Think and Grow Rich
Encyclopedia
Think and Grow Rich is a motivational personal development
and self-help book
written by Napoleon Hill
and inspired by a suggestion from Scottish-American businessman Andrew Carnegie
. While the title implies that this book deals only with how to achieve monetary wealth, the author explains that the philosophy taught in the book can be used to help individuals succeed in all lines of work and to do or be almost anything they want in this world. For instance, Jim Murray (sportswriter)
wrote that Think and Grow Rich was credited for Ken Norton
's boxing upset of Muhammad Ali
in 1973. The Reverend Charles Stanley
writes "I began to apply the principles of (Think and Grow Rich) to my endeavors as a pastor, and I discovered they worked!" The book was first published in 1937 during the Great Depression
. At the time of Hill's death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold 20 million copies. It remains the biggest seller of Napoleon Hill's books - a perennial best-seller after 70 years (BusinessWeek Magazine's Best-Seller List ranked Think and Grow Rich as the sixth best-selling paperback business book 70 years after it was first published). Think and Grow Rich is listed in John C. Maxwell
's A Lifetime "Must Read" Books List.
, the result of more than twenty years of research based on Hill's close association with a large number of individuals who achieved great wealth during their lifetimes.
At Andrew Carnegie's bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of these achievers and developed 16 "laws" of success intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.
, the original prints were sold out in six weeks at a price of $2.50 each. Another 10,000 copies were printed to meet demand, all of which also sold out in six weeks. The third print totaled 20,000.
W. Clement Stone
wrote: "One of the most important days in my life was the day I began to read Think and Grow Rich in 1937.
on the inside front cover page: “More men and women have been motivated to achieve success because of reading Think and Grow Rich than by any other book written by a living author.” In 1987, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton
hosted a TV infomercial that sold the 1960 version with an audio cassette version of the book (the audio cassettes contained an introduction and conclusion by Tarkenton and supplemental study guides). In the introduction noted above, Tarkenton stated that he believed Think and Grow Rich to be "the greatest most honored formula for success that has ever been developed".
Personal development
Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitates employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations...
and self-help book
Self-help book
Self-help books are books written with the stated intention to instruct any readers on a number of personal problems. They take their name from Self-Help, the Victorian best-seller, but are also known and classified under "self-improvement", a term that is a modernized version of self-help...
written by Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. He is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success...
and inspired by a suggestion from Scottish-American businessman Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. While the title implies that this book deals only with how to achieve monetary wealth, the author explains that the philosophy taught in the book can be used to help individuals succeed in all lines of work and to do or be almost anything they want in this world. For instance, Jim Murray (sportswriter)
Jim Murray (sportswriter)
James Patrick Murray was an American sportswriter at the Los Angeles Times from 1961 to 1998.Many of his achievements include winning the NSSA's Sportswriter of the Year award an astounding fourteen times...
wrote that Think and Grow Rich was credited for Ken Norton
Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
's boxing upset of Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
in 1973. The Reverend Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley , is a US preacher, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.Charles Stanley may also refer to:*Charles H...
writes "I began to apply the principles of (Think and Grow Rich) to my endeavors as a pastor, and I discovered they worked!" The book was first published in 1937 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. At the time of Hill's death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold 20 million copies. It remains the biggest seller of Napoleon Hill's books - a perennial best-seller after 70 years (BusinessWeek Magazine's Best-Seller List ranked Think and Grow Rich as the sixth best-selling paperback business book 70 years after it was first published). Think and Grow Rich is listed in John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell
John Calvin Maxwell is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor who has written more than 60 books, primarily focusing on leadership. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow...
's A Lifetime "Must Read" Books List.
Content
The text of Think and Grow Rich is founded on Hill's earlier work The Law of SuccessThe Law of Success
The Law of Success is the title of Napoleon Hill’s first book set, published initially in 1928 as an multi-volume correspondence course and later more compact formats in recent years...
, the result of more than twenty years of research based on Hill's close association with a large number of individuals who achieved great wealth during their lifetimes.
At Andrew Carnegie's bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of these achievers and developed 16 "laws" of success intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.
Editions
Original Version
The first edition of Think and Grow Rich was released in March 1937. Only 5,000 copies were printed. Despite advertising for the book being mostly word of mouthWord of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
, the original prints were sold out in six weeks at a price of $2.50 each. Another 10,000 copies were printed to meet demand, all of which also sold out in six weeks. The third print totaled 20,000.
W. Clement Stone
W. Clement Stone
William Clement Stone was a businessman, philanthropist and New Thought self-help book author.-Early life and work:...
wrote: "One of the most important days in my life was the day I began to read Think and Grow Rich in 1937.
1960 Fawcett Crest Edition
Think and Grow Rich was revised in 1960. This version was originally published by Crest Book, Fawcett Publications. This revised edition includes the following testimonial from W. Clement StoneW. Clement Stone
William Clement Stone was a businessman, philanthropist and New Thought self-help book author.-Early life and work:...
on the inside front cover page: “More men and women have been motivated to achieve success because of reading Think and Grow Rich than by any other book written by a living author.” In 1987, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
hosted a TV infomercial that sold the 1960 version with an audio cassette version of the book (the audio cassettes contained an introduction and conclusion by Tarkenton and supplemental study guides). In the introduction noted above, Tarkenton stated that he believed Think and Grow Rich to be "the greatest most honored formula for success that has ever been developed".
The 21st-Century Edition
In 2004 a revised text was published in a version titled Think and Grow Rich: The 21st-Century Edition: Revised and Updated. It was published by High Roads Media. In this version, author/editor Bill Hartley introduces modern examples of Hill's principles combined with editorial commentary throughout the book.The Original Version, Restored and Revised
In 2004, Ross Cornwell published Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised (ISBN 1-59330-200-2), which restored the book to its original content, with slight revisions, and added the first comprehensive endnotes, index, and appendix the book has ever contained. This version went into a third printing in 2008.Further Study
- Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude, by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement StoneW. Clement StoneWilliam Clement Stone was a businessman, philanthropist and New Thought self-help book author.-Early life and work:...
. ISBN 1416541594 - Earl Nightingale Reads Think and Grow Rich [The essence of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich], by Earl NightingaleEarl NightingaleEarl Nightingale was an American motivational speaker and author, known as the "Dean of Personal Development." He was the voice in the early 1950s of Sky King, the hero of a radio adventure series, and was a WGN radio show host from 1950 to 1956...
. ISBN 1455810118
External links
- Think and Grow Rich Ebook at Internet Archive
- The Napoleon Hill Foundation
- The Law Of Success Ebook at Internet Archive
- Commentary on Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill scholar Tom Butler-BowdonTom Butler-BowdonTom Butler-Bowdon is a non-fiction author based in Oxford, England, most notable for the 50 Classics series of books, which provide commentaries on key writings in the personal development field....