I don’t think “Reading a book” is a particular high bar for acquiring self-help knowledge.
Look at the struggle CFAR had with releasing their handbook because they think that just giving people the book won’t be as impactful as their workshop. Worries about possible bad idea inoculation should be even stronger if you just read a summary and then think you understand the underlying concepts.
In a world where professors at prestigious universities write crappy books like Why We Sleep or Willpower about their research domains I’m not sure who you mean with “trustworthy authors”.
Instead of simply taking claims at face value because an author is supposedly trustworthy, it’s worthwhile to think harder about them and how they apply.
I don’t think “Reading a book” is a particular high bar for acquiring self-help knowledge.
Look at the struggle CFAR had with releasing their handbook because they think that just giving people the book won’t be as impactful as their workshop. Worries about possible bad idea inoculation should be even stronger if you just read a summary and then think you understand the underlying concepts.
In a world where professors at prestigious universities write crappy books like Why We Sleep or Willpower about their research domains I’m not sure who you mean with “trustworthy authors”.
Instead of simply taking claims at face value because an author is supposedly trustworthy, it’s worthwhile to think harder about them and how they apply.