This is the first addition to the Resources page: The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. Published in 1910, one year before the author’s death, this book went on to inspire Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret nearly a century later. Not much is known about Wallace Wattles, but we know that he was prosperous in his later years after living most of his life in poverty.

This book is about the law of attraction, although it doesn’t call it by that name. It’s very similar to The Secret, but of course it focuses purely on the financial aspects. One notable way in which it differs from The Secret is by placing much greater emphasis on taking action instead of just waiting for the universe to deliver. To quote Wattles:

“A person must not only think, but his personal action must supplement his thought. By thought you can cause the gold in the hearts of the mountains to be impelled toward you, but it will not mine itself, refine itself, coin itself into double eagles, and come rolling along the roads, seeking its way into your pocket…Your pocketbook is not going to be transformed into a Fortunata’s purse, which shall be always full of money without effort on your part. This is the crucial point in the science of getting rich — right here, where thought and personal action must be combined.”

One of the biggest complaints about The Secret is that it completely glosses over the importance of hard work, saying only that “action will sometimes be required.” This was my only major complaint about The Secret, so I was glad to see the need for action being stressed in The Science of Getting Rich.

I’ve heard several people complain that Robert Kiyosaki refers to people who don’t want to be rich as “hamsters.” Those people would probably not like to hear Wattles say this:

“It is perfectly right that you should give your best attention to the science of getting rich, for it is the noblest and most necessary of all studies. If you neglect this study, you are derelict in your duty to yourself, to God and humanity, for you can render to God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself.”

It’s really not surprising that Wattles was ejected from his position in the Methodist Church for heresy.

This is definitely a recommended book, especially for the bargain price of free. The copyright has expired, and the book is now in the public domain. The other books in this series are The Science of Being Well and The Science of Being Great.

Note that this particular copy of the ebook contains an advertising link at the top of each page, and then several more at the end. I’m not affiliated with any of these links, I haven’t researched them, and I have no recommendation either for or against them.

Please share your thoughts on The Science of Getting Rich in the comments.