Think and Grow Rich
described. After reading the story you will realize that you are about to come
into possession of a philosophy which can be transmuted into material
wealth, or serve as readily to bring you peace of mind, understanding,
spiritual harmony, and in some instances, as in the case of the author’s son, it
can help you master physical affliction.
The author discovered, through personally analyzing hundreds of successful
men, that all of them followed the habit of exchanging ideas, through what is
commonly called conferences. When they had problems to be solved they sat
down together and talked freely until they discovered, from their joint
contribution of ideas, a plan that would serve their purpose.
You, who read this book, will get most out of it by putting into practice the
Master Mind principle described in the book. This you can do (as others are
doing so successfully) by forming a study club, consisting of any desired
number of people who are friendly and harmonious. The club should have a
meeting at regular periods, as often as once each week. The procedure should
consist of reading one chapter of the book at each meeting, after which the
contents of the chapter should be freely discussed by all members. Each
member should make notes, putting down ALL IDEAS OF HIS OWN inspired
by the discussion. Each member should carefully read and analyze each
chapter several days prior to its open reading and joint discussion in the club.
The reading at the club should be done by someone who reads well and
understands how to put color and feeling into the lines.
By following this plan every reader will get from its pages, not only the sum
total of the best knowledge organized from the experiences of hundreds of
successful men, but more important by far, he will tap new sources of
knowledge in his own mind as well as acquire knowledge of priceless value
FROM EVERY OTHER PERSON PRESENT.
If you follow this plan persistently you will be almost certain to uncover and
appropriate the secret formula by which Andrew Carnegie acquired his huge
fortune, as referred to in the author’s introduction.
Napoleon Hill | 7
Think and Grow Rich
TRIBUTES TO THE AUTHOR
From Great American Leaders
“THINK AND GROW RICH” was 25 years in the making. It is Napoleon
Hill’s newest book, based upon his famous Law of Success Philosophy. His
work and writings have been praised by great leaders in Finance, Education,
Politics, Government.
Supreme Court of the United States
Washington,
D.C.
Dear Mr. Hill:—
I have now had an opportunity to finish reading your Law of Success
textbooks and I wish to express my appreciation of the splendid work you
have done in the organization of this philosophy.
It would be helpful if every politician in the country would assimilate and
apply the 17 principles upon which your lessons are based. It contains some
very fine material which every leader in every walk of life should understand.
I am happy to have had the privilege of rendering you some slight measure of
help in the organization of this splendid course of “common sense”
philosophy.
Sincerely yours
William H. Taft
(Former President and former Chief Justice of the United States)
Napoleon Hill | 8
Think and Grow Rich
KING OF THE 5 AND 10 CENT STORES
“By applying many of the 17 fundamentals of the Law of Success
philosophy we have built a great chain of successful stores. I presume it
would be no exaggeration of fact if I said that the Woolworth Building might
properly be called a monument to the soundness of these principles.”
F. W. WOOLWORTH
A GREAT STEAMSHIP MAGNATE
“I feel greatly indebted for the privilege of reading your Law of Success. If I
had had this philosophy fifty years ago, I suppose I could have accomplished
all that I have done in less than half the time. I sincerely hope the world will
discover and reward you.”
ROBERT DOLLAR
FAMOUS AMERICAN LABOR LEADER
“Mastery of the Law of Success philosophy is the equivalent of an
insurance policy against failure.”
SAMUEL GOMPERS
A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
“May I not congratulate you on your persistence. Any man who devotes that
much time... must of necessity make discoveries of great value to others. I am
deeply impressed by your interpretation of the ‘Master Mind’ principles
which you have so clearly described.”
WOODROW WILSON
A MERCHANT PRINCE
“I know that your 17 fundamentals of success are sound because I have been
applying them in my business for more than 30 years.”
Napoleon Hill | 9
Think and Grow Rich
JOHN WANAMAKER
WORLDS LARGEST MAKER OF CAMERAS
“I know that you are doing a world of good with your Law of Success. I
would not care to set a monetary value on this training because it brings to
the student qualities which cannot be measured by money, alone.”
GEORGE EASTMAN
A NATIONALLY KNOWN BUSINESS CHIEF
“Whatever success I may have attained I owe, entirely, to the application of
your 17 fundamental principles of the Law of Success. I believe I have the
honor of being your first student.”
WM. WRIGLEY, JR.
Napoleon Hill | 10
Think and Grow Rich
Publisher’s Preface
THIS book conveys the experience of more than 500 men of great wealth,
who began at scratch, with nothing to give in return for riches except
THOUGHTS, IDEAS and ORGANIZED PLANS.
Here you have the entire philosophy of money making, just as it was
organized from the actual achievements of the most successful men known to
American people during the past 50 years. It describes WHAT TO DO, also,
HOW TO DO IT.
It presents complete instructions on HOW TO SELL YOUR PERSONAL
SERVICES.
It provides you with a perfect system of self-analysis that will readily
disclose what has been standing between you and the “big money” in the
past.
It describes the famous Andrew Carnegie formula of personal achievement
by which he accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars for himself, and
made no fewer than a score of millionaires of men to whom he taught his
secret.
Perhaps you do not need all that is to be found in this book- no one of the 500
men from whose ideas it was written did- but you may need ONE IDEA,
PLAN OR SUGGESTION to start you toward your goal. Somewhere in this
book you will find this needed stimulus.
The book was inspired by Andrew Carnegie, after he had made his millions
and retired. It was written by the man to whom Carnegie disclosed the
astounding secret of his riches-the same man to whom the 500 wealthy men
revealed the source of their riches.
In this volume will be found thirteen principles of money making essential to
every person who accumulates sufficient money to guarantee financial
independence. It is estimated that the research which went into the
preparation, before the book was written or could be written-research
Napoleon Hill | 11
Think and Grow Rich
covering more than twenty five years of continuous effort-could not be
duplicated at a cost of less than $100,000.
Moreover, the knowledge contained within the book can never be duplicated,
at any cost, for the reason that more than half of the 500 men who supplied
the information it brings have passed on.
Riches cannot always be measured in money!
Money and material things are essential for freedom of body and mind, but
there will be some who feel that the greatest of all riches can be evaluated
only in terms lasting friendships, harmonious family relationships, sympathy
and understanding between business associates, and introspective harmony
which brings peace of mind measurable only in spiritual values.
All who read, understand and apply this philosophy will be better prepared to
attract and enjoy these higher estates which have always been and always
will be denied to all except those who are ready for them.
Be prepared, therefore, when you expose yourself to the influence of this
philosophy, to experience a CHANGED LIFE which may help you to not
only negotiate your way through life with harmony and understanding, but
also to prepare you for the accumulation of material riches in abundance.
THE PUBLISHER.
Napoleon Hill | 12
Think and Grow Rich
Author’s Preface
IN EVERY chapter of this book, mention has been made of the money-
making secret which has made fortunes for more than five hundred
exceedingly wealthy men whom I have carefully analyzed over a long period
of years.
The secret was brought to my attention by Andrew Carnegie, more than a
quarter of a century ago. The canny, lovable old Scotsman carelessly tossed it
into my mind, when I was but a boy. Then he sat back in his chair, with a
merry twinkle in his eyes, and watched carefully to see if I had brains enough
to understand the full significance of what he had said to me.
When he saw that I had grasped the idea, he asked if I would be willing to
spend twenty years or more, preparing myself to take it to the world, to men
and women who, without the secret, might go through life as failures. I said I
would, and with Mr. Carnegie's cooperation, I have kept my promise.
This book contains the secret, after having been put to a practical test by
thousands of people, in almost every walk of life. It was Mr.Carnegie's idea
that the magic formula, which gave him a stupendous fortune, ought to be
placed within reach of people who do not have time to investigate how men
make money, and it was is hope that I might test and demonstrate the
soundness of the formula through the experience of men and women in every
calling.
He believed the formula should be taught in all public schools and colleges,
and expressed the opinion that if it were properly taught it would so
revolutionize the entire educational system that the time
spent in school could be reduced to less than half.
His experience with Charles M. Schwab, and other young men of Mr.
Schwab's type, convinced Mr. Carnegie that much of that which is taught in
the schools is of no value whatsoever in connection with the business of
earning a living or accumulating riches. He had arrived at this decision,
because he had taken into his business one young man after another, many of
them with but little schooling, and by coaching them in the use of this
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Think and Grow Rich
formula, developed in them rare leadership. Moreover, his coaching made
fortunes for everyone of them who followed his instructions.
In the chapter on Faith, you will read the astounding story of the organization
of the giant United States Steel Corporation, as it was conceived and carried
out by one of the young men through whom Mr. Carnegie proved that his
formula will work for all who are ready for it. This single application of the
secret, by that young man—Charles M. Schwab— made him a huge fortune
in both money and OPPORTUNITY. Roughly speaking, this particular
application of the formula was worth six hundred million dollars.
These facts—and they are facts well known to almost everyone who knew
Mr. Carnegie—give you a fair idea of what the reading of this book may
bring to you, provided you KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT.
Even before it had undergone twenty years of THINK AND GROW RICH
practical testing, the secret was passed on to more than one hundred thousand
men and women who have used it for their personal benefit, as Mr. Carnegie
planned that they should. Some have made fortunes with it. Others have used
it successfully in creating harmony in their homes. A clergyman used it so
effectively that it brought him an income of upwards of $75,000.00 a year.
Arthur Nash, a Cincinnati tailor, used his near bankrupt business as a "guinea
pig" on which to test the formula. The business came to life and made a
fortune for its owners. It is still thriving, although Mr. Nash has gone. The
experiment was so unique that newspapers and magazines, gave it more than
a million dollars' worth of laudatory publicity.
The secret was passed on to Stuart Austin Wier, of Dallas, Texas. He was
ready for it—so ready that he gave up his profession and studied law. Did he
succeed? That story is told too.
I gave the secret to Jennings Randolph, the day he graduated from college,
and he has used it so successfully that he is now serving his third term as a
Member of Congress, with an excellent opportunity to keep on using it until
it carries him to the White House
