Why do these books, coaches, or seminars have to be the end all be all ? Why can't they simply be one small piece of the puzzle? Why you make some valid points, you also act like a trader can't find any value from any of these? In the end, you success will not hinge on any of them, but they can help, sometimes a lot. It took me 3 years of trading before I was really comfortable and making some decent money, and that was before I had another real rough patch where I learned some hard lessons. In the end, it was my experience and rough patches that made me the trader I am, but had I had a coach or mentor to help, it would have made things go a bit smoother at times. I have been helping many people learn to trade, and there is one in particular who at 18 months is leaps and bounds ahead of where I was at that time. He picks my brain and applies that to his experiences, and I can guarantee you he wouldn't be at the same point without my assistance. My point isn't toot my horn, it's to say that there is benefit to be had from some of the things you mentioned. I read Van Tharps book, and while it didn't revolutionize my trading, it did get me to think about some very important things and in the end, I'd say that it was well worth the 40 bucks or whatever.