The Biggest Self-Help Scam in History, Solved
This book has sold over a hundred million copies, billionaires swear by it. But what if it's a lie?
March 25, 2026
27 min
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96 of 103
March 25, 2026
The Biggest Self-Help Scam in History, Solved
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Mark Manson Episodes Around March 25, 2026
Episode 96 of 103 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
The Biggest Self-Help Scam in History, Solved
Summary
This book has sold over a hundred million copies, billionaires swear by it. But what if it's a lie? Does the effectiveness of the book change if we find out that the author is a huge scammer and quite possibly made up the whole story that spearheaded the book?
CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction
(02:35) The Book That Launched Self-Help
(03:35) The Con: Who Hill Really Was
(07:17) What's Actually in the Book
(14:12) The Placebo Effect and "Useful, Not True"
(20:14) When the Lie Becomes the Product
(24:02) Is It Worth It?
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