So at last I get around to reviewing Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think and Grow Rich. It was first published in 1937. People had lost their money as well as their spirit in the Great Depression, and needed a reminder that financial success was still possible for people who would create their own opportunities. That’s not so different from today, is it?

“You have ABSOLUTE CONTROL over but one thing, and that is your thoughts. This is the most significant and inspiring of all facts known to man! It reflects man’s Divine nature. This divine prerogative is the sole means by which you may control your own destiny. If you fail to control your own mind, you may be sure you will control nothing else.

If you must be careless with your possessions, let it be in connection with material things. Your mind is your spiritual estate! Protect it and use it with the care to which Divine Royalty is entitled.

You were given a WILL-POWER for this purpose.

…

Doubting Thomases scoffed scornfully when Henry Ford tried out his first crudely built automobile on the streets of Detroit. Some said the thing never would become practical. Others said no one would pay money for such a contraption.

FORD SAID, “I’LL BELT THE EARTH WITH DEPENDABLE MOTOR CARS,” AND HE DID!

His decision to trust his own judgment has already piled up a fortune far greater than the next five generations of his descendants can squander. For the benefit of those seeking vast riches, let it be remembered that practically the sole difference between Henry Ford and a majority of the more than one hundred thousand men who work for him, is this-FORD HAS A MIND AND CONTROLS IT, THE OTHERS HAVE MINDS WHICH THEY DO NOT TRY TO CONTROL.”

This gives a taste of his writing, which is a bit old fashioned and peppered with glaring typos, creative punctuation, and RANDOM ALL CAPS. It also requires a good amount of patience to read it, because he’s very wordy, sometimes going on and on about things that are completely out of date.

But Think and Grow Rich is worthy of being a classic. While the wording is dated, the ideas are timeless. It’s also incredibly optimistic without being too cheesy.

And it’s practical. It’s about controlling your thoughts, but in a down to earth way instead of being all about “thought vibrations” (although there is some of that). If you find yourself making excuses instead of money, Napoleon Hill will whip you into shape.

Actually, it’s not really specific to money. At one point he says that “riches” means “financial, spiritual, mental, and material estates.” Think of it as a guide for keeping your mind from getting in the way of your success, whatever it is you’re working towards.

He alludes to Andrew Carnegie’s secret, which he says is the key to all great financial success. He doesn’t state it directly, but he hints at it in every chapter, and says the secret will appear to you when you’re ready. I’ll revisit the Carnegie Secret at a later time. (Update: now you can learn The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich!)

Meanwhile, Think and Grow Rich is freely available from this link.

Table of Contents:

Author’s Preface
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 2 – Desire: The Turning Point of All Achievement
Chapter 3 – Faith Visualization of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire
Chapter 4 – Auto-Suggestion: the Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind
Chapter 5 – Specialized Knowledge, Personal Experiences or Observations
Chapter 6 – Imagination: the Workshop of the Mind
Chapter 7 – Organized Planning, the Crystallization of Desire into Action
Chapter 8 – Decision: the Mastery of Procrastination
Chapter 9 – Persistence: the Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith
Chapter 10 – Power of the Master Mind: the Driving Force
Chapter 11 – The Mystery of Sex Transmutation
Chapter 12 – The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link
Chapter 13 – The Brain: A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought
Chapter 14 – The Sixth Sense: The Door to the Temple of Wisdom
Chapter 15 – How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear

What lets ordinary people tap into unlimited strength, peace, health, and abundance? The Secret.

What offers the same benefits, without asking you to believe in the supernatural? Greatness Without Genies.

As you may have guessed, I am now unveiling my latest ebook, Greatness Without Genies: The Law of Attraction for Realists.

Ever since The Secret came out, people have waged wars over the law of attraction. Choose your side: is the law of attraction the unquestioned lord and master of the universe, or is it a complete fantasy?

I’d like to offer a third perspective. There’s a middle ground. Well, there are many middle grounds, but specifically, you can dramatically improve your life with your thoughts, and you don’t need to believe in a genie to do so. That’s what this ebook is about.

Look, I liked The Secret, despite it having some pretty serious flaws. But many people just don’t want to go near anything that says a genie is going to give you the Midas touch. For years, the realists have been looked down on by people who proclaim that obviously you could move Fort Knox into your basement, if only you would put out the right frequency and get it to vibrate properly. You lazy bum, why won’t you vibrate?

For God’s sake, can’t someone deliver the benefits of the law of attraction without the mystical hype? Why yes, thank you for asking. Instead of just accepting or rejecting The Secret as is, I rewrote it from scratch, creating a new interpretation of the law of attraction. (And I actually refer to it as the principle of attraction as it’s not a scientific law. These details matter.)

You see, we really do have tremendous control over our lives, far more than we realize. I’d hate to see someone miss out on this just because they don’t like the way The Secret was presented. If you like The Secret, fine, so do I (at least the book version). But for the people who need real explanations (not pseudoscience or circular logic) and practical steps (not wishin’ and hopin’), you finally have something for you.

Last week in my Steve Pavlina interview, Steve said something about the law of attraction that I thought was right on the money:

“[The law of attraction] can be so effective for people, but it’s also missing some key aspects, which is why it often fails to work…The LoA is a step in the right direction, but it’s too inaccurate and flawed to work well in all situations. You can get some interesting results with the LoA…but the flaws in that model often leave people with little or nothing to show for their efforts. Holding clear intentions is still important and useful, but that’s only one piece of the larger puzzle.”

I agree, holding clear intentions is just one piece of the larger puzzle. If you’re ready to move beyond that first piece, order Greatness Without Genies: The Law of Attraction for Realists, and see the bigger picture of how you can realistically turn your thoughts into reality.

This ebook is $27, with a 50% affiliate payout. Genie sold separately, but not by me.