Read (AND ACT ON) These Three Books ...
I think 99 out of 100 self-help books offer prescriptions that are too good to be true—or require commitments that are implausible. But as to the 1 in 100, or 1,000: I think the following three (ALL METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED) self-help/how-to books are worth 100X their weight in gold—and are as good as Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.
Namely ...
GETTING TO YES ... Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton.
LEARNED OPTIMISM ... Martin Seligman.
CRUCIAL CONFRONTATIONS ... Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler.
I avoid such books like the plague. HOWEVER: I HAVE BENEFITED ENORMOUSLY (personally & professionally) FROM EACH OF THESE THREE. They "fill a compelling need" ... AND ARE DO-ABLE!
NB: Each of these authors/co-authors has produced a consistent body of work—c.f., Seligman's Authentic Happiness—that is worth the price of admission; I've simply chosen my fav of each lot.