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Sham: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless
: I gave this book four stars because of the amount of research which was cited and the often splendid language (pabulum, gabfest etc). I do not agree with the author on all points, and I don't think all points are similarly well argued. For example, the attempt to make the AA movement almost solely responsible for the "recovery" trap and its various manifestations is the weakest chapter of the book. Here, the one-sidedness of relying on statistical sources does not give a good and sufficient picture. The chapter about the dubious entry of the self-esteem mentality into schools deserves attention, although a fellow reviewer argued that the proofs are spotty and the argumentation lopsided. The author is opinionated, for sure, and seems to sometimes long for a 50s suburban pseudo-wholeness. He also displays firm believerhood into academics, which is why his chapter on medicine is also quite weak. If academic psychology and medicine are the absolute measure of excellence, as the author seems to think, he was out of his league in this last-mentioned chapter by his own standards, whether one does or does not agree with his general impetus.
It is a commendable intention that people like Dr.Phil and especially his demeanour are scrutinized. What the book did not answer is the question how people like Mr. Robbins get us, in the first place, and what techniques and ideologies they apply.
I also hope that the absurdity of Sportsthink will eventually filter through; drive around a major city at rush hour, and you have a lot of encounters with drivers who display 'winning mentality'. Why does, for purpose of motivation, a company not show an old film about a few thousand workers, men and women, who built the ships in Bath Ironworks during the war in 24 hour shifts? Now, that is teamwork, and that is motivation.
 I expected an even-handed critique, but instead, the author wrote what might better serve as an short op ed piece to get some personal aggravation off his chest. His writing lapses into predictable jibes , sounding very much like the exact ones heard on radio and TV ad infinitum by certain conservatives and liberals. There's no original voice here. It's not a polemic, just pages of scattered rote opinion.
The author offers what he thinks are `facts,' but are only his own untested opinions. He has no scientific evidentiary based material at all. He doesn't seem know how to differentiate between professionals who write serious works and people who are scamming. He complains that a certain `feeling' orientation has infected school systems, a negative to his mind. As a teacher in the schools, I think he has not been in the many schools in the nation where teachers are teaching kids fact-based curriculums, social sense, civic responsibility, and artfulness. What he's written about schools is piecemeal and unexamined. All these are fatal flaws.
[...]People think for themselves more than ever, are more educated, have huge web access to many points of view, are more tough about doing as they wish in ways that serve themselves and their worlds. The book "Sham," fails in part perhaps too, because the day of believing old-fashioned `one-sided, `finger-shaking, hand-wringing, shill faux warnings about the future of culture' is pretty well over.
That said, on just a stylistic note, the book :"Sham" indulges in adolescent attempts at scorn.... often vilifying, in unbalanced ways, those who hold themselves out as helpers and also those in need who seek help. I find it hard to give weight to arguments so clearly based on not liking certain people, rather than evidentiary facts. I have wondered a bit about some of the people mentioned in the book. But I'm also aware, by reading about them, that they also do much good. All these helpers who built empires according to the American Dream seem to also give away much of their time and work to various needy groups. I recently viewed a beautiful book of Hollis Sigler's artwork, a painter who had breast cancer. The book has become a a map for chemo patients, and was underwritten by Procrit pharmaceuticals... another empire builder in a different way. Empires might be largely unexamined in our culture. People may not be aware that certain kinds of empires are also ways to teach and assist a huge swath of culture... by generating large revenues, then turning to help a large number of people, including movers and shakers, as well as the disadvantages, over a broad field.
Perhaps a more balanced and mature authorial viewpoint in 'Sham' would have tried to realize that not everything in the world can be one's very own cup of tea. That would be pretty self-centered if one disapproved of everything they did not care for, even in the face of many others attesting that those very things are meaningful and helpful to them. There are other works that are far more serious overviews and critiques of psychiatry and therapeutics, such as Dorothy Tennov's work.
A poorly documented book that slams people, is filled with judgment, and does nothing to help others is the foundation of the entire book. Salerno's SHAM does not take into account the millions of people that ARE actually being helped. The book is filled with inconsistancy, poorly argued statements, and is an attack on celebrity, so that he, through this book, can cash in on the celebrity bashing.
The whole book is filled with negative gossip, that while reading it, I wondered why I felt so bad? This book did nothing to help me, if anything, it made me feel worse.
 Funny, enlightening, ambitious, big in perspective, surprisingly warm in spots, savage when necessary, and even oddly enough inspirational. Calls a spade a spade. Can't recommend it enough.
The self-help industry was long overdue for a fall, and Steve Salerno is combative and tenacious enough to deliver the knockout punches.
If he had just pointed out how many emperors in the self-help universe have no clothes, it would've been a decent book. After all, we live in a world in which the overweight Dr. Phil is a weight-loss guru, the recently divorced Tony Robbins offers marital advice, and the profoundly screwed up Dr. Laura presents herself as a beacon of moral clarity.
But Salerno does more than land easy and cheap shots. He shows where the gurus present glib advice that actually contradicts scientific research. He shows how they build their personal "brands" by branching out into areas of advice and counseling in which they have no expertise. And he shows, first and foremost, how they enrich themselves by creating repeat customers. If they were legitimately helping people, why would anyone need to attend more than one seminar, or buy more than one book?
As an added bonus, this book is very well written. Salerno makes his points with style.
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