Think and Grow Rich
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Think and Grow Rich! (ISBN 1593302002) is considered by many to be one of the most important motivational texts ever written. Written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie, it was released in 1937 at the end of the Great Depression. In 1960, Hill published an abridged version of the book, which for years was the only one generally available. In 2004, Ross Cornwell published "Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised," which restored the book to its original form, with slight revisions, and added the first comprehensive endnotes, index, and appendix the book had ever contained.
The text of "Think and Grow Rich!" is founded on Hill's earlier work, The Law of Success, the result of more than twenty years of research based on Hill's close association with a large number of individuals who managed to achieve great wealth during the course of their lifetimes.
Napoleon Hill studied the characteristics of these great achievers, and developed fifteen 'laws' intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich! itself condenses these laws further, and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.
Reflected in these principles is the importance of cultivating a burning desire, faith, autosuggestion and persistence in the attainment of one's goals. Hill also discusses the importance of overcoming many of the most common fears that can adversely affect one's thinking and potential.
Hill, in his introduction to the book refers to the 'Carnegie Secret', a conception which he reports is the foundation of all success and appears to be the premise of the book. Hill promises to indirectly describe this 'secret' in every chapter, but never state it plainly, believing the use of the secret is only available to those who possess a "readiness" for the secret: a disposition Hill describes as essential to the concept itself.
Critics view a large portion of the book as a mixture of common sense and truism. They often cite a metaphysical context in parts of the writing, along with an obvoius lack of modern examples. Nonetheless, the book has sold consistantly since its first publishing. According to one publisher, the book has now sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
Quote
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
"A quitter never wins and a winner never quits."
References
- "A Lifetime of Riches" (ISBN 0525941460)
External links
- Think and Grow Rich (http://www.tgr-restored-revised.com/)
- The Mindpower Institute (http://www.mastermindpower.org)