They can trick you. They tricked me. AI-generated garbage self-help books are out there, waiting to take waste your time and money.
Recently, I wrote up a series of "No BS" book reviews and they are on this blog, focused on the top-selling adult ADHD books. Most of the books are so-so, but there were a couple of good ones, including Thriving with Adult ADHD and ADHD & Us.
However, you need to know that there are AI-generated books on the Amazon list, too. Before buying a book, here are some warning signs:
Apart from a bio on Amazon, you can't find anything online regarding the author...not on LinkedIn, or a practice site or... nothing!
The book is sponsored, pushing it to the top of your search results.
There are hundreds of positive reviews, but each one is posted by someone who has posted only one review...and of the piece of garbage you bought.
If you buy the book, there is no information about the authors. You're not going to find an "About the Author" section or even a detail in the ISBN section.
You may find that the picture of the book doesn't match the details. Like the author's name is misspelled.
If you are able to find a review, it's a TikTok by someone who may not have a background in mental health and may not even have lived experience with mental health challenges.
Here's an example of one of the offenders.
ADHD Toolkit for Women, written by Sarah Davis and Linda Hill. That's right, her name is Linda Hill. I bought the book and it was terrible. All of the information could be easily found for free at sites like CHADD or in other better books. Take a look at the picture from Amazon.
The book image says "Linda Hall" by mistake. The author bio has no details. Notably, Sarah has written many self-help books including a children's book and one in German. Go look up Sarah online. You won't find her.
The book has many 5-star reviews. Those reviewers seem to have only reviewed this book. Could those be fake as well?
How did I find this book? It was sponsored and near the top of the list. With a little searching I did find a website connected to these books.
https://www.bookforlife.net and you can see a ringing endorsement from a social worker:
" Take it from me, a licensed psychotherapist, the author really breaks down the essence of “inner child work” so that it’s easy to understand. She guides you through a number of exercises that you can do in your self-improvement journey and to process trauma."
(There's also an affiliate link so you can monetize the selling of this garbage).
It only take a moment to catch these AI-generated books. Keep your guard up and you'll notice them more and more.
PS. ChatGPT is able to spit out a halfway decent text on managing ADHD for free if you want to try it. You'll be pleased to find that what it generates is a combination of usefulness and garbage. I used the following prompts: "Write a manuscript called "Making the Most of Adult ADHD." It should have 6 core chapters, each taking about 5 minutes to read. Each chapter needs to have 3 simple exercises. Each chapter should have 3 simple tips. Exercises and tips should be in a different font and boldness so they are easy to spot. Build the 6 chapters to cover these 6 topics: Rewarding Yourself, Setting Priorities, Breaking Down Tasks, Helping Others Understand You, Reducing Anxiety, Reducing Depression. Each chapter needs 5-6 paragraphs that explain the content areas. Write it from the perspective of an academic clinical psychologist who also treats and assesses people who have ADHD. Also, it's okay to add humor on occasion, either a humorous anecdote or a humorous tip, but don't label the humor directly. Also add on an Intro paragraph explaining the need for the book, and how to use the book, noting that you can skip around and read it out of order."
[NOTE. THIS CONTENT WAS NOT AI-GENERATED OR AI-EDITED]
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