Have you ever read a book like this (in description)? Did you feel you benefitted from it?

I have. Such books have helped me to gain a general knowledge, but have proven to be faulty on a situation by situation basis.

You see, the problem with them is they make generalizations, for example, generalizations on body language. I read somewhere that crossed arms are a sign of defensiveness. My life experience showed me that it was true in some cases, but not all. Actually, the meaning behind crossed arms varies greatly from individual to individual. And that’s just one example.

Books by Norman Vincent Peale are excellent.

I’ve read a book on Body language and it really does benefit you. You can find out a lot more about people that way.

I read one (7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens), but I didn’t make it all the way through. So I only gained a couple of new habits. Hah!

These books can be interesting, but I’d never look to them to change my life. There are plenty of other sources for wisdom and confidence.

I read The Success Principles by Jack Canfield when I was pregnant… I raved about it at the time and it had some great exercises, However, all my firm plans got thrown out of the window when I gave birth…and all my dreams and ambitions went the same way… I’m slowly rebuilding my life… I might go back to it… but it takes a lot of time and effort and dedication to be “successful”.... Motherhood is so much more important right now… which some would say is a success in itself

I think that these books reinforce basic human principles, regardless if they take the positive or negative approach. The concepts are based upon Psychology and Human Nature. However; they do not take into consideration that there are still differences in people, no matter how similar basic nature is. Everyone is different. These books provide a framework from which a person reading must be able to understand the basics, be insightful enough to see their and others differences, and apply adaptive behavior accordingly. Not an easy task for the average individual. One must have insight, intuition, and the will to adapt to proposed changes, knowing the ultimate outcome they want, to be successful, My two cents for what it’s worth.

Back in High School I read several of these books.
How to Make Friends and Influence People.
Dianetics
Several other books of that kind.
I didn’t use that information to influence others. I used it to understand others.

I have not read any of those kinds of books, but I would imagine that they had some hits with some people, therefore publishing those types of books still continues. But other than that I wouldn’t know about how the results would come about.

I’ve read a few books on body language and for the most part it’s good to be able to read people, but not all people are alike and often somethings differ between people and it just takes time to see the differences between. I often read self help and improvement books, philosophy and stuff alike. I feel as though I need to read stuff that will improve my mind. So I read a lot of these kind of books, but not the gimicky ones. I just can’t stand reading fiction. Call me weird, :P