Are self-help books a solution to problems or part of the problems in life? Well, resolving all the problems, doubts and insecurities seems like a perfect plan for a perfect life. After all, nobody wants to live a life of deception and failure.

Each has that one ideal self that we wish to materialise into someday. And until that day we strive for that perfection.

Anything different from our ideal vision of ourselves puts us down. This is when self help books come to our rescue-they seem to offer an insight that we may lack.

A self help book describes situations and problems that a person may face in their day to day life and their possible solution.

Even in moments of despair, self help books are regarded as the go to books. The one that is sure to have at least one piece of good advice that may lift you up and improve the situation.

However, a new school of thought says that self help books are part of our problems rather than a solution for it.

Experts say instead of going for a fragile happiness and society-based concept of success, one should focus on understanding oneself and being in peace with their true selves, rather than running after those tailor made steps to ‘improve’ their life which translates to the fact that people without those ideas will be a failure.

This new concept is termed- Anti self help and it focuses on recognising the realities of life without putting too much stress on the fact to guide them onto a path of perfection.

It lays importance on self acceptance which can come with individuals with their set of flaws, it encourages them to embrace the rather than getting rid of it.

It would be wrong to say that the anti-self help group has completely alienated approach to that of the self help groups. Anti self help group in facts draws heavily from the self help genre. As both groups’ first aim is to find the faults and perceived failures, it takes on a different route when it comes to overcoming them. Anti self help recognises faults and failures as part of oneself and how can an individual still be valuable with it.

Here is a list of a few anti-self help books that claim to have a different take on life's problems

1) The Art of Failure: The Anti Self-Help Guide by Neel Burton- The book talks about how false hope and materialistic goals have turned our lives sadder. The author explores the idea of accepting failures and moving on with it.

2) Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight: The author in this book discusses upon the importance of letting go and giving in to small pleasures of life and slowly building up to having a happy life that one has always wanted to live.

3) Self-Help Nation by Tom Tiede: The book explores the concept of how the concept of self-help is essentially flawed and how can thousands of people be saved from being misguided. It is the author’s take on cons of self help.

Above mentioned books like many others in the genre talks about breaking stereotypical conventions and finding success with a hint of humour in our lives.