Guru Ratings
Jack Canfield
Bad.
Remember my ratings criteria. I’m not judging these gurus on “global” or moral values, but very specific criteria. Many of my favorite books would be rated “bad” by my criteria for self-help (probably, because they are not self-help books). My ratings don’t reflect how well an author met his own goals, but how well they met my criteria for useful, accurate self-help.
Canfield is a motivational speaker. His Chicken Soup for the Soul books are collections of feel-good stories. They can help you see good in other people and want to grow it in yourself.
The Success Principles (2006)
The Success Principles is a collection of misleading success clichés and dangerous hype. “Set goals, be positive, and you can have anything you want!”
The real principle taught by this book is: The only easy money in the world is in selling promises of easy money.I saw this phrase in an Amazon review.
This is the epitome of crappy self-help books: It pretends to be a how-to guide for success, but really it is just “Rah! Rah! Rah! Go! Go! Go! You can do it!”
Major in Success (2007)
This one peddles Canfield’s “follow your dreams” fluff to college students. It’s full of unquestioned advice like “Go to college,” never mentioning that college is not right for many people.