November 21, 2013
by dustin kurtz
Giving gifts is hard.
sometimes you know the person too well (“he doesn’t deserve it”) and sometimes you don’t know him well enough (“I think I saw him touch a rectangle once”), sometimes you understand him too much (“he doesn’t even going out, brad”) and sometimes too little (“that’s a very nice spoon, thanks”), but no matter how wrong we givers may be, at least we have a guiding principle that will never fail. change: never, under any circumstances, give someone a self-help book.
You are reading: Best self-help books 2013
It’s one of the easiest rules in life, really. it’s right there in the name of the genre: self help, not help others. most stores don’t stock a genre of books known as helping others. waldenbooks used to have one for a while, back in the day, but they called it “shitty gifts” and those books never seemed to work very well.
Why self-help books make terrible gifts? Let carolineash-levine and her forbes blog illustrate it.
ash-levine rounds up the top ten career and self-help books from the past year to help you with your gifts. the first part of this is great. I didn’t get a chance to read much self-help this year, as evidenced by the way I walk around with my pockets inside out, so it’s interesting to see what’s been coming out. the second part of this, the part where you supposedly give these books to other people, may be inadvisable. I have extracted some of its options.
forget a mentor, get a sponsor: the new way to accelerate your career by sylvia ann hewlett for the corporate climber, this is the best career book of the year.
Putting aside the fact that anyone who can call themselves a “corporate climber” deserves only the worst gifts imaginable (“I brought you some sputum!”), what is the message behind this book? basically, that your career is stalled and you need help. I have no doubt that having a sponsor, whatever that implies, is a great thing, but being told so much has to hurt a little.
See Also: Romance eBooks – Download & Read Free Romance Books
standing ovation submissions by robyn hatcher are you a hero, friend, sex symbol, curmudgeon…? hatcher teaches presentation skills by dividing people into 9 types of actors.
the message here: “wish you were wilford brimley“. that’s fair; I also wish most people were Wilford Brimley. but it is considered impolite to say that with your gifts. This gets to the heart of why self-help books make poor gifts: They acknowledge a flaw, real or imagined, about the recipient.
funny business by bill connolly connolly advocates developing business skills through comedy, combining different comedy skills with their relevant business lesson (eg game improvisation and innovation). the stories of everyday people who also do comedy (a national security lawyer, an entire advertising agency) are an extra fun touch.
“You’re unfunny and bad at business. Merry Christmas!”
social media job hunting for dummies by joshua waldman
This is not a book for fools. is for anyone who wants the latest tips and strategies for social media and job hunting.
“you are a fool. also broke and bad at snapchatz. Happy Hanukkah!”
Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath…full of helpful strategies and examples on how to make better decisions.
See Also: Connie Berry – Book Series In Order
“You’re making bad decisions. happy baby shower!”
Easy: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain Just read the first few pages about the introvert at the negotiating table and you’ll be sucked in.
“you are…” you’re actually right, this book is great and it’s not really self help. good gift.
how much money do i need to retire by todd tressider
…this book is the best I’ve seen on navigating retirement savings.
“You don’t have enough money to retire. I could have given you cash, but I spent it on this cruel reminder.”
some of these are good books, I have no doubt. imagine all the funny business jokes about business sponsors that business people are saying after reading these. that doesn’t make them good gifts
See Also: 23 Banned Books and Why They Were Banned