Definition of "self-help" [self•-help]

• The act or an instance of helping or improving oneself without assistance from others. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It's a promising thought, but to place this book in the rubric of self-help would be to mistake Kahneman-who lived for several years in Nazi-occupied France-for a benighted optimist."
• "Here, they're all playing nicely at moguldom and at mentoring, professing a commitment to nurturing talent and using the term "support system" in a way that splits the difference between the jargon of self-help and the language of networking."
• "Talk to your doctor, or call a self-help group such as Alcoholics Anonymous see Resources or check in your local yellow pages."