Self-Help Books

Self-Help Books describes a diverse selection of titles that focus on self-discovery and self-improvement. The self-help genre is characterized by literature that shares research and advice to promote self-understanding and prompt changes in one's outlook or behavior, thus improving one's quality of life. The Self-Help Collection features texts that discuss topics ranging from business and personal finance to interpersonal relationships, mental health, and sexuality.

How to Change Your Mind

by Michael Pollan

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Psychology, Depression & Suicide, Science & Nature, World History, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self-Improvement, Health, Religion & Spirituality

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) was written by Michael Pollan after curiosity and a personal desire to experience psychedelics for himself prompted exploration into psychedelic research. Pollan uses multiple forms of narrative to weave a story that’s part history, part memoir, part biomedical nonfiction, and part travelogue. The book follows the history of LSD and psilocybin as well as... Read How to Change Your Mind Summary

How To Do Nothing

by Jenny Odell

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Economics, Place, Community, Objects & Materials, Science & Technology

Tags Philosophy, Technology, Arts & Culture, Self-Improvement, Information Age, Science & Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics & Government

... Read How To Do Nothing Summary

How to Fly a Horse

by Kevin Ashton

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self-Improvement, Science & Nature, Business & Economics, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts & Culture

How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery (2015) is a nonfiction book by Kevin Ashton about creativity. Ashton has led three start-ups and was a pioneer in the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) in inventory systems, underscoring his business credibility in this area. His thesis extends into the creative process involved in any field, including art and medicine. Ashton’s main point strikes an open and democratic tone: Being creative is... Read How to Fly a Horse Summary

How To Read Literature Like A Professor

by Thomas C. Foster

Publication year 2003

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Literature, Trust & Doubt, Language

Tags Education, Education, Literary Criticism, Self-Improvement

Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines is a nonfiction book that aims to teach readers how to improve their reading skills. Foster, a longtime university professor, focuses on techniques that enable readers to puzzle out some of the deeper meanings of a story that exist below the surface level of the plot. Harper published the book in 2003, and the 2014... Read How To Read Literature Like A Professor Summary

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Teamwork, Power & Greed, Language

Tags Business & Economics, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction

First published in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People launched the American self-help industry, sold over 30 million copies, and became a template for the thousands of self-improvement books that followed. It asserts that success with others depends on listening, showing appreciation, and empathizing with them. The book was revised in 1981; the 2020 eBook re-issue of that edition is the basis for this study guide.The book is divided into... Read How to Win Friends and Influence People Summary