say about the industry?

I am suspicious of them. Some more than others. I believe they sell motivation, and I’m not sure how long motivation really lasts in isolation. Perhaps they sell an organization to belong to, as well. That might be more effective in the long run. But mostly I think they are cheerleaders and thus, not my type.

I am a guy who prefers realism. Cheerleaders invariably disappoint me. They seem like liars after a while. So, it’s not my cup of tea.

Bah humbug. They have as many failings as the rest of us but with more hype and choices on what to do with our cash we willingly parted with to be better people…their style.

Chopra has a difficult time with science and reality, so I am not a fan. Schlessinger fell after her racist, homophobic, tirade-filled radio show was cancelled. Right? And Rick Warren is a backwards creationist who makes the occasional cringe-worthy debate attempt (with Sam Harris, for example).

Suze Orman actually has knowledge about a specific field – she uses this to help people figure out what to do with their finances. I recognize most of the others’ names, but I don’t put any stock in their so-called expertise at all.

This is so odd. I had a dream last night in which someone I know gave me a copy of a Marianne Williamson book. No one I know would actually do this, so it’s funny.

I sure don’t know all of these characters so I can’t fairly dismiss them with the same stroke, but I will say that I have no faith in any program that starts by setting up an ideal of what the “perfected” person is like, and then sells you a scheme for making yourself over to fit that new image.

People seem to be always shopping for a new self because they’re not so thrilled with the one they have. They have the idea that there’s got to be something better, because this just isn’t cutting it. This feeling of lack is the fundamental human condition that marketers of all stripes exploit.

Advertisers do that by showing us images of blissful, beautiful people, and then tell us that they’re blissful because this product came into their lives. Self-help gurus put themselves out there as the ad – smiling, confident, serene, admired, prosperous—with the message that you can be like me if you follow my advice.

I think that’s all bullshit. It’s all based on a fundamental fallacy. Whatever new self you manage to cobble together will just be the same old carrion in new clothes.

I have really enjoyed the works of Eckhart Tolle, although it seems he is schmoozing with the Hollywood crowd a lot these days, being touted as Oprah Winfreys “personel guru.”
However, this does not minimize his works and teachings which have much value and “truth” to them.
Nothing new, but presented in a manner which can be easily assimilated for the less intellectual and esoteric types.
I’d say he is among the most genuine of them all.

Dr. Laura is the most arrogant and rude person ever, I cannot stand that woman! Don’t even bother reading any of her stuff, and god forbid, do not listen to her, the womans voice alone is enough to make you want to stab her with a fork. lol
The rest, too lengthy of a list to critique but, I’d say that out of them all Tolle gets my vote for most sincere.
Bottom line, there are many good works and these people, regardless of their “enlightenment” are still only human, and therefore subject to fall from grace as we all are. Some do, some don’t. The “work” I have explored over the years has merit regardless, but yes, there are many false gurus and one must be discerning.

@wundayatta – The book was written by journalist Steve Salerno in 2005 called “Sham: How the self-help movement made America helpless”. In 2004 Americans spent 8.5 billion dollars on untested self-help advice, i.e. none of this relied on controlled experiments to verify the effectiveness. The market size grew to $11 billion in 2008.

@dappled_leaves – So keep your skeptical eyes wide open, if you decide to read Marianne Williamson’s book. You might encounter many claims that cannot be backed up according to Steve Salerno.

@mattbrowne Haha! No danger. I was a bookseller for many years, which is why I recognize the authors you listed. The self-help industry is just that to me, an industry.

I always felt awful for people buying self help books – some of them were so apologetic, as if they’d been caught buying porn.

I dunno, my seeking days have past, but, anything that promotes self awareness and getting out of ones head has merit, but only if someone is really ready to grow in new directions. It’s the old adage that “even if “it” helps only one person” sort of thing. Well, isn’t it all the “individual” “ones” that have, ultimately, forged any sort of revolution in history?
Nothing wrong with wanting to grow and expand ones mind and levels of consciousness.
Knowledge is power. ;-)

I always felt awful for people buying self help books
@dappled_leaves Why?

@mattbrowne I would consider some of your list of people to be “Self-Help” while others are Self-promoting. In some cases there’s a fine line between the two.

I’ve found Tony Robbins and others you don’t have listed, to be helpful in perspective adjusting. Like @Coloma, my husband likes Eckhart Tolle.

I don’t care if it’s an industry or not. If a positive shift happens, I’m for it.

@SpatzieLover I agree! :-)

I’m not surprised cyber sister, @Coloma ;)!

@SpatzieLover I answered your question in the same sentence. ;)

some of them were so apologetic, as if they’d been caught buying porn.

Not really. That doesn’t explain why you felt bad. It explains the way they were acting.

If someone was displaying emabarrassment over buying a book from me, I’d think “Good for them. Clearly they need this information.”

Ok, whatever. You seem to think I am judging them, but I am really not.

No, that’s not what I thought. I was wondering why you felt that way..I’ll let it go

I don’t like to see people feel embarrassed for no reason. Does that help you?

I’m not a big enthusiast of self-help coaches and books. Just like the self-help dating industry, which generally encourages people to play games, play hard to get and to ‘fake it until you make it’, these people profit off of others misery and vulnerability. Most of the self-help/dating industry actually has an incentive to give out bad advice, afterall the misfortunes of others are the source of their profits. My personal advice is to throw away any type of self-help or dating rules books you may have purchased in the garbage, ignore their advice and just be yourself.

There are some excellent and helpful books written by some professionally trained and experienced psychologists and psychiatrists. Typically, mass media “doctors” and “experts” end up as entertainers and marketers, regardless of who and what they were at the start of their TV career. Few of them can preserve their professional integrity and ethics as a TV star.

In the area of self-help books and the like for depression, there are some real experts who have written articulately and their programs really do help. As me directly if this concerns you or someone you love.

Some are good, the rest can go roto root themselves.

I’ve self educated myself on all sorts of psychological issues of personality disordered people. Invaluable stuff, invaluable, when it comes to knowing what to watch for with potentially really damaging people.

@mattbrowne Does Salerno have anything to say about Edward De Bono ?

Interesting. I’ve read a lot of self-help in my day but was never really drawn in by any of the gurus you list above (except early John Gray, perhaps). That being said, my experience as a consumer of self-help products did evolve at some point to the realization that the main activity I was doing was buying and reading books.

Without a doubt, the self-help book that helped me the most (because I actually applied the information to my life) was Your Money or Your Life, which basically teaches a method to apply a mindfulness practice to one’s financial habits. I don’t think it’s the alpha and omega of financial self help, but it absolutely worked minor miracles for me while I applied it to my life.

The fact is, there are many interests out there that foster and prey on our confusion, and if self-help isn’t one of them, then at the very least there’s likely tacit thankfulness for job security.

Lastly, I’ll add that it’s pretty interesting sometimes to read old self-help lit. Dated stuff like “Think and Grow Rich,” which is pretty much the same thing as “The Secret.” I’m reading one right now about tapping into the subconscious that was written in the 1960s, and it’s full of “he said these magic words, and he got rich” kind of anecdotes. I do think there’s some wheat in that chaff, but it’s the chaff, I suppose that originally sold the book.

Isn’t Tommy Lasorda a former baseball couch?
They have tapped into a basic need of middle class people to find meaning and direction in their life. If their advice is analyzed properly it can be a useful tool for personal improvement.

@SpatzieLover – Point taken !

@Dr_Lawrence – Yes, absolutely. I do buy self-help books when the authors provide lists to scientific studies.

@lloydbird – I just checked. The answer is: no. De Bono’s focus is creativity and innovation. I’m not sure whether anyone has conducted controlled studies about the effectiveness of his methods.

@King_Pariah – Which ones are good?

@serenade – I read a book by Timothy D. Wilson called “Redirect” and he discusses “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne in great detail, debunking claim after claim made by Byrne. On a scale of 1 to 10 of pseudoscience “The Secret” is probably 10.

@YARNLADY – Yes, he is. And he’s giving motivational speeches at the price of $500 per hour imparting his secret ingredient for success in sports. The key to winning is “you gotta want it”.

Read up on James Aurthur Ray, the self help guru who appeared in “The Secret” and was convicted of negligent homicide after allowing several people to die in a sweat lodge retreat in Sedona Az. in 2009. A good example of his unbroken ego. Maybe he conquered his fear of existentail fears of death but I doubt he’s burned through his egos fear of prison time. lol

We should think of news ways to guide people about buying the good self-help books and avoiding the rest. Perhaps a certificate visible on the front cover.

@mattbrowne I agree. These types of books lure people in. The bad ones are wriiten by people that are as bad as snake oil salesmen.

Some sort of board or organization to certify the content would be a wise move.

@Coloma James Arthur Ray=Sociopath, IMO

@SpatzieLover Yep, he’s a classic charmer, glib and clearly, no empathy.