Lauren Gregory | Contributor
September is self-improvement month which makes it a perfect time to dive into a self-help book and get some much-needed motivation to start the semester and finish the year strong. Self-help books can provide amazing inspiration to a variety of readers, but they can also push some toxic messaging in with their inspirational parts. Not only do many self-help books preach toxic positivity, the idea that one must suppress all negative emotions and only focus on the positive aspects of their lives, they also can peddle harmful fat phobic messaging. Many popular self-help books attribute being fat to being lazy, unmotivated, and lacking follow-through. On top of pushing these incredibly harmful messages, the most popular self-help books often only feature white, cisgender voices. This list of self-help books will help you weed out books that preach harmful content, and diversify your bookshelves with more helpful self-help books.
Popular Read: Girl Wash Your Face
One of the most popular self-help books in recent years is Rahel Hollis’s Girl Wash Your Face. Hollis’s laid-back, friendly style of writing, captivated and motivates audiences all over the world, and solidified the book as a staple in the self-help genre. Despite this success, Hollis has faced much well-deserved criticism mainly due to the fact that she plagiarized many parts of the book, centered her book on toxic positivity, and stuffed the book with fat phobic rhetoric. Even though Hollis attempts to be body-positive in her book, she still manages to throw in many lines that prop up diet culture and promote fat phobia disguised as her caring for the health of others.
READ THIS INSTEAD: The Body is Not an Apology
Instead of Hollis’s popular yet controversial book, read The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. Whereas Hollis fills her book with fat phobic rhetoric, blaming people for being lazy and lacking follow-through when it comes to losing weight, Sonya Renee Taylor uses her book to explore the way systems of oppression have made it nearly impossible for people to live at peace with their own bodies. In this revolutionary book, Taylor provides the tools for people to start loving an appreciating their bodies, no matter what they look like. Taylor invites her audience to see the strength in their bodies, and celebrate all that they provide us.
Popular Read: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sheryl Sandberg’s 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead captivated audiences everywhere with its powerful messaging about women having it all in the workplace. The book is chock full of advice for women hoping to advance their careers: make yourself a place at the table, find a mentor, help others while you climb your way up, and be fearless in the workplace. While the book outlines some good tips for success in the workplace, it has faced much criticism mainly in the fact that it ignores the experiences of black, indigenous, and people of color. As a white woman, Sandberg fails to recognize her privilege and how difficult for these groups to “lean in” at the workplace.
READ THIS INSTEAD: Hood Feminism
To fully understand how ineffective Sandberg’s messaging is, look to the book Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall. In this collection of essays, Kendall calls out the places where white feminism fails while pointing out what can be done to improve the movement as a whole. While Sandberg’s book ignores the experiences of those not similar to herself, Kendall’s brings attention to the pitfalls of the feminist movement and highlights a tangible path to a brighter future.
Popular Read: The Power of Now
Published in 2001, the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle quickly rose to the top of the best-seller list due to its message of living in the moment and making the most out of life. By explaining what exactly it means to “live in the now”, Tolle inspires many readers to improve their lives. The biggest criticism of the Power of Now is that it, like most self-help books, preaches toxic positivity and condemns all negative emotions. While it can be helpful, to look on this bright side of things, pushing away all negative emotions can lead to some serious psychological consequence.
READ THIS INSTEAD: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
In contrast to the common messaging of toxic positivity, Lori Gottlieb’s unique book acknowledges what many self-help books fail to, that sometimes just thinking positively and looking on the bright side is not enough. Gottlieb, a psychotherapist, uses her book to explore the process of therapy from the perspective of the therapist and the patient. This refreshing book is a great alternative to the popular mantra in self-help books that you are enough and you can get through anything simply with hard work and the power of positive thinking.
Other Recommendations (Hyperlink on Title):
- How to Do Nothing: Resisting in the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
- Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body by Jessamyn Stanley
- Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us by Justin Michael Williams
- The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman
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