Best Self-Help Books and Why?

[grasshopper]

I love a good self-help book and I would like to hear about your favourites and why they are your favourites.

I am going to start with my all-time favourite, a book that I read at least once every couple of years. The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck.

I first read this in the mid 80s when I was a teenager and a devout and rather self-righteous evangelical Christian. It completely resonated for me. I read it very quickly constantly saying, "YES!" and "OMG he is so right!!" I was convinced that he had to be a Christian and it turns out that he did in fact become a Christian after the book was published. He also had extra marital affairs, couldn't get on with his kids and eventually divorced his wife. So he didn't quite make a great job of life itself, despite his book.

But the book left a big mark on me, especially his teachings on responsibility, discipline, and also his notion of grace, the working of the divine in the human, often unsought, serendipitous. I also love his take on reality: when your map doesn't match the terrain, don't go blaming the terrain.

In terms of porn recovery, perhaps the most relevant bit is about suffering. He taught that the way to real personal and spiritual growth is to accept suffering as part of life and not to avoid it. Avoiding suffering is the cause of great pain and neuroses (and porn addiction!!!)

There is also much of the addict to be found in his description of the narcissist.

The Road Less Travelled is a true classic and very helpful to the addict and partners thereof. I thoroughly recommend it to TTFers.

[Phil413]

How to Resist Temptation, by Fr. Francis Remler. Overtly Christian, which appeals to me, but won't appeal to some. Here's the blurb on the back cover:

"Learn how to resist temptation now! No matter how devoted to Christ you are, temptations are going to come. That's why How to Resist Temptation is essential reading for you now.

"Author Fr. Francis Remler details ways you can recognize the elements of temptation -- and be on your guard against often-unrecognized causes of individual temptations. He reveals how you can keep the memories of your past sins from troubling and tempting you now, and clarifies why God allows temptation to exist in the first place. He even explores the role of the demonic in day-to-day temptations -- with firm faith in God's power.

"A marvelously encouraging and optimistic book, How to Resist Temptation contains useful directions on how you can -- believe it or not -- actually benefit from temptation and how you can learn from others' examples as you fight against temptation. So the next time the siren song of temptation starts to sound in your ears, don't try to tough out the struggle alone! Call on God's ever-plentiful grace, and go to battle against sin armed with the wisdom of How to Resist Temptation."

Phil