Americans Are Buying and Selling Hope

(MoneyWatch)  President-Elect Barack Obama used the message of hope to win the U.S. presidency. It turns out Mr. Obama is not the only one selling hope these days.

According to an article in Forbes, entrepreneurs in the self-help genre have been doing quite well these days.

• Banking, autos, publishing, retail, manufacturing--the recession has hammered them all. But there is one squishy sector that just keeps on growing: the self-help industry.
• Americans spent $11 billion in 2008 on self-improvement books, CDs, seminars, coaching and stress-management programs--13.6% more than they did back in 2005, according to Marketdata Enterprises, an independent Tampa-based research firm that tracks everything from adoption agencies to funeral homes. Latest forecast: 6.2% annual growth through 2012...
• Who buys into this stuff? Mainly middle-aged, affluent females living on either of the two coasts. What are they getting for their money? In a word: hope.

Do you think the self-help industry sells real solutions to people's problems? Are entrepreneurs taking advantage of the millions of people that are desperate for answers during these turbulent times? Share your thoughts below.