I was wondering what seddit thinks about the value of self-help books. I am really reluctant to read them, mainly because I have a negative association with them in my mind. A person I am close to suffers from depression and seems to bounce from one self-help book to another without seeing any positive changes. Diets and health, mindfullness and meditation, job satisfaction, they've read dozens without success.

I feel like there's a stigma around self-help books, with them being presented as scams that writers use to exploit people's insecurities. When I think of a person who reads a self-help book, I picture someone who can't stop talking about how this book has changed their life but within a few months they're right back where they were until they find the new life-changing book with all the secret tips and wisdom that's finally going to turn things around for them this time, no really.

But I really do want to make a change and I don't want to be cynical about these things, especially if there are books that can provide some real insight. What I don't want is to be a sucker who buys into the self-help cult without seeing any real benefits. I learn best by reading and a good book can (and has) completely alter(ed) my outlook on life.

So what I want to know is: (1) Do you feel that self-help books are valuable or that they're a scam? (2) If they are valuable, what are ones that provide lasting, meaningful insights and not bullshit, easy answers or gimmicks/"simple tricks"?

NOTE: not just books about seduction, but also about just general life-improvements, success, etc.