Self-help books, hmmm, such a general term which by definition is also an oxymoron. You are not helping yourself you are getting help from someone you assume is wiser than yourself. In the words of a wise prophet of old in response to his companion telling him that people go to a psychiatrist to talk about their problems, "Hasn't she got any mates?" Many of us read self-help books because we are too prideful to admit to our 'mates' that we could sure use their advice.

Or maybe, you don't have enough 'mates' to consult. In which case, you should read 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie.

Or, maybe you have chased away all your mates by acting a little crazy due to severe insomnia, in which case you should read 'Restful Sleep: The Complete Mind/Body Program for Overcoming Insomnia' by Deepak Chopra.

Once rested, its time to reconcile with your mates, so read "Love Languages" by Gary Chapman to help you understand the differences in how people feel loved.

Now that you are reunited with your mates, you may want to feed them at a joyful reunion but concerned about healthful eating, and wanting to surprise them all, you can find all you've ever wanted to know about nutrition, food, and cooking in the companion books "Let's Eat it Right" and "Let's Cook it Right" by Adelle Davis.

Finally, after consulting your mates you've discovered that they know just as little as you do about the meaning of life in which case you should read 'The Bible' by many authors, under inspiration of God.

All of the above have changed my life for the better. I'm extremely grateful to all of their authors for taking the time to share their wisdom with me. I skimmed them all, many times each.

"He who walks with the wise, will grow wise." Proverbs 13:20