the production of these books amounts to little more than mental masturbating

Which is, I would say, not a problem with the production itself of such books, but with the human tendency to need reassurance and to feel on "the right side" rather than understanding others' points of view. I am not speaking fron any of the two sides of this particular case, but making a general observation.

Having said that, I believe that publishing a book is however an opportunity, in itself, for those few who are sincerely interested in reading somebody's point of view.