[nick604]

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Am I the only one who thinks most poker books are useless?

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I think that any poker book is only as good as the effort you're prepared to put into it. For me, the truly awful books are the unimaginative ones that teach you how to play set hands in the same ABC style time and time again.

At the risk of sounding like an advert for David and Mason, the converse is true for most of the 2+2 books I've read, which don't simply spell everything out and often require you to think about why certain plays and actions are best. They're certainly not an easy read, but I know for sure it's been worth the time and effort.

I don't think that any poker book I've ever read (however bad) has been 100% useless, because it's made me think more about my own game and why I disagree with what the author's says.

Also, I might try out certain tactics which end up not working out, but having read about them makes me more aware of when players are trying to pull those same tactics on me in future games.

As for the OP's point: I wouldn't be concerned if your friends turn down your offers of books - just make sure you keep inviting them to your home game...