This post is about the Think and Grow Rich review. This book has been around since the 1930s. It was one of the first books to identify the connection between positive thinking and achieving our goals in life.
The book is based on Napoleon Hill’s interviews with hundreds of wealthy people. He identified 13 key principles that helped them achieve financial success. He compiled these into what would become one of the most famous self-help books of all time.
85 years have passed since its publication. Think and Grow Rich has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. It still remains popular today. Especially among entrepreneurs who want to know if it is worth reading.
Think and Grow Rich Review
In his masterpiece Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill describes mind power. How do the power and strength of the mind interact to gain the wealth we desire in our lives? We can only achieve what we believe. If we are confident that we are capable of wealth and success, we will reach our proposed goals.
Believe that we are capable, is 50 % of winning the battle. Hill teaches us everything through illustrious examples. He explains the fundamental belief in ourselves to achieve everything we desire.
This exceptional book is much more than that, we can consider it a guide for life, a bedside book. It provides us with the greatest ingredients in our lives. This secret ingredient is faith. The stimulation of faith and hope will lead us to achieve what we have never imagined before.
Throughout this book, Hill warns us with great wisdom. He says that a key moment will come in life when the crucial message will be evident. It can happen in the first or last chapter. And it will be presented to those who will be ready to receive this great gift. There is no doubt that it will change their lives forever. Take a moment to celebrate when it appears. Because you have reached the most important turning point in your life.
Hill has shared the “Carnegie Secret” who was also his mentor in creating a philosophy. By sharing this he prepares us for a powerful experience that is proven by millions:
"All achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea".Why was this book written?
Napoleon Hill has written this book to fulfill his vision. He wanted to help not only those who were already rich but also those who were struggling with poverty. There is a fact about successful people. Many of them were millionaires at a time when there was no official income definition of a millionaire. He felt that being a millionaire was not about having money but about how one thinks and perceives life.
Hill interviewed many self-made millionaires over his 20-year research project from 1907 to 1927. He interviewed (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and John D. Rockefeller). After that Napoleon Hill believed that there is a secret formula for success in life. Furthermore, he analyzed their personalities and observed some things. He says that they all had many common habits in their childhood.
What are the key ideas in this book that can help you succeed?
Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich lays out a 13-step formula for achieving success in your life. At its core, it boils down to these 3 points:
- Do you know exactly what you want in your life?
- Are you committed enough that nothing will stop you from reaching your goals?
- The last point he puts forth is that determination is more important than willpower. This is because it allows us to overcome any obstacle we face when pursuing our goal(s).
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Without determination, we have no way of getting past those obstacles. He goes into much greater detail about each of these three points. But his statements are still easy to follow compared with most self-help books.
Review of Think and Grow Rich’s concepts and strategies
Now we will analyze the concepts of Think and Grow Rich. These concepts and strategies have magical impacts when implemented. If we start living under these principles, we can achieve all the goals that we have set in our minds.
1- The determination:
The magic secret of the theory “thoughts become reality, was proven by Edwin C. Barnes. He had the ambition to be the partner of the great scientist, Sir Thomas Edison. His decision was final, and he decided to work with Edison, and not for him.
Barnes’s story begins with its explicit purpose, he would work with the great Edison. He had two obstacles that stopped him from achieving this purpose. He didn’t know Edison and didn’t have enough money to pay for the train fare to New Jersey. Against all obstacles, Barnes stood in the office of the great inventor. And he declared his clear goal.
Thanks to his persistence, he got a low-level job at Edison’s office. But he never set aside his final and ultimate goal. Furthermore, over time his intense desire began more stronger. He reached the point where nothing could curb the goal he had set.
The opportunity presented itself in a way that Barnes did not expect. He finally achieved his purpose, when he observed and took the benefit of a chance. None of his mates had the vision to see. Edison invented a new product called “The dictation machine”. But his entire team except Barnes didn’t show any interest in the machine. While Barnes instantly believed in the product. Not only this but he also convinced Edison that he could sell it.
Barnes’ determination turned his wish into reality. And he became the partner of the great Edison. He obtained a vast fortune but originated with a firm and definitive idea. Dr. Hill explains that sometimes the lucky chances can be ambiguous. They come at a time when we are not looking for them.
2- Learn from mistakes:
Further in his book Think and Grow Rich, Hill shows us one of the most common mistakes in humans. He says that the biggest mistake in a person is the tendency to give up after failing for the first time. We all make mistakes at some point in our lives.
The big mistake of giving up is noticeable in the case of an uncle of R.U. Darby. He searched for gold in a mine, until he found a trail of bright gold. After studying this track, it was defined as the largest gold mine in Colorado. When he discovered this great wealth, he returned home to announce the discovery. He stocked up his family helpers (including Darby) and returned to dig the mine.
Darby and his uncle devoted themselves to working in the mine with high expectations. After months of unsuccessful searching, at last, they gave up. They sold the machinery to an ordinary man. After that, they returned home without any doubt that there was no more gold in that mine.
The man who bought the project turned into an expert in the area. He did some engineering calculations. Then he found that the golden vein was only 3 feet from where Darby and his uncle stopped the excavation. Likewise, he had discovered the golden vein once more. As a result, the common man gained millions of dollars.
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3- Perseverance:
Darby learned from this experience. He gave up where he had been so close to a wealth that he never noticed. He decided that he would never give up even after the “no” answer. Darby began selling life insurance, with incessant perseverance. He never gave up again, even though some men said no to his proposals. Darby, as a result, became one of the few men who sold more than a million dollars in life insurance.
His perseverance in this business made him successful. The reason was his previous experience of having surrendered in the gold mine. Napoleon Hill emphasizes that temporary experiences of failure precede any success. When this kind of situation occurs in the life of a man, the natural act of most people is to surrender. It is the most logical option. And it is also the most serious mistake of all.
4- There is nothing Impossible:
When the wise Henry Ford decided to create his famous V-8 car, he had to develop an eight-cylinder engine. But, his engineers rejected replying to him as “impossible”. Ford ordered them to produce it, regardless of the time or effort it took. 6 months passed without any success and the results that Ford expected.
At last, after a little more time, a miracle happened. The engineers managed to design the 8-cylinder engine. Ford understood the law of success. He knew that if he really wants it, he would make it sooner or later. He never gave up and persevered until the end. The desire to know what we want is essential for success.
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5- You are the owner of your destiny:
Dr. Hill teaches us a key point by interpreting Henley’s epic poem. Where he tells us “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”. Henley explains to us that in fact, we are the owners of our destinies and captains of our souls. Because we have the sole power to control our thoughts. This is where our ideas are born. We make the decisions that define our destinies. And where the impossible becomes reality.
After these fantastic examples of success, now we are ready to enter the world of Think and Grow Rich. Dr. Hill emphasizes keeping an open mind to new ideas and change. This guide has been the key to success for a lot of people and it could be for you too.
Think and Grow Rich book review | Conclusion
After reading Think and Grow Rich, you might be better equipped to achieve your goals in life. But it is not necessary that Hill’s advice will work for everyone. The book is rooted in its time, as business models were very different then than they are now. So, although many of his suggestions were valuable in the beginning, they may not be as relevant today.
Remember that this is the key to success and no man has invented it. It is a simple common sign of success. We have the ability to create our future and achieve the most exorbitant wealth. This will happen only if we have believed in ourselves. If we believe that we are capable. And we have the determination and perseverance to guarantee the fulfillment of our dreams.
After reading this Think and Grow rich review, we hope you find it useful. And it might have given you a whole new angle of thinking. You can buy it from the link below.
Kamran is a literature graduate from a reputed university. He started his journey in the world of writing blogs in 2012. Over the years, his passion for writing and love of books evolved into a dedicated book blog. With a discerning eye from a literature lover, he offers reviews, summaries, and thought-provoking discussion questions.
