Reviews

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

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cocoawolf29's review against another edition

3.0

It has some decent points. However, a good portion of it gives off a high and mighty air that the writer has of himself and his opinions. A short and relatively easy read, but not something I would read again or highly recommend to a friend.

shanaepraystoo's review against another edition

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5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed As a Man Thinketh and inhaled this short self-help guide because I felt that Allen was writing this book to speak to all men and women at a variety of stages in human life. The idea that your character is the sum of al your thoughts, action is a direct result of thought, you're made and unmade by yourself, the outer world of circumstances is shaped by the inner world of thought, only you can alter your condition, etc. are all ideals that are effective to changing or helping people maintain success. The things Allen writes about are all things I believe readers know they should practice, but life is not easy and it is hard to remain positive all the time. However, Allen's As a Man Thinketh gives readers motivation to move beyond excuses and attempt positivity and rightful thinking to acquire blessedness. This is a very powerful book and I believe it has the power to help people grow spiritually and prosper.

ruchidas's review against another edition

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5.0

A man is the summation of his thoughts. His character, circumstance, health, purpose, achievements, visions, and calmness depend on how he channelizes his thoughts. James Allen outlines the crux of this idea in As a Man Thinketh.

Allen compares the human mind to a garden. You can either sow and nourish trees that shelter you or let the weed grow. External factors might not always be in our control. Still, if we can control our thoughts, we can control our reactions to them. This is ultimately what we can do about life's situations, and what matters.

At just 50 pages, this is one of the shortest yet the most valuable books I've read. Needless to say, I finished it in one sitting, which I felt didn't justify the time the book deserved, but I'm pretty sure I'll be revisiting it occasionally. I especially loved how the author differentiates between right thinking and positive thinking. He even clarifies that it takes practice to mold your thoughts into the right thinking. This is my single biggest takeaway from this book.

It is a short and valuable read. Anyone who has an hour to spare on their hands mustn't miss it.

mindfroth's review against another edition

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4.0

Short book illustrating how character and personality are determined by thought patterns. Reading this, one becomes aware of how hypnotic books and other media can be, which are effectively thought patterns from outside, molding the psyche with their influence. Just as there's an external algorithm comprised of social influence and media diet, there's also an internal one, mostly unconscious, that can be made conscious with careful attention, and curated, just as a media algorithm's feed operates in accordance with what one chooses to click. The message of this book might be something like: beware the clickbait of the mind.

softmage_fromba's review against another edition

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3.0

Lo escuche en audiobook. Por el narrador le daria un 2 pero el contenido gano un promedio 4. Era un tema en el que estoy muy de acuerdo y no siempre se dice. Deberian dar este texto en los colegios. En ingles o castellano el mensaje se transmitiria igual.