Think and Grow Rich
Written by Napoleon Hill and first published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich is a book of distilled wisdom gleaned from a 25 year personal quest. Hill set himself the task of interviewing 500 millionaires in the hope of finding a universal success formula that will work for the average person.
The steel magnate Andrew Carnegie mentored Hill during his project to uncover the secrets of wealth and success, and many of the greatest and wealthiest men of the era were interviewed. They included among them Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Charles Schwab, F.W. Woolworth and John D. Rockefeller.
The current edition of Think and Grow Rich was revised by Arthur R. Pell, to bring it into the 21st century, with examples of high achievers from more recent times, including Ray Kroc, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg and even Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If you have read any kind of self-help book on positive thinking or wealth creation, or abundance, the chances are pretty good that the author read Hill’s book at some point during their research. Most of the key facts and guidelines on these subjects that I have read over the past decade have their equivalent in Think and Grow Rich.
The book is written as a 13-step formula, with a couple of important extra chapters at the end dealing with what Hill calls ‘The Six Ghosts of Fear’ and ‘The Devil’s Workshop’. Behind the system is Desire and Belief (which fits in with my previous post Cash Karma and the Law of Abundance). There must be an almost overwhelming desire to achieve the goal that you set yourself. There can be no laziness, no doubt that what you want will be obtained. So after the Desire comes the mantra: Conceive, Believe, Achieve.
Many other books inform the reader that ‘they will get more of what they concentrate on’. This is how Hill writes it in his book: ‘All impulses of thought have a tendency to clothe themselves in their physical equivalent‘.
Notice his words ‘all impulses of thought’. Whether constructive or destructive, the thoughts will readily crystallise in the physical world. Hill’s advice throughout the book is to be extremely careful in your own thinking, and especially to kill all instances of negative thinking, or self-doubt. They are the paths to failure.
The book goes on to describe Autosuggestion and how to influence the subconscious mind to assist us in the achievement of our goals. And building a Master Mind group to develop a network of mentors willing to help us. Hill then talks about leadership, its attributes and causes of leadership failure; and how to develop persistence in the pursuit of what we desire.
Each chapter is so packed with gems and insight, that the book needs to be read several times. I have done this, and like to dip into chapters for refreshers every now and again.
The only downside to the book – which I have discovered by reading other people’s reviews – is that this particular edition is an abridged version. Many other reviewers prefer the original, unmodified version, and one without all the modern references to present day entrepreneurs. At the moment, I cannot comment on what these other reviewers think. I prefer to see the value in the information presented by Hill, and to work on these ideas everyday. Nevertheless, I have just ordered a new copy of the original and unabridged version. Once I have read it, I’ll post some comments on how the versions compare.
Think and Grow Rich is possibly one of the most important books on achievement ever written, and whether or not you have an interest in self-development or generating wealth and success, it is a must-read book.
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill (LifeSiren Score: 9/10)
If you have read it, what did you think of it? Which edition did you read?
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August 4th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
There is another study of more than 500 millionaires and successes that I also think is worth of note and that is the work of Douglas Vermeeren. He is known as the modern-day Napoleon Hill. His studies are modernized to include more than just millionaires but people who have made their millions in traditional business models, internet business, Network marketing millionaires, celebrities, athletes and so forth. His work is highly unique in that it sheds more light onto the materials that Napoleon Hill created. Many are saying that it is more applicable and practical for today. I for one, feel that it is incredibly relevant for a day and age where with the internet creativity is really the only limit. Things have changed since the early days of the 1900′s and Vermeeren’s work is a welcome update and addition. Vermeeren is also known as the creator of the sequel to The secret, The Opus. http://www.TheOpusMovie.com which includes many of the teachers from the original secret plus many new people with great insights. Douglas Vermeeren is the new Napoleon Hill and is sharing some incredible materials. You can find great video clips and interviews on youtube or his website http://www.DouglasVermeeren.com
January 5th, 2010 at 5:19 am
I was reading your posts here and I recently saw The Secret again and The Opus and I really liked them both. I thought they were very different in their approach to similar lessons. In the end I think The Opus was more practical but The Secret seemed to be more cutting edge in the music and filming. I highly recommend them both. I was also reading below about people’s comment of the various creators Rhonda Byrne and Douglas Vermeeren. i have never seen Rhonda Byrne live, but I have seen Douglas Vermeeren live. He is an incredible speaker. And just like the Opus he was full of great practical information. I found him to have great and useful insights far more relevant than many other speakers I have heard. He has been compared to Napoleon Hill and rightly so. His materials focus around interviews he has conducted with some of the most success people on the earth in the last decade. You can find more about him at his official website http://www.DouglasVermeeren.com and there are also many good clips on youtube. I have heard many saw that he is the next big upcoming personal development leader and after having seen his materials I would agree.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:55 am
personally I think Doug Vermeeren’s studies of top achievers is superior in every way to Napoleon Hills. Napoleon Hill is outdated and not relevant to today.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:15 am
am a big fan of the Guerrilla marketing series by Jay Levinson and I just recently picked up the newest Guerrilla Book, Guerrilla Achiever. I was so impressed. I think it is the best Guerrilla book yet. It has so many unique and practical strategies for goal setting and creating success. I think it is the best book I have ever read on goal setting. I had never heard of the author before btu I see his name brought up a few times. Douglas Vermeeren. I am now a big fan. I have been googling him all afternoon and this guy is a genius. He is just like Napoleon Hill in that he has conducted a careful study of the world’s top achievers. He presents all kinds of ground-breaking information about how they became a success. It is very different than what I’ve heard before and it is great information. I have read “Think and grow rich” and the “Laws of success” and I certainly think that this is a much better book. It is destined to be a classic in personal development. Innovative! exciting! Entertaining! Highly Practical! and relevant to today! You must read this book!