Book review: Think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill
Background to Think and grow rich
Think and Grow Rich is based on Napoleon Hill’s earlier work The Law of Success, the result of more than twenty years of research based on Hill’s close association of more than 500 men of great wealth during their lifetimes. This book was endorsed by many leading businessmen of the era and became a best seller.
“By applying many of the 17 fundamentals of the Law of Success philosophy we have built a great chain of successful stores. I presume it would be no exaggeration of fact if I said that the Woolworth Building might properly be called a monument to the soundness of these principles.” FW Woolworth
Andrew Carnegie believed that becoming successful in business was a skill that could be learned by anyone who applied the principles of success correctly. Hill was summoned to study these great achievers and developed 17 “laws” of success. Think and Grow Rich condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.
Here’s a summary of the 13 principles
1. Desire – The first step towards riches
2. Faith – Visualisation and belief in attainment of desire
3. Auto-suggestion – the medium for influencing the subconscious mind
4. Specialised knowledge – personal experiences or observations
5. Imagination – The workshop of the mind
6. Organised planning – The crystallisation of desire into action
7. Decision – The seventh step toward riches
8. Persistence – The sustained effort necessary to induce faith
9. The power of the master mind – The driving force
10. The mystery of sex transmutation
11. The subconscious mind – The connecting link
12. The brain – a broadcast and receiving station for thought
13. The sixth sense – the door to the temple of wisdom
The book has lots of stories about individuals who refused to compromise with life by accepting and keeping a job they did not want. Instead, they looked for opportunities to climb the ladder and did not allow temporary defeats to stop them in their ultimate goal. Henry Ford and Thomas A Edison are frequently used in examples by the author as both men had to over come insurmountable odds and set backs before achieving success.
Is this book useful and relevant today?
As Hill points out this book is not for reading once, but must be digested several times and reflected upon. Senior figures in business believed it should be adopted by all high schools and no boy or girl should be permitted to graduate without having satisfactorily passed an examination on it.
The word ‘think’ in the book’s title is key here as one of the most important principles in the book is the notion of directing your mind to whatever end you may choose. As Hill points out: “thoughts are things, and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and burning desire for their translation into riches, or other material objects.”
As an example, he tells the story of Edwin C Barnes who ‘thought’ his way into partnership with Thomas A Edison. One day Mr Barnes decided he wanted to become a business associate of Mr Edison. Without knowing Mr Edison or anyone connected to the inventor, he travelled by freight train to seek employment at Edison’s offices. After working in Edison’s office in low paid job for several months, Barnes patiently waited for an opportunity to advance his prospects of becoming a business partner with Edison.
When the opportunity arrived, it came disguised as misfortune or temporary defeat. Misfortune is one of the reasons why many give up at this point, as they fail to recognise an opportunity within it.
Mr Edison had just perfected the Ediphone (dictating machine). His salesmen were not convinced it would sell. Barnes saw this as an opportunity and demanded that he get the chance to sell it. This alliance proved so successful that, Edison gave him a contract to distribute and market it all over the nation, giving birth to the slogan, ‘Made by Edison and installed by Barnes.’ Needless to say this partnership made Barnes very rich.
The book is filled with similar stories to illustrate the application of the 13 principles. Some readers might find it hard to believe that ‘broadcasting’ one’s thoughts and desires (principle 12) to create conditions and opportunities for success would work for them. Furthermore, the notion of diverting one’s sexual energy (chapter 10) into their business ambitions too much to ask. Nonetheless, there is plenty evidence in the book to suggest these principles do work. The author also believes that most men reach the height of their intellectual and business powers between the ages of 40 and 60.
On a more pragmatic level, the author explains how successful men leave other skill sets and knowledge bases to others. For example, Andrew Carnegie knew little about the technical side to steel, instead he surrounded himself with a Master Mind group of fifty men who were experts in the manufacture and marketing of steel. Henry Ford had a similar Master Mind group to assist him with the specialised knowledge needed to pioneer in the motor industry. It is by organising and directing specialised knowledge through a plan of action that success can be achieved. Knowledge alone is not enough, it’s how you organise and apply it that counts.
This does not mean that one should become lazy and stop learning as Hill points out: “The person who stops studying because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may his calling. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.” While personal development is noble it can only take you so far and there is no substitute for the wise counsel of associates – very few make it on their own.
Overall book is a worthwhile read, although Hill is sometimes guilty of making ridiculous statements, such as: “Bald-headed men are bald for no other reason than their fear of criticism”. Nonetheless, there are some valuable information and insights conveyed and the stories used to back up key points are interesting and inspiring, especially since many are accounts of men and women becoming successful after losing everything in The Great Depression or adverse circumstances.
In the present day motivational speakers like Douglas Vermeeren have continued Hill’s research and have expanded upon his efforts by including professions and circumstances that were not available in Hill’s day. For example, Vermeeren’s research includes celebrities, athletes, internet entrepreneurs and network marketing giants for example. The Napoleon Hill Foundation continues to promote Hill’s work and other motivational tools.
If you plan to read this book I would suggest you read the definitive version published by Ross Cornwell in 2004: Think and Grow Rich! The Original Version, Restored and Revised (ISBN 1-59330-200-2), which restored the book to its original content, with slight revisions, and added the first comprehensive endnotes, index, and appendix the book has ever contained. This version went into a third printing in 2008.
Below is short clip of Napoleon Hill taking about the book in his later years.