by Kathleen Sherlock

Created on: May 01, 2009

TOP TEN SELF-HELP BOOKS
Since the first self-help books were published in the 19th century, scores of them have flooded the market and have reached the best-seller lists-giving consumers a bewildering array of choices through which to sift. And, retailers don't narrow down these choices for you-most bookstores feature aisle after aisle of self-help books, leaving the consumer at the mercy of cleverly-packaged "fad" books and knockoffs of other works.

So, if you're ready to change your life, and you're searching the shelves at a shop or library for some guidance and wisdom, how can you tell which books contain the depth and practicality to be truly helpful tools for self-change?

Consider this list of the "Top Ten Self-Help Books" a thumbnail guide to finding some of the very best self-help books ever written-books that are clear, well-organized, and offer practical suggestions for integrating their principles into your life.

These books are an eclectic lot, but they do have one important thing in common: all avoid a superficial "quick fix" or "magical thinking" mentality, and focus instead on guiding you in creating deep and lasting personal change.

Most of the selections describe this process of change from a metaphysical viewpoint (ie., one's thoughts create one's reality), rather than from more traditional psychological or religious perspectives. This is not to invalidate psychology or faith as sources of inspiration and aid in self-development-in fact, most of the books selected draw freely from these schools of thought.

Metaphysics, however, offers the key to successful personal change, in that it identifies one's thoughts, and not outside conditions, as the source of one's happiness and success-thus empowering the individual to shape his or her life, rather than believing themselves to be the victims of circumstance.

Even many psychology-based self-help books, such as Dr. David Burns' Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, have shifted to this cognitive focus, instructing readers to change negative thought patterns rather than to simply trace their origins in the past. And, many faith-based books, such as Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Yet , link successful life change to a shift in habitual thinking and belief. Perhaps self-help guru Wayne Dyer has said it best: "Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change."

The books in the list are ranked in order of worth, but as one book's methods may be better for one person than for another, readers

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