SELF HELP BOOKS

“Heaven helps those who help themselves….” This is from the opening line of the first self-help book ever published, Self-Help by Samuel Smiles (1859). The second line reads: “The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual….” Though this self-help book was advocating the virtues of hard work, thrift and perseverance in Victorian England, Self-Help set the pattern for all self-help books that have followed — i.e., they tell the stories of people who have overcome some problem similar to the reader’s, they provide motivation for the reader to work on overcoming their own problem, and they give practical advice on how to go about it.

Critics of self-help books assert that they are written for people looking for simple solutions to difficult problems. A good self-help book will demolish that notion in the first chapter. Nothing good comes easy, so avoid any self-help book that promises miraculous cures with minimal effort. A good self-help book will focus on a specific problem and offer specific strategies for dealing with it. Just remember that some problems, like manic-depressive disorder, are genetically based and are very hard to cure.

Another criticism of many self-help books is that they are written by people who lack the credentials or experience to be credible. The self-help books published by Basic Health Publications are written by authors who are experts in their field, and cover a wide range of topics. Here’s a brief sampling:

	Easing the Pain of Arthritis Naturally by Earl Mindell. Safe, easy-to-use strategies to achieve optimum health and relief from arthritis pain and discomfort.		I Have Diabetes Too! By Camille Dorian & Moshe Shifrine. An easy-to-understand diabetes guidebook for children and adults.
	Overcoming Sleep Disorders Naturally by Laurel Vukovic. Helps you discover natural, sedative-free strategies that help you regain the ability to sleep well again.		Sex, Love & Health by Brigitte Mars. Teaches readers how they can enjoy safe, sensual, health-enhancing sex.
	Asthma: Relax—You’re Not Going to Die by Jonathan M. Berkowitz, M.D. Explains how to breathe more easily with safe and effective natural therapies for asthma.		The Amazing Way to Reverse Heart Disease by Eric R. Braverman, M.D., and Dasha Braverman. Tells you why drugs are not the answer to overcoming and preventing high blood pressure and heart disease.
	Breathe For Life by Sophie Gabriel. Shows you how to reduce stress and enhance fitness by learning how to breathe correctly.		Managing Menopause Naturally by Emily A. Kane. A road map to help women navigate their way into, through, and out the other side of menopause—all the while in radiant health.