Many years ago I took a study course - the purpose of which was to actually teach someone how to study any type of material. It required that the student look up an ungodly amount of words in a dictionary until the words used to explain the techniques, were themselves not misunderstood.

It took a lot of hard work - weeks of it, all done by me. In the end I was a better student, a more capable one. And I've never regretted one second of the time my nose was buried in a dictionary.

It was a self-help process for sure that was only validated by what came next - years of further study, self-reflection and more hard work.

Self-help books are so popular because there's an assumption or belief if you will, that by reading through them one gains instant improvement. No such thing exists.

Great article, George. On point. Cheers.