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cathy718's review against another edition
4.0
Classic and anachronistic. Those are my two favorite words to describe this long-time favorite, first given to me by the fellow who publishes my book-related column* 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, is regarding 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 inventing and reinventing my own career with little outside interference. So in the words of Mattie Stepanek "Why not believe? It feels good to believe."
*The Well-Booked Business appears each monthly in the North Coast Business Journal, published by Schaffner publications. Thanks John!
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, is regarding 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 inventing and reinventing my own career with little outside interference. So in the words of Mattie Stepanek "Why not believe? It feels good to believe."
*The Well-Booked Business appears each monthly in the North Coast Business Journal, published by Schaffner publications. Thanks John!
emiliaforrest's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a time machine and read as such quite entertaining.
But also - my eyes are tired after rolling so hard.
But also - my eyes are tired after rolling so hard.
calstar's review against another edition
1.0
I had to quit this. It's weird and archaic and just wasn't for me. It hasn't really been changed since the 30's and you can tell. Racism and sexism abound. I am certain the main points are still cogent but much like the other wealth books I have read, the steps required SOUND easy but turn out to get more and more bananas until you realize there is no way anyone is actually able to do them all the way the book demands.
marci_in_maine's review against another edition
4.0
So. I have an affinity for old books with crazy ideas and I just loved this one. Overall, there is some good basic advice on living a "rich" life. Not just one with money, but one that is fulfilled. I can easily toss aside some of the supercrazy stuff so that I can keep the things that will be worthwhile, such as putting desire into action, firm decision-making, forming a mastermind group and tapping into subconscious thought. I fully intend to read it at least one more time, in a more deliberate way.
itskatashley's review against another edition
3.0
I have to be honest, I do not think that this book is beneficial for women to read.
This book has been a recommended read to my boyfriend and I from many different people that we have worked with which is the only reason I picked it up in the first place. Truthfully, I did not even want to finish this book because it is so misogynistic, but I have a hard time not finishing a book I already started.
Despite overall not enjoying this book, there were a few points that it made that I will carry with me and for that, I give it three stars. Unfortunately though, if you are a woman, I find this book extremely hard to relate to and thoroughly uninteresting as the whole book only speaks of men and how MEN can succeed. I think there might have been all of two females mentioned in this entire book who were successful on their on and did not just aid in the success of a man.
This book has been a recommended read to my boyfriend and I from many different people that we have worked with which is the only reason I picked it up in the first place. Truthfully, I did not even want to finish this book because it is so misogynistic, but I have a hard time not finishing a book I already started.
Despite overall not enjoying this book, there were a few points that it made that I will carry with me and for that, I give it three stars. Unfortunately though, if you are a woman, I find this book extremely hard to relate to and thoroughly uninteresting as the whole book only speaks of men and how MEN can succeed. I think there might have been all of two females mentioned in this entire book who were successful on their on and did not just aid in the success of a man.
dawndpt's review against another edition
2.0
This is basically the mother of all self-help books. If you've done any sort of leadership training or success mindset training, there won't really be anything new in here. That said, it is good info on success mindset stuff, and it's all collected in one place. As a result, it is LONG. Perhaps best read in pieces, as you can check out the chapters that resonate with you and skip over the ones you're less interested in.
The audiobook version I listened to was of the original text, which was hilariously (and in some places almost offensively) outdated. I'm pretty sure there's an updated revision floating around, and I'd recommend that. (Or you could check out the original for entertainment value, of which there is plenty.)
The audiobook version I listened to was of the original text, which was hilariously (and in some places almost offensively) outdated. I'm pretty sure there's an updated revision floating around, and I'd recommend that. (Or you could check out the original for entertainment value, of which there is plenty.)