Medicine
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How do I Choose the Best Self-Help eBooks?

G. Melanson
G. Melanson

With the wealth of content available on the Internet today, it can be difficult to find exactly what you're looking for and what suits your specific needs. They are competing with so many other types of Internet content, so self-help ebooks may employ a number of strategies in their advertising in order to entice you to choose them over another source of information. The key to choosing the best self-help ebooks for you is to find ones that most closely match your individual issues or needs and come from trusted sources, and to avoid ones which make suspicious claims.

There are so many self-help ebooks devoted to broad topics such as "how to reduce stress," so it's important to narrow down your needs as much as possible when searching for the right ebook. For example, if stress is an issue in your life, ask yourself if the main source is work, health, relationships, or some other cause. After you've refined your self-help topic, perform an Internet search using one or two specific keywords plus "ebook" to get a more focused selection from which to choose.

Woman doing a handstand with a computer
Woman doing a handstand with a computer

Price is another factor to consider when choosing the best self-help ebooks. While some ebooks may be offered on certain websites for free or in exchange for your email address, they may provide little in the way of helpful content. Some self-help ebooks may encourage you to pay an unreasonable fee much higher than the average ebook rate.

The best compromise here is to seek out an ebook that is written by or endorsed by a trusted self-help source. This source doesn't necessarily have to be a high profile guru in the self-help industry, as long as it is a source that you have received valuable information from in the past and has priced the ebook reasonably. This source could be a self-help website you've been visiting for a while, or an Internet community that has provided you with strong self-help tips in the past.

As with most offers on the Internet, there are certain indicators that some self-help books are not going to deliver in the way of valuable content. One of these red flags includes making outlandish claims or promising unrealistic results, such as an ebook that claims to help you lose 15 pounds or get a new job in one week. Another indicator is customer reviews of gushing praise on the ebook coming from unspecific sources such as "Sarah P, Idaho," which don't include any further indicators of the reviewer's identity such as their profession or links to a personal homepage.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Woman doing a handstand with a computer
      Woman doing a handstand with a computer