(1888PressRelease)
February 14, 2007 - According to former Tonight Show With Jay Leno staff writer and author Brad Dickson the idea of self help books offering a panacea for the ills of society is bogus. "I think there are many self help books on the market that do little to help anything but the author's pocketbook" says Dickson, coauthor with Martha Bolton of the self help parody "Maybe Life's Just Not That Into You: When You Feel Like The World's Voted You Off" (Howard Publishing).
"The notion of a lot of these books - that they can develop your mind, biceps and self image in a short time frame is ridiculous, "says Dickson. "If self help books existed in the age of the pharaoh there'd be a book 'How To Erect A Pyramid in Thirty Days.' Of course, if they had self help back then that slacker King Tut might've done something noteworthy with his life, like develop 'thighs of steel.'
Taking a contrasting point of view is Howard Bronson, co-author with Michael Riley of "How To Heal A Broken Heart In 30 Days (Broadway).
"That [Dickson] seems to ignore the fact that life can get better with a little effort and, some substantive support, " says Bronson whose best selling book continues to be a leading authority on the subject worldwide. "Sure, you can't erect a pyramid in a few weeks, but you can markedly change your attitude for the better in far less time than that. People just stay angry too long about love lost. Why linger in emotional suffering when the cure is knowledge found in a book?”
"That would be great if you could," says Dickson," but all these issues are achieved by process, not promise and proclamation. People buy these books and, rarely read them."
Not so, says Bronson who cites the hundreds of emails he and his fellow author receive every month. "Ninety-nine of 100 people who write us attribute our book as the main force in helping them through a very dark time."
But Dickson says that only works because people want to believe it does.
"I highly doubt most people who buy these self help books even get to chapter two in less than 30 days."
“Dickson sounds very cynical,” says Bronson, “but I think we could fix that in about 30 days.”
