Self-help books that don’t look like self-help books

12 rules for life by Jordan Peterson

In this book clinical psychologist proposes 12 rules to help people living in the 21st century. It provides this advice through 12 essays which are separated into chapters. Each “rule” is supported by a mixture of anecdotal evidence, psychology, mythology, and religion. The idea for the book stemmed from the author’s hobby of answering question on Quora. He was answering the question "What are the most valuable things everyone should know?" he answered with 42 rules that reached over 33 thousand people on the site. Due to the positive response, he challenged himself to summarise and simplify these rules to create a comprehensive strategy to tackle modern problems faced by younger people. While this one seems to be quite obviously a self-book it approaches the topic in a unique perspective with interesting arguments to prompt the reader to reflect on their own values and beliefs.

The coddling of the American mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

The coddling of the American mind tackles how the “great untruths” as they put it are setting up future generations to fail. The book discusses “safteyism” and identity politics within the classroom while also looking at how parents are contributing to creating what they call fragile adults. This book offers up problems backed up by studies and theories to prompt the reader into reflection. Do I villainize opposing viewpoints just for contradicting me? Have I avoided certain opportunities for the sake of my comfort? While the book is more directed towards educators and parents, I believe this book is key to deepening your academic knowledge.

The architecture of happiness by Alain de Botton

This book may be a slight stretch when considering how it would be Self-help, but I believe it presents an important idea. Botton argues that the environment in which we find ourselves, our homes, and classrooms for example, is directly correlated with mental health and wellbeing. He examines a mixture of elements ranging from skyscrapers down to side tables and offers philosophical insight. The book explores the history and psychology of architecture and interior design to change the way we look at our homes.

The sweet spot by Paul Bloom

The sweets sport draws on brain science and psychology he argues that suffering is intergral in human life. He explains how pain itself can serve a variety of valuable functions: to distract us from our anxieties or even express them, to help us transcend the self or project our identity, or as a gateway to the joys of mastery and flow. As Bloom argues, deep down we all aspire to lives of meaning and significance, and that means some amount of struggle, anxiety and loss. After all, if the things that mean most to us were easy, what would be the point?