Paul Damien discusses his new book, “Help! Debunking the Outrageous Claims of Self-Help Gurus.”

“Help! Debunking the Outrageous Claims of Self-Help Gurus. humorously pokes holes in the persona of today’s most popular self-help authors, revealing their methods to be nothing more than non-ideas sugar-coated with marketing buzzwords. Damien combines straightforward logic and biting humor to dissect the self-help genre and offer readers the nonsensical skills to write their own self-help books. Readers are given the inside scoop on the linguistic manipulations employed by popular authors, as well as the brand of “quantum-Hinduism” so prevalent in today’s bestsellers. The Secret has brought pseudo-spiritual self-help books back into the forefront of public dialogue. Beginning with the popularity of Deepak Chopra in the 1990s, the self-help genre has spawned a tribe of author-gurus each claiming to have the answer to personal fulfillment. But are these authors providing helpful and coherent ideas about dealing with life’s issues, or are they merely selling snake oil disguised as self-help? Visit his site at www.pauldamien.net