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These days, it seems like there’s a new motivational self-help book published every hour, authored by fitness gurus and businessmen and Instagram influencers. But when Napoleon Hill first published Think and Grow Rich in 1937, it was a ground-breaking book. And, more than 80 years later, the reprinted original edition still offers some sound advice.
In this self-improvement classic, the author inspires readers to do exactly what the title suggests: to take control of their thoughts and harness that power to become rich and successful—financially, professionally, and personally. Decades before publishing his book, the author asserts that industrialist Andrew Carnegie tasked him with studying the most successful people to discover their formula for success. Over the years, Hill studied and interviewed, exploring the lives and careers of hundreds of wealthy and successful people—and he compiled his findings into this list of his 13 Steps to Riches.
Through the years, millions of readers have read and reread Hill’s guide to creating success. Speakers still recommend it today (which is how I first heard about it). And the fact that so much of this book sounds familiar today is a testament to how much it’s been absorbed and studied and shared.
The book’s main focus is on mindset. It’s a topic that’s definitely popular today—and for good reason. According to Hill, your dreams, your persistence, your determination, and, most importantly, your belief in yourself guide you on the path to success, while fears, excuses, and negative attitudes will point you in the opposite direction. And Hill’s observations on mindset are quite perceptive.
The context of the book can certainly make for a fascinating read. Written toward the end of the Great Depression, the book gives readers an interesting perspective on wealth and success. And, at the same time, the author also tells stories about great men of business and science and thought—many of whom were still living at the time (and some of whom were Hill’s acquaintances).
Still, the book is definitely dated. Though many of the ideas still hold very true, some of the ideas feel entirely laughable in today’s context. The language is much more scholarly than today’s self-help books, too. It often feels dry and repetitive. And that sometimes makes it a slow, laborious read.
There’s certainly a reason why so many readers have pored over Think and Grow Rich for decades. These ground-breaking ideas from the 1930s are still applicable today. But while today’s readers will still learn much about the importance of mindset, this isn’t an effortless—or flawless—book.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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