24 Comments
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Borntoschnitzel's avatar

Atomic Habits by James Clear has definitely been a system that keeps coming back ever since I read the book (I didn't actually; I watched a 30-minute summary video. Call me a fraud). That'd be the candidate I suggest.

Jia Jiang's avatar

He’s an autobid.

Leanne Hughes's avatar

Brilliant idea! Can I nominate Michael Bungay Stanier, author of “The Coaching Habit” (over 1 million sold) 🤞

Matt Lee's avatar

That looks relevant to some areas I'm growing in. Thanks for putting it on my radar!

Jia Jiang's avatar

Thanks, Leanne! I’ll put it on my research list.

Matt Lee's avatar

I love the idea, though I do wonder whether it'll be a simple matter of popularity, with a more-read book getting more votes. The only meaningful vote would be if someone read both books and chose the more helpful one, right?

I feel I've read a ton of self-help, but have "only" read 12 of the 48 auto-bids. (How many I've started and abandoned, or owned and never read... that's another matter. Probably at least half in that case. So perhaps I could vote against some of those.)

One of my favorite self-help books is Psycho-Cybernetics, published in 1960, over 30 million copies sold. I've actually gotten the most out of older books like that. It feels like most newer books have just been repackaging those messages, often in less compelling ways, with slicker marketing.

I'll also throw in a vote for The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden.

Jia Jiang's avatar

Matt, going into every matchup, I’ll do my best to explain their ideas, so people know who and what they are voting for.

Matt Lee's avatar

Sounds like it'll be a great way to get acquainted with much of the self-help of the past decade+!

Jason Reese's avatar

Yeah I'm unsubscribing after that b******* about Napoleon Hill thanks though

Jia Jiang's avatar

Did you read the part about me finding out he’s a fraud?

Matt Lee's avatar

I couldn't tell which side he was on. 😂 FWIW, I've gone on the same journey of reading Think and Grow Rich, and then reading about Napoleon Hill.

Jia Jiang's avatar

I don't care which side he was on. I just want to tell my true feelings and experience with the book, the good and the bad.

Now a lot of the authors in this bracket aren't the best people. But this bracket is about ideas, not characters.

Matt Lee's avatar

I admire that. I've long worried about offending someone by sharing my true feelings, and so have stayed quiet about increasingly innocuous opinions... It's simply impossible to avoid. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Candace Fitzpatrick's avatar

Please consider Marcus Buckingham for Now, Discover Your Strengths (2001) and Love + Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life (2022). There were other books in between, but these two gave us the StrengthsFinder (now CliftonStrengths) assessment - which helps us individually understand how our brains work - and the concept that we can find and/or craft work that we love that provides much more than just financial support.

Jia Jiang's avatar

I know Marcus. I’ll put him on research list. Thanks!

Ed Hanson's avatar

Absolutely brilliant. Love it! Looking so forward to the brackets!

Evelyn Starr's avatar

What a fun idea! Looking forward to voting. A helpful read and proposed bracket candidate: Die With Zero by Bill Perkins. It's about "living rich...instead of dying rich." The book talks about saving and spending in a quality-of-life manner for your entire life, not just retirement.

Jia Jiang's avatar

Love it! I heard about this title a lot.

Jodi's avatar

Love this! Looks fun, I can't wait to tune in every day.

Jia Jiang's avatar

Having fun is what this is all about.

Kabir Mahadeva's avatar

I recommend The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. While not a prescription for self-help, it takes the reader on a journey that reveals insights about life, spirituality, and human behavior, that can help guide us in daily life.

Jia Jiang's avatar

That is very interesting. Looks like it qualifies too! Thank you for the suggestion.

Shasta's avatar

Oh how I love this!! Brilliant!! 🙌🙌🙌

Jia Jiang's avatar

Thanks! I’m hoping this is fun.