Book Recommendation

I cannot imagine being self employed and never reading Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. I first read it when I was about 22 and it is one of about half a dozen books (most of which have been in print longer than I have been alive) that I consider to be Rosetta Stones of success. It was published in 1937 and over 30 million copies later remains one of the most widely read books of its kind, ranking in the top 10 business paperbacks sold 73 years after its initial release. That is staying power. 

The period the book came out was far worse than our own; the country was still in the Great Depression and people were hungry to figure out how succeed and better their lot in life. Hill, who was already an advisor to President Roosevelt, wrote the manuscript at the behest of Andrew Carnegie, one of the nation’s wealthiest men at that time. Few books maintain relevance 8 decades after publication. One might think that there is little we might relate to from 1937, what people faced, and how they lived. However, the message is timeless, and that is what makes Think and Grow Rich a classic that will probably be as important in 50 years as it was a half century ago. And to think that I first thought the title to be specious and belie a gimmick. Silly me. 

The copy I first read has long since disintegrated- my current version isn’t even dog eared. Given the times we are in, I am going to dive back in. I recall being very inspired after my first reading – I felt as if I controlled my destiny. True wealth begins in the mind. What an idea. There were many others. Read it and find out. 

If you have not read it, do so. Especially in this day and age, the message is fresh, relevant and timeless. The principles of success have no expiration date. 

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”