beerisforclosers

Account Manager

Most "self-improvement" books are fluff pieces...

Every leader recommends you read XXX book, and I just have to say - 99% of the books are total fluff. Believe in you. Enhance the team. Yada yada yada.

I'd never admit this on LI where all my mentors are floating around and have recommended such books to me, but I have to know - am I the only one who feels like most of these books are a waste of time?

Do you actually love a good self-improvement book?

Attached poll

YES NO Detailed opinion in the comments

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45 comments

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GDO

Politicker

BDM

If they get you thinking about your own situation they are good. For me they are a starting point to evaluate what I’m doing and where I’m going.

If they are just fluff and you read them just because, they are not.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

I could definitely improve the mental attitude I have when approaching a new book. I've certainly developed some negativity around the whole subject.

GDO

Politicker

BDM

👍

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

I'm pretty over them... I've read my fair share and they're all the same after a while.

NoSuperhero

Politicker

BDR LEAD

Self help books are there for those that need help. So if you don't see the benefit of reading them or really searching answers in them. Well I think they have served their purpose

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

It's tough with leadership always encouraging us to read the 'latest and greatest' - the last few picks haven't had much variation. But you want to read and know the 'buzz words' management is about to start throwing around.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

Well I'm perfect so I guess that's why I don't find value in help books, you know?

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

A ton of them are over generalized sociological best practices - but if you're unaware or they can make a minor improvement on something you're already doing well, what's the harm?

Plus reading is a phenomenal habit to keep alive, regardless if the info can be redundant.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

Fair enough - first, do no harm. And I'm sure some repetition helps it stick.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

I see where you are coming from, and I do agree to an extent.

Any book you personally gained knowledge/learned something new from is valuable.

Chris Voss will always be valuable to me.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

That one is an all time favorite of mine. I think I may have just reached a saturation point.

Going to pick up some trashy beach reads and come back to self-improvement in a few months haha

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Ooh I love beach reads. People, Soap Opera Digest, and Vogue are my favs.

harebrained

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

Reading fiction increases empathy which helps you sell! You don't have to read self-help to get better, go read some lusty trash and you will still relate more to your fellow humans

detectivegibbles

Politicker

Sales Director

The act of reading keeps me in a routine and filling my end with junk. Essentially, I read for my own mental well-being.

Sort of like that "you're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with" idea, but for the brain.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

I'm an avid reader. Reading some of these responses, I think I may just need to take a break and find a new category for a bit. Because I have learned a lot from the books I've read; lately every one I pick up has felt the same, though.

ChuckDiesel

SDR - Team Lead

If you read one, you've read them all.

DrunkenArt

Politicker

Sales Representative

Always remember, the books are written about the author's stories/successes. A good self improvement book will make you reflect on your own situations while giving you potential solutions.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

Great approach!

slaydie

Big Shot

Account Executive

I find a lot of value in sales books. Do I think they could get the point across in less words - yes but overall I find I learn so good concepts from them

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

I think less words could suffice in almost every sales call :) Maybe we should write a book about that!

slaydie

Big Shot

Account Executive

agreed! haha

Nairobi

Politicker

I stopped having expectations for books cause most of them were disappointing me lol I just read to keep my brain busy and sometimes I might learn something new that will help me.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

If you set your expectations low enough, you can achieve them every time!

paddy

WR Officer

Director of Business Development

Most are bullshit with generic advice I agree. There are a few out there that offer practical mental exercises that you can actually implement which do help.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

Agreed. Some applicable exercises helps. Some are just too academic.

Ozz

Politicker

Account Executive

Much are very redundant and some ideas are obvious. It’s good to focus on a methodology versus ad-hoc help books. Personal reflection has been my biggest self-help.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

Nothing like a good look in the mirror, though it's hard to be objective.

NoSuperhero

Politicker

BDR LEAD

Jim Kwik said something something that's stuck with me all year. Books are the years of knowledge, experience and wisdom put down on paper, we can accumulate those years by reading those books. True eye opener for me.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

Always easier to learn the lesson second hand... but hard not to go out there and learn it in first person haha

iworkinchonies

Politicker

Account Executive / Chronic degenerate

Many of them can be helpful, but also could probably just be blog posts. I often find it best to take the principle that is often supported by 137 stories and try to apply it to my own situation. It's never a true 1-1 correlation, but I think I've learned a good amount from them, but boy can they be frustrating to read.

Ryase1113

Opinionated

Regional Director

Personally I think they all say almost the same exact thing, but they organize their thoughts differently. Sometimes a different perspective at a different point in your life is valuable (i.e. reading a book when you're in your 20's vs. reading a book in your 40's). My goal if/when I read a book like that is to try and take 2-3 actionable things away from the book in total. If I can do that, I usually find myself getting better. But yes, there are plenty of books that are shit and I stop reading them.

SaaSbod

Contributor

Sr Sales Account Exec

Any category of anything has some fluff to it. Most are repackaged ideas of others yes but not all. And as one commenter mentioned, it's not about the content but what it inspires you to do.

Annonny

Big Shot

Account Executive

I HATEEEEE READING!!!

Woody

Politicker

Business Development Executive

First question to ask is was it self published.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

This made me chuckle :)

bareknuckles

Valued Contributor

CEO of my kitchen table

Most of those books have good points however they are all carbon copies wrapped in different words selling to different markets.

msp_sales

Opinionated

Full Cycle Sales

It really depends. What bothers me is the book that spends the first third of it explaining why you should read the book. Clearly it's just fluff and it makes it difficult to get anything useful out of it.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

100% - I already bought your book no need to sell me on its value just show me. We're in the POC now.

Blackwargreymon

Politicker

MDR

I'm pretty over them... I've read my fair share and they're all the same after a while.

Clashingsoulsspell

Politicker

ISR

If they get you thinking about your own situation they are good. For me they are a starting point to evaluate what I’m doing and where I’m going.

Lambda

Tycoon

Sales Consultant

I totally depends on what you are looking for to develop IMO

Beasthouse

Opinionated

Corporate trainer

heres the thing, its not that their fluff its that the content is not relevant to you. what you call fluff others call it context. just like you can deliver the wrong message at the wrong time you can also gain the wrong information at the wrong time

CharmingSalesGal

Politicker

Account Executive

I think it's important to read through the fluff. I read A LOT and just the act itself seems to keep me somewhat sane because it's relaxing for me. With that being said, there are a lot of books where I will skim things because it is all the yada yada yada. If you can pick up the important lessons, and read between the lines if you will, there's a lot of valuable information out there!

I also struggle with author's personalities. I typically HATE books that are wildly aggressive and blunt to the point of rudeness but those are the people I seek out in a professional world. Balance.

Executioner

Politicker

Business Dev.

Depends. If you keep searching for a new "silver bullet" on an old shortfall of yours, then they wont help. If they are addressing a new problem/shortcoming/weakness/etc. then they often are very helpful (caveat: take into account survivorship bias and context of the author - look for the PRINCIPLES)

I love the intro to 7 Habits (an actually good book, regardless of role or goals), where Steve Covey my bro talks about "new" vs "old" self help. New focus on "tactics" and gimmicks, old focus on timeless principles. The latter is what you want to get. Also check out Commoncog's blog on "tree and branch books". Note most "bestsellers" in the business section of the 'zon are branch books, and the gold is MUCH harder to find. the Tree books are mostly the classics.

All of that said, reading is good for you. Never hurts. Just aim up. I personally recommend a mix of styles of books.

MR.StretchISR

Politicker

ISR

If they get you thinking about your own situation they are good. For me they are a starting point to evaluate what I’m doing and where I’m going.

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beerisforclosers

Most "self-improvement" books are fluff pieces...

Do you actually love a good self-improvement book?

45 comments

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