Book Review: Think and Grow Rich

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Classic and anachronistic.  Those are my two favorite words to describe this long-time favorite, first given to me by the fellow who published the book-related column I used to write each month.  Though the main ideas here are hardly new to a modern audience, Think and Grow Rich was hugely influential in its time... and continues to motivate today. 

With the notable exception of the chapter called "The Mystery of Sex Transmutation," most of Hill's concepts (first published in 1937) have stood the test of time.  In fact, they are often repeated.  The Secret, Manifest Your Destiny (and several follow-on volumes by Wayne Dyer) and The One Minute Millionaire all assert that any of us can achieve whatever we truly set our minds to.  The Law of Attraction is real. We get what we focus on, for good or ill. 

Hill's primary contribution, at least in my educational process, has to do with the power of the subconscious mind.  He speaks of it as an empty container, just waiting to be consciously filled with the positive energy of the motivated thinker.  To Hill, the subconscious is where humans communicate with spirit... and where the power of spirit is engaged on our behalf. 

I like the idea that we can all positively affect our circumstances and the course of our lives by choosing what to think about.  Napoleon Hill may not have meant to include women in the category of people who can think ourselves prosperous, but we can add ourselves in.  I have no doubt that I manifested the house (on the lake, easy to care for, affordable for me) that I live in now. And I know that I am currently reinventing my own career with little outside interference.  So in the words of Mattie Stepanek: "Why not believe? It feels good to believe."

For a two-page summary you can download for free, click here.


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