“Think and Grow Rich” was written by Napoleon Hill in 1937. He claims to have studied many wealthy and successful people and identified the factors that led to their success. The purpose of the book is to share these secrets with others.
Hill’s book reflects many of the principles of New Thought, a philosophy that was popular at the time. This philosophy taught that you can influence your destiny by training your mind to pursue and achieve your goals. Hill claims to have used these principles to achieve his own wealth and success.
“Think and Grow Rich” has both a spiritual and practical component. It does not conform to any particular religious doctrine, but it does presume the existence of an “Infinite Intelligence.” This is the power that you are able to tap into when you have properly trained your subconscious mind, and this is the power that will ultimately satisfy your desire for wealth.
Some of Hill’s psychological theories are very much in line with modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. For example, he discusses techniques to replace repetitive negative thoughts with positive narratives. Some of the principles in the book are less rooted in empiricism, like the notion that anything you demand of your subconscious will inevitably come into your life.
Some readers will find the spiritual and psychological aspects of “Think and Grow Rich” inspiring, and some will find them nonsensical. Most readers will probably think they are a mix of the two.
On the more practical side, Hill provides lists of characteristics that may be holding you back from success. Many of these are rather obvious, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of them. For example, you must have a clearly defined purpose before you can work toward it. Hill points out that many of us are not really clear on what we want, which makes it impossible to make a plan to get it.
Hill hammers relentlessly on the need for persistence and gives guidance on how to develop this trait. He lists major positive emotions to be cultivated and major negative emotions to be squelched. It is difficult to argue with these and other common sense lists in “Think and Grow Rich,” and they may provide a foundation for useful introspection.
“Think and Grow Rich” is, fundamentally, a self-help book that puts forth the idea that you can put your subconscious mind to work to bring wealth and success into your life. It is both a workbook and a textbook; it gives detailed instructions to follow as well as general theory and encouragement. Readers who believe that there are unseen forces with which they can connect to advance their personal goals may find this book useful and inspiring. Cold, hard realists will likely find it not to their taste.