Is it just me, or are self-help books kind of becoming trendy?
I’m kind of glad about it, actually! I don’t like the idea of self-improvement being a taboo topic. Really, I think if a person wants to take the steps to better him or herself, it should be celebrated instead of mocked.
But, thanks to a slew of popular titles — like Jen Sincero’s “You Are A Badass” and Mark Manson’s “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” — I feel like it’s totally cool to be caught reading one of these books in public, or discussing it on social media.
I mean heck, my book club picked “Subtle Art” in January! So it’s definitely not taboo.
Anyway, I wanted to take a quick second to talk about two recent self-help books I’ve read. I really enjoyed one, and the other left me feeling kind of “meh.”
“THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A FUCK” BY MARK MANSON
So, my Wine Wednesday book club picked this instructional guide back in January. Our group definitely had mixed opinions on it… and it was the first time I’ve ever been asked “would you date this author?” as a book club question!
Overall, I got a little bit out of it, but I didn’t put it down and think “whoa, that changed my life!”
My book club decided Manson was targeting a privileged reader. Not to say that there isn’t value in not giving a fuck about some things, because I could definitely stand to care a little less about what people think of me, but having the luxury of quitting your job so you can couch surf and feed your creativity? …yeah, you’ve gotta have a pretty privileged background to be able to do something like that.
I did appreciate a few notions at the end of this book, though. Manson’s lines about checking off “one more country” and picking up “one more woman” kind of resonated with me — the idea that creating a long-term stable relationship, or working your way up the ladder in your company career are things that should be thought of as challenges too. That’s kind of the way I think. I’m very much a quality-over-quantity person, and knowing I’ve invested in the things that surround me (my career, my close relationships, my personal development) is what makes me feel fulfilled.
“THE DEFINING DECADE” BY MEG JAY
On the other hand, I loved this book by Meg Jay. Reading it really reaffirmed the decisions I’ve made thus far in my life (like cultivating my career, relationships, development, etc.) and made me feel like I’m almost in a good place as I approach (gulp) 30. However, I still wish I’d picked it up earlier in my 20s! This book would make a great graduation gift to any of the high school or college seniors you happen to know.
Jay does a really great job of pointing out exactly what to work toward in your 20s, and what you should prioritize. She does it in a no-nonsense way that still manages to avoid condescension. If you’ve just kind of been feeling like you’re aimlessly floating around, this book is definitely for you. Jay talked about how some of her patients would fear limiting themselves by picking a major, or a career path… which ironically only ended up limiting them more because they’d end up wasting years on part-time minimum wage jobs.
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Have you been reading any self-help books lately? Or are they just not really your thing? LMK in the comments. I’m always looking for new reading material!
