This is how Augusten Burroughs describes it

It's probably no secret that I'm a huge fan of self-help books. I've been reading them since college in the early '80s. As a young single parent then, I looked to them for the advice I desperately needed. I devoured them to help me get through some difficult moments in life, including the subsequent death of my second spouse, step-parenting, and the dissolution of a third marriage.

Self-help books have not been my only retreat, and I'm well aware that they do not supply all of life's answers. What they do for me is help me widen my perspective on life and find my way out of its many challenges. They are merely a little extra help to find my way. And who doesn't need a little extra help? So I'm always curious to see what's new or soon to publish in this genre. That being the case, I'm looking forward to reading Augusten Burroughs new self-help book, This is How.

Here's why.

I watched the author (known for his best selling memoir Running With Scissors and who is on now on his new book tour) do an interview on CNBC's "Morning Joe" show today. I agreed with many of his thoughts that are presented in his new book. It appears This is How deconstructs what many of us think self-help is about.

It's not about healing, he told the show's cast, "There are some things in life that you're not going to heal from," the death of a child, for instance. He says when you know that you don't have to heal from something like that, it takes the pressure off.

And I liked what he said about diets, when he told the story of a friend of his who has been joking about her diet for more than a decade: "If, after 15 years, you're still on a diet, you gotta ask yourself, 'Do you really want to reach that goal weight or do you really just enjoy cheese a little more?' And that's fine, but you gotta know the difference."

The difference he's referring to is between what you want and what you want to want.

"You have to be honest with yourself," he says.

It sounds like a book that cuts to the chase and doesn't let you off the hook. If you're the type of person who can go inside yourself and look at your inner truths openly, this might be a book you'd find worthwhile. I'm pretty certain I'll get something out of it. After I read it, I'll post a review here.

What about you? If you're a fan of self-help books, what's your favorite? Or, are there any new ones out you'd like to read? Feel free to post your suggestions here.