Summary

The article recommends three non-fiction books that offer insights into world history and different cultures as alternatives to self-help literature.

Abstract

The article suggests a departure from the self-help genre, advocating for reading that expands one's understanding of the world and its history. It presents three non-fiction books that provide deep dives into the lives of North Korean defectors, the broad scope of human history, and the historical context of Jesus of Nazareth. These books are proposed as a means to gain knowledge about different ways of life and significant historical events, offering a more grounded approach to personal growth compared to the often overwhelming and sometimes ineffective advice found in self-help books.

Opinions

The author expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of self-help books, suggesting that they can lead to information overload and detract from actual self-improvement efforts.
Reading non-fiction books about the world and its history is highly valued by the author for the perspective it provides on diverse cultures and realities.
"Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick is praised for its detailed narrative and the emotional connection it fosters with the readers, making it engaging like a novel.
"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari is commended for its comprehensive overview of human history, presented in an accessible manner.
"Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth" by Reza Aslan is recommended for its historical account of Jesus' life, challenging traditional religious narratives and offering a deeper understanding of the societal context of his time.

Read these 3 non-fiction books if you are tired of self-help

Learn about the world and its history

Photo by Stanislav Kondratiev on Unsplash

Self-help books and personal improvement books have become quite popular and with good reason, the majority of books from the self-help genre promise you that if you read them, your life will change and you’ll get rid of your insecurities and problems.

I’m not a big self-help reader. I used to read a lot of self-improvement articles and stories to find something that will finally change my life.

I stopped doing that.

It wasn’t that the information I was reading was bad or useless, it’s just that I was getting too much information in my head and that made me feel confused and lost about what advice I should follow and listen.

My time was being consumed by reading self-improvement articles and not actually doing the work to self-improve.

That’s why I’m very picky about which self-help book to read. I think about what I need right now and then search for books that address my current problem.

I love reading non-fiction books that teach you stuff about the world and its history.

By reading these types of books, you learn so much about other cultures and ways of life. You open your eyes to new realities you never could have imagined of on your own.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea — Barbara Demick

North Korea is the most isolated country in the world and although we know more about the country than before, it’s still a mystery what happens inside.

The little information we get from North Korea comes from the capital Pyongyang, but its authenticity is questionable since Pyongyang is considered a Potemkin village.

This book tells the story of six North Korean defectors from the city of Chongjin, the third biggest city in North Korea. It’s fascinating to learn about how these people lived under a dictatorial regime without them even knowing.

The six defectors were followers of the regime, but as you read the book, they start to ask themselves how is it possible to live in such horrible conditions when all their life they were told that their country was the best.

We learn how these 6 people lived the most significant events in the country, like the death of Kim-il Sung and the famine from the ’90s which killed approximately 3 million people.

Something great about the book is that it describes the lives of the six people with lots of details.

It feels like reading a novel, you feel what the protagonists are feeling and you can’t wait to know what’s going to happen to them.

It’s a survival story, they all struggled to survive in their own way and had to do things they never imagined they would do.

Sapiens: A Brief Story of Humankind — Yuval Noah Harari

This book covers a different range of topics. It’s about human history and how we got to where we are.

The author does a great job of describing different events in human history in a simple yet satisfying way.

You’ll find everything, how the first humans fought to survive, the spread of religion, the appearance of money and how people started using it, the rise and fall of empires, the industrial revolution, different ideologies like communism and capitalism, and how they shaped the world.

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth — Reza Aslan

This book is a historical account of the life of Jesus and it also describes what was happening around the time of his life, as the religious beliefs of people and the war between the Roman empire and the Jewish people.

Since this book is based on historical facts, it challenges long-held assumptions about Jesus imposed by the church.

We learn what the real Jesus was like and the things he did. We learn about his travels, his miracles, what happened the day he was arrested, the crucifixion, and the truth about the resurrection.

Even if you are not Christian, I think it is worth reading a book about one of the most influential people in history.

You don’t just learn about his life, but also about how society was like two thousand years ago and what factors contributed to Jesus’ crucifixion and the birth of Christianity.