(From 15 May 2008): Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not? Do you ever read manuals? How-to books? Self-help guides? Anything at all?
Depends on the gadget. If it's a digital camera I'll have a read through to figure out all the menus and options. If it's a TV or DVD player I'll use it to help program channels. I don't always read them cover to cover - I tend to just use the bits I need, but I always keep the instructions for future reference.
I have a few Complete Idiot's Guides - on Wicca & Witchcraft, Yoga and Astronomy. Despite the unfortunate titles and the seemingly formulaic set-up of the books, I've found them very useful and informative (well, I've only read W&W all the way through).
I think the only self-help book I have is probably Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...And it's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. I've read it once and liked some of the ideas, but it seemed very repetitive in places. I think it did help me at the time. I was a more stressed driver than I wanted to be, and virtually on the first page there was info that helped me with that. I now don't give a stuff (usually) when other people are morons on the road :)
I know I have some other 'new-age' books, such as James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy (and follow-ups) but I don't know that they come under the self-help banner.
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