Self-help books
To be honest I do not like the idea of a book helping me. But recently I have tried one about self-discipline and I decided to go one with a few. Most of them are of those "... within x days" books which feels like you are put on a time constraint. However after I put it off and off I decided to finally read the first book and go for it and in one of the paragraphs it told me that I shouldn't think of something not useful and that even if the book helps you a tiny bit then you could already consider it a success. At first I was skeptical about it but then the book told me that I would properly be skeptical about that previous sentence because how could a book help me? In which it answered why not?
Anyway to make a long story short, I decided to try out the book as I had nothing to lose.
I still think that self-help books are some form of a scam but that is because we all think we don't need help until it's too late. If you have a problem you should try to solve it before it becomes a real problem and if you need someone else his help then so be it. Asking for help is not a weakness, it's wise. There is of course a limit too it and you might even think that you should be able to solve it on your own but sooner or later you will come across something which just requires someone else his help. Once more it is a strength asking for help.
So back to self-help books, are they any good?
I would say "Yes, unless they talk you into something you don't want" and that is the difference between helping and scamming someone. If someone else talks you into something you don't want, then it's a scam.
Commercials are thus a scam, self-help books who tell you you need more are a scam.
People, books or any other media who give you an advise but tell you also to not do it if you don't feel comfortable are people, books or media that are helping you.
So try out a self help book. There are certainly a few of those in library and else you can look on the internet for semi-professionals who write free self help books. There is bound to be something for you around.