Book – Think and Grow Rich (Summary)
Author – Napoleon Hill
Genre – Self- help Book
Published Year – 1937
Can you really think and get rich? The author assures you can think and grow rich if you read, understand, and apply the principles suggested in the book.
Think and Grow Rich is one of the best classic books on money and success. The author Spent More than 20 years analyzing more than 25,000 individuals while researching principles shared in the book.
Think and grow rich was published in the year 1937, which was only after the great depression of 4 to 6 years and it had reduced all men, substantially, to the same level. This book gave tools to acquire riches to everyone.
About the Author –
Napoleon Hill was an American self-help books author. He is best known for his book Think and grow rich among his other 10 bestselling self-help books of all time on improving one’s life through adopting success conscious mindset.
About the book –
The book shares thirteen money-making secrets in total 38 chapters and the Author claims that a person who is ready to receive the secret will get it may be in the first chapter, last chapter, or anywhere in between.
Synopsis of 13 Principles
1) Desire (Definite Purpose) –
- Author also calls it Burning desire explains through real life example of people who achieved what they desired. As, theirs was specific desire and they were determined to get it.
- Even though they met temporary defeat/failure they kept going as that happened to most successful man who ever succeeded. Being persistent is another trait that these people held.
2) Faith –
- Definite desire with Faith can help us sustain specially in initial period or when going gets tough and we are filled with doubt.
- As William James put it “Our belief at the beginning of doubtful undertaking is the one thing that insures successful outcome of our venture.”
3) Auto – Suggestion –
- It’s the signal we sent to our sub-conscious mind through our thinking, feeling and emotions. Whether deliberately put or let random thoughts get in, it will bring forth.
- Hence it’s very important we let it in our sub-conscious mind. Auto-suggestion or repetition of words mean nothing unless mixed with feelings/emotions.
4) Specialized knowledge –
- There are two kinds of knowledge general/specialized and other is knowledge of how to gather certain information and used to accomplish desired goal.
- An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others”
5) Imagination –
- Author describes Imagination as workshop where all impulse, desire are given shape, from and acted upon, before it ever hits the ground.
- Coca- cola drink conception is cited as great example of sheer power of imagination. You May consider this Checking 15 Manifestation program for Manifesting health, wealth and happiness.
6) Organized Planning –
- As we move on to sixth step we have clarity of what we want and has written statement of what we desire. Pick that goal and create a plan and work on it.
- It may happen that one plan failed and so be ready to create new plan and march on with it. Don’t take temporary defeat as failure.
7) Decision –
- One of the important factor in accumulating riches is reaching to decision when opportunity presents. Lack of decision or procrastination are often at top, when failure is met.
- Those who succeed makes decision quickly and change them slowly if at all, while those who fail reaches decision slowly and changes them quickly.
8) Persistence –
- Three chapters are dedicated to “PERSISTENCE” alone indicates the importance of it in all stages of acquiring money. Be it coming up with definite desire, building plan, working on plan, amending it.
- It is the core part in all the thirteen principles Author has shared in the book. The importance of persistence, lack of it and how to develop persistence is explained well describing it as state of mind.
9) Power –
- Power is described as organized effort through coordination of two or more people towards a definite end in spirit of harmony.
- Mastermind group is one of the way to acquire power through association of differently skilled people.
10) Transmutation –
- The transmutation of sex energy calls for the exercise of will-power, to be sure, but the reward is worth the effort. The desire for sexual expression is in-born and natural.
- It must not be repressed or eliminated. Instead, it should be given an outlet through forms of expression which enrich the body, mind and spirit of man.
11) The Subconscious Mind –
- The subconscious mind is the link between the finite mind of man and infinite intelligence. It works voluntarily and takes signal from conscious mind throughout the day, whether positive or negative.
- Hence, It is constantly advised in the book to write concise plan and always focus on positive outcome to avail the assistance of subconscious mind in accomplishing whatever we set our mind on.
- You may consider reading The Power of Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy for better understanding of it.
12) The brain –
- Human brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thought.
- Creative imagination is the receiving set of the brain, which receives thoughts, released by the brain of others.
13) The Sixth Sense –
- The sixth sense also referred as creative imagination, receiving set, through which ideas, plan and thoughts flash into the mind. The flashes are also referred as hunches, or inspiration.
- It defies description! Anyone who follows previous twelve principles eventually come to benefits from this principle and get creative solutions for solving problems and new ideas for accomplishing set goal.
Caution of narration – Since the book was researched and published during post great depression of 1929, young readers may find it a bit difficult to connect with stories of people cited in the book as examples.
I have also created a video of a few quotes from the book – Hope you like it. Please do subscribe to my Youtube channel – Myread4change
Conclusion –
This is a must-read book if you want to find out how to think and grow rich. Book is a step-by-step guide from narrowing desire to a specific goal, to accomplish it.
You may download Think and Grow Rich Free E-book here.
Hope this summary helps you understand what to expect from Think and Grow Rich. If you like this book, you may also like The Master Key System & The Complete Game of Life and How to Play it.
Wish you great success and happiness.
Muzammil