This episode we take on the genre of Self Help, and are decidedly unenthused. We talk about reading what was on our parents’ book shelves, books filled with terrible advice, and the fact that even if the advice in a book is good we’re probably just going to ignore it.

Your hosts in this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Jessi | Matthew Murray

Recommended

• Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
• Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte
• The Diva Rules by Michelle Visage

Read

• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• Happiness by Joan Duncan Oliver
• She’s Just Not Into You by Aryka Randall
• He Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

Did Not Finish

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
• Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick
• Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown

Other Titles Mentioned

• Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō, translated by Cathy Hirano
• It’s Called a Breakup Because It’s Broken by Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt
• Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons
• When You Eat at the Refrigerator Pull Up a Chair by Geneen Roth
• Spark Joy by Marie Kondō
• Rich Brother Rich Sister by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Emi Kiyosaki
• Everything I Need to Know I learned from DnD by Shelly Mazzanoble
• Radical Self Love by Gala Darling
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel H. Pink (Comic)
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better by Monica Heisey
• Grace’s Guide by Grace HelbigThe Do-it-yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherfuckin’ Sad by Adam Gnade
• The Werewolf’s Guide to Life: A Manual for the Newly Bitten by Ritch Duncan, Bob Powers

(Almost every single one of the above books has a Title: Subtitle. That was too many words/too much work for us. You all just get the Title part.)

Links/Other

• Readers’ Advisory for Library Staff
• Anna gets advice from Rebecca Shinsky, mostly via the All The Books podcast these days.
• DTMFA from Savage Love
• Snake People Invade the Internet
• Anna’s Popular Science RA presentation (and guide)
• Hire a Goat Grazer from Amazon

Questions

• Do you read self-help books and then not implement any of their advice?
• Have you ever taken part in Bibliotherapy?
• When would you recommend professional intervention vs a self-help book?
• Have you ever thrown a book across a room?

Check out our Pinterest board and Tumblr posts for all the books about Self Help people in the club read (or tried to read), and follow us on Twitter!

Join us again on Tuesday, November 1st, when we discuss Supernatural and Paranormal non-fiction!