What are Self Help Books?

Self help books have seen an enormous growth rate in the last ten years. Self help books usually help people grow in some way, be it mentally, physically or spiritually. The main goal of self help books is to unlock some inner strength that the reader already has and help set it free.

The market for self help books is huge. The public will always want some help in order to improve their lives. Chat show hosts such as Oprah Winfrey infrequently bring self help experts onto their shows. Usually, when this happens, the audience has an Oh, that’s right reaction. The expert is able to communicate in simple terms something that seems to have been right in front of audience’s noses that they just hadn’t thought about.

This is the essence of self help books. The reader already knows the answers to the questions he or she is searching for. It just takes an author with acute perception to bring it out into the open.

The subject matter for self help books is limitless. Anything that can be a problem to anyone can be a subject for self help books. Three of the most popular subject areas for self help books are mental health concerns, life challenges and the all time favorite, personal growth.

Mental health concerns can cover abusive relationships and how to get rid of them, addiction, eating disorders and social anxiety. Life challenges can include death, divorce, family and sexuality problems, parenting, women’s issues and parenting problems. Personal growth is a popular topic and can cover self-esteem problems, spirituality, assertiveness, confidence and even Pilates and yoga.

The authors of self help books are usually, to some degree, experts in their fields. For some, this may come from a medical or psychology background. Others may have gone through a traumatic time in their lives and write about the experience in the hope that it will help others to understand the issues they are coping, or not coping, with.

Other experts may have achieved a certain status in their field and want to pass on their experiences. Self made millionaires may want to pass on their tips as to how they made their money. Of course, the fact that they are selling these books for a price may have something to do with how they keep on making their money.

There is no doubt that self help books help a great number of people. In subjects such as medical and mental disorders, some of the knowledge is invaluable and truly helpful. Others books that help a person move through bereavement and grief can also be a great comfort. The reader should be aware that with self help books, there are no guarantees. Ultimately, the answer to many of life’s problems will not be found within the covers of a book.