The art of living

So, i was watching t.v. yesterday. (What A surprise.) It was quite a fascinating show. On being happy or something like that. No. Wait. Thats a lie. I'm not that bored.
I was asleep - falling asleep- but i could still hear what was playing in the background, and that was it.
Anyway, lets move on. The presenter was talking about how (earlier) people just wanted to get rich and how all the self help books were about getting rich quick, and making money but how off late, more and more self help books were focussing on the meaning of life and how you should enjoy it fully.
Since the show was on happiness, his obvious point was that people were beginning to realise that being rich and thin didnt mean happiness and there was/is alot more to it. That was HIS explanation to the increasing number of these crappy books. (Tuesdays with Morrie, i'd like to add right here, is on the top of my list.) Maybe it is. Maybe people have realized that, to use an old cliche, money can NOT buy happiness.. you can have all the money in the world, and you can still be unhappyblah blah blah. (I'm sure you get the gist of it, by now.)
I'm a cynic. (Yes, and it sounds cool too.) I don't think people are that.. that.. Okay. Let me rephrase. I still think people are materialistic, money minded, whatever you want to call it. No one has become MORE carefree/spiritual... what i'm trying to say is, no one wants to live a life with only meaning. I know there are alot of you tut-tutting and shaking your heads and completely disagreeing with me, but i still think what i think, and if its not all the people, its the majority.
So that brings me back to the question. Why is there an increase in the number of people writing these books? Is it to try and spread the spirit.. is it?
or is it to try and convince people like me that there are some people who truly dont care?
Nope. I don't think so. Theyre smarter than THAT.
I think they've have figured out that self help books are quite a big market.
Really, books on the meaning of life are..
Appealing to the general public? Check.
Innovative? Check.
See they've clearly read their copies of how to strike it rich, quick.