Trata sobre, trata de and se trata de

Question

So I found this link

Sentence of the day: trata sobre

Which I apparently was a contributor to and I don't remember it at all.

But it seems like from that (and from my current textbook) that trata sobre and trata de are correct for "be about" - I still use "se trata de" all the time, most people I know do. So it's supposed to be "trata sobre" and "trata de" I guess. Just bringing this up because it kind of stumps me.

Answer 1

I encounter "se trata de" all the time to mean "is about". Este libro se trata de una mujer que vive en LA... for example.

Then I read the discussion, and I am not smart enough to add much. I did however copy and paste this from Word Ref for

Tratarse:

tratarse de (en 3a? pers)
    (ser acerca de) to be about;
    ¿de qué se trata? what's it about?
    (ser cuestión de): se trata de arreglar la situación, no de discutir we're supposed to be settling things, not arguing;
    si sólo se trata de eso … if that's all it is …;
    sólo porque se trata de ti just because it's you

So, although tratarse apparently can refer to being friendly with someone, it can also mean to be about.