Customer Reviews

Think and Grow Rich

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If you asked me to recommend to you the single best book I have ever read, my answer would be a very definite "Think and Grow Rich".
First published in 1937, this is the end product of two decades of research conducted by Napoleon Hill. His research started when Andrew Carnegie (the steel tycoon who was then the richest man on earth) gave him the assignment of organizing a Philosophy of Personal Achievement. Hill, who was a poor journalist, armed with just an introductory letter from Carnegie, set out to interview over five hundred successful people including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, William Wrigley Jr. and Charles M. Schwab. Hill then revealed the priceless wisdom of his research in the form of the thirteen steps to success (in Think and Grow Rich) and the seventeen principles of success (in courses and lectures he conducted).
The concepts taught by Napoleon Hill transformed my life. Some of these include developing a definite purpose, building a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), channeling the power of the sub-conscious mind and dealing with adversity. Everything he wrote about or talked about is thought provoking. He was wise, humble and funny. His philosophy is universal; he did not mix it with religion. The riches he referred to were more than money, for the Philosophy of Personal Achievement can be applied to anything in life.
Hill was well ahead of his time. This book has a chapter dedicated to some of today's most important issues - Specialized Knowledge, Decision Making, Imagination and Organized Planning (in which he deals with Leadership). He also has principles for Teamwork, Creative Vision, Health, etc.
This is a classic, and hence the examples are old (not to be confused with outdated). But they are as relevant today as they were in the early twentieth century. Here is an example from T&GR in the chapter on Desire:
On the morning after the Great Fire of Chicago (1871), a group of merchants on Chicago's State Street went into a conference to decide whether to rebuild their stores or leave Chicago. All but one decided to leave. The merchant who decided to stay pointed a finger to the remains of his store and said "Gentlemen, on that very spot I will build the world's greatest store, no matter how many times it may burn down." His name was Marshall Field and his store still exists, and in Hill's words is "a towering monument to that state of mind known as a burning desire." I lived in Chicago from 2002 through 2004 and worked three blocks away from this impressive store on State Street. Sometimes I would visit it or stand outside it to derive inspiration and be reminded of the power of desire. It is amazing that Hill describes "burning desire" with a story based on the Chicago Fire.
There are thousands of self-help books out in the market and hundreds of self proclaimed "gurus" who have made a living by copying the wisdom in Hill's books. As I went through some of those books I realized that there was not much in them that Hill had not already written about. I recommend quality over quantity. Instead of reading through many books, I recommend that you study the following works of Hill and internalize his wisdom:
1. The Think and Grow Rich Action Pack (1937) - I recommend the Action Pack edition,
2. Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement - this is an excellent guide to his principles,
3. Your Right To Be Rich [Unabridged] - this consists of 12 hours of live lectures covering the 17 principles, that Hill conducted in Chicago in 1954.
By internalizing, I mean studying in depth - analyzing the ideas, making notes and summaries. I own more CDs by Hill, but I believe that these 3 items make the perfect study plan on the Philosophy of Personal Achievement.
I am greatly indebted to Napoleon Hill. The purpose of my writing this is to spread awareness of his work so that more people can benefit from it. This, I believe is the best way in which Hill would have liked to have been repaid.
If my review was helpful to you, I request you to select "Yes" so that the rating is improved and more readers will get to read it. Please also see the website of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, naphill dot org, which has helpful resources.

I have read many hundreds of books over the past 14 years in my quest for success. Think and Grow Rich stands at the top. It has made a positive impact on my life that is second to none. To the degree that I have applied the principles in this book, I have reaped incredible results.

As I was going through this new edition for the first time, I was comparing it to an old original edition that I have. The editor, Ross Cornwell, has stayed true to the original, especially compared to some other editions. It is amazing to me some of the text that was left out of the other editions. Some of that information is incredibly powerful.

I can imagine how difficult it was to revise the book while staying true to Napoleon Hill. We all have our biases and opinions. I don't necessarily agree with every thing Napoleon Hill said, but when I read Think and Grow Rich, I want to trust that I am reading what Hill meant to say and not what someone thought he meant or thought he should have meant.

The sad part is when someone comes across one of the other editions, they will read it and not really be reading the true Think and Grow Rich, and they won't even know it. This new edition has done it justice, and where the editor interpreted

what Hill meant or would mean (in the endnotes), he clearly states this, and that is key.

I believe Mr. Cornwell is doing a great thing by getting this information out there in its true and intended form for other people, because the principles explained in this book have produced, in me, an inner strength and confidence that has allowed for massive growth in all areas of my life. I have a long way to go to reach my full potential, but these principles have put me on the upward path. I truly believe I can become and achieve anything I TRULY desire because of what I learned from Think and Grow Rich!.

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." --Napoleon Hill

If you asked me to recommend to you the single best book I have ever read, my answer would be a very definite "Think and Grow Rich".

First published in 1937, this is the end product of two decades of research conducted by Napoleon Hill. His research started when Andrew Carnegie (the steel tycoon who was then the richest man on earth) gave him the assignment of organizing a Philosophy of Personal Achievement. Hill, who was a poor journalist, armed with just an introductory letter from Carnegie, set out to interview over five hundred successful people including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, William Wrigley Jr. and Charles M. Schwab. Hill then revealed the priceless wisdom of his research in the form of the thirteen steps to success (in Think and Grow Rich) and the seventeen principles of success (in courses and lectures he conducted).

The concepts taught by Napoleon Hill transformed my life. Some of these include developing a definite purpose, building a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), channeling the power of the sub-conscious mind and dealing with adversity. Everything he wrote about or talked about is thought provoking. He was wise, humble and funny. His philosophy is universal; he did not mix it with religion. The riches he referred to were more than money, for the Philosophy of Personal Achievement can be applied to anything in life.

Hill was well ahead of his time. This book has a chapter dedicated to some of today's most important issues - Specialized Knowledge, Decision Making, Imagination and Organized Planning (in which he deals with Leadership). He also has principles for Teamwork, Creative Vision, Health, etc.

This is a classic, and hence the examples are old (not to be confused with outdated). But they are as relevant today as they were in the early twentieth century. Here is an example from T&GR in the chapter on Desire:

On the morning after the Great Fire of Chicago (1871), a group of merchants on Chicago's State Street went into a conference to decide whether to rebuild their stores or leave Chicago. All but one decided to leave. The merchant who decided to stay pointed a finger to the remains of his store and said "Gentlemen, on that very spot I will build the world's greatest store, no matter how many times it may burn down." His name was Marshall Field and his store still exists, and in Hill's words is "a towering monument to that state of mind known as a burning desire." I lived in Chicago from 2002 through 2004 and worked three blocks away from this impressive store on State Street. Sometimes I would visit it or stand outside it to derive inspiration and be reminded of the power of desire. It is amazing that Hill describes "burning desire" with a story based on the Chicago Fire.

There are thousands of self-help books out in the market and hundreds of self proclaimed "gurus" who have made a living by copying the wisdom in Hill's books. As I went through some of those books I realized that there was not much in them that Hill had not already written about. I recommend quality over quantity. Instead of reading through many books, I recommend that you study the following works of Hill and internalize his wisdom:

1. Think and Grow Rich

2. Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success : The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement - this is an excellent guide to his principles,

3. Your Right To Be Rich [Unabridged] - this consists of 12 hours of live lectures covering the 17 principles, that Hill conducted in Chicago in 1954.

By internalizing, I mean studying in depth - analyzing the ideas, making notes and summaries. I own more CDs by Hill, but I believe that these 3 items make the perfect study plan on the Philosophy of Personal Achievement.

Some have criticized Hill's work by stating that his research was unscientific. They pass him up for Jim Collins (whose "Good to Great" dedicates 76 out of its 300 pages to research methodology and notes that hardly anybody ever reads) or Marcus Buckingham (whose "First Break..." similarly uses 25 pages for Gallup's Meta Analysis and what not). These people don't know what they are missing.

I am greatly indebted to Napoleon Hill. The purpose of my writing this is to spread awareness of his work so that more people can benefit from it. This, I believe is the best way in which Hill would have liked to have been repaid.

If my review was helpful to you, I request you to select "Yes" so that the rating is improved and more readers will get to read it.

"Think and Grow Rich!" says it all. If you haven't read it you must. If you have read it, you must again. "Rich" means so much more than financial riches. No other book combines the secrets of true riches better than the work of Napoleon Hill. If you feel there is anything lacking in your life, you will find the answers in this book. It is timeless, empowering and will motivate you to new levels. This new edition with even more information is a rare opportunity. Buy it, read it, live it and you will have riches in all parts of your life.

What can I say? I bought this book at a church bookstore, ironic huh? Having been fortunate enough to attend elite academic institutions in America and Europe, I can say without a doubt that the principles espoused by Mr. Hill's writing are by far more valuable than much of what I learned in a formal academic environment--this is real education....SELF education, i.e. knowledge of Self.

Jim Carrey reputedly read this book while working a low wage job before becoming famous, applied the fundamentals and the rest, as we say is history.

I always like to point out interesting teaching points from books and here are a few:

**"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

**"There are no limitations to the mind EXCEPT those we acknowledge"

**"Both poverty and riches are the offspring oof thought"

One of my greatest ambitions is to actualize the level of success I envision for myself and in doing so, be in a position where I can mentor others about the principles of success such as those. Mssr. Hill teaches. One of the first things I shall do is give this book away in order to complete the cycle of giving and receiving.

I also recommend reading this book along side Joseph Murphy's book "Power of Your Subconscious Mind" and Claude M. Bristol's "The Magic of Believing" along with "It Works" by RJH. These books along with Think & Grow Rich can truly enable you to achieve whatever you desire not only financially but in health, relationships, peace of mind and true expression--true wealth.

I have personally achieved some wonderful results through the application of these principles and look forward to applying them even further for higher and higher levels of achievement. I hope you do so as well!

I went from poverty to earning over $1 million in a single year while still in my twenties. How did I do that? I followed the advice in Mr. Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich!". It's that simple.

"Think and Grow Rich!" says it all. If you haven't read it you must. If you have read it, you must again. "Rich" means so much more than financial riches. No other book combines the secrets of true riches better than the work of Napoleon Hill. If you feel there is anything lacking in your life, you will find the answers in this book. It is timeless, empowering and will motivate you to new levels. This new edition with even more information is a rare opportunity. Buy it, read it, live it and you will have riches in all parts of your life.

Think & Grow Rich is a condensed version of Hill's 17 principles of success; he course that he used to teach in over 17 lessons via weekly lectures and is still available in other books and tape programs like Your Right To Be Rich.

Nonetheless, Think & Grow Rich is an excellent intro to the principles and techniques that Hill discovered after interviewing the wealthiest people of his time.

Think & Grow Rich will open your mind and open opportunities to you. Great book by Hill.

Perhaps it's my background and experience, but my impression on completing this book was that I have seen all of this material before, and all that I got from Mr. Hill was a hand-waving, mystical explanation of common-sense principles.

Achieving objectives involves setting goals, devising plans of action, and utilizing mental visualization tools. The "scientific studies" that Mr. Hill refers to in this text sound incredible, and almost all of them have been proven wrong by modern science. I think that it is all part of his presentation to show the mystical side of success, when in fact a more discerning reader can avoid the hogwash of this book and get to the real deal with other texts. As an example of this, Mr. Hill seems to put great credit to one's subconscious "receiving" radio broadcasts from other people's brains as the source of creativity.

If you want to learn how to be successful, read "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Both are legitimate texts that are very readable, practical, and effective. If you want to really learn about how to do the mental exercises that Mr. Hill alludes to, I would recommend "Developing Management Skills" by Whetten and Cameron, a text that I used in my graduate studies. It is a hefty book ([price], last time I checked), but it provides diagnostic tools and plenty of guidance to make yourself more effective. It covers goal setting, framing, mental visualization, and a whole host of other topics.

If you want hokey pseudoscience, go for Mr. Hill's book. Otherwise, set your sights a little higher.

Books on similar subjects appear to arrive several at a time. In addition to this particular work, I have another three all with the word `Millionaire' in the title (two very different works both called "How to think like a Millionaire" and one called "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind). No!, they do not show you how to go out and win the lottery or obtain the secret of some other get-rich-quick scheme. If they did, I would describe them all as rubbish and demand a refund from the publisher.

Leaving those other works aside, this book shows you how to look after and make the most of what you have. My father always used to decry the fact that "money always goes to money." Of course, if you have a lot and are getting a decent rate of interest, then, of course, it does. But I also remember a young married soldier from many years ago who owned a very up-market car, a nice towing caravan, a small removals lorry and had the finest furniture in his married quarter. Those vehicles were for rent and his fellow soldiers (and officers) made the most of them. I remember him very clearly because everything he achieved was both legal and on an under-paid private soldier's wage and he owed no money to anyone. His secret was in making extra money and looking after all his income with the greatest care.

And that is what this book is all about. It requires the reader to adopt a very different attitude towards money and expenditure and it works. Or at least it can - if you are prepared to learn the lessons and put them in to practise.

And I wish you well.

NM