Think & Grow Rich

About the Author

Napoleon Hill, born in 1883 in a modest household in rural Virginia, went on to become one of the most influential self-help authors of the 20th century. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, has sold millions of copies worldwide and continues to inspire people to achieve their dreams and financial success. Hill was a pioneer in the field of personal development and success literature, and his teachings have influenced countless individuals and thought leaders. His work is characterized by the belief that personal beliefs and persistence play a crucial role in personal success.

Main Idea

The central premise of Think and Grow Rich is that "thoughts are things" and that whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Hill emphasizes the power of thoughts in shaping one’s destiny and asserts that a burning desire combined with faith and persistence is the key to transforming dreams into reality. Hill’s philosophy is built on the foundation that success is not merely a matter of luck or circumstance but is achieved through a precise and methodical approach to thinking and action.

Table of Contents

1. Thoughts Are Things
2. Desire
3. Faith
4. Autosuggestion
5. Specialized Knowledge
6. Imagination
7. Organized Planning
8. Decision
9. Persistence
10. The Master Mind
11. The Mystery of Sex Transmutation
12. The Subconscious Mind
13. The Brain
14. The Sixth Sense
15. The Six Ghosts of Fear

Thoughts Are Things

Main Idea: Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, man can achieve.

Thoughts are very powerful when mixed with a definiteness of purpose and a burning desire for their translation into riches or other material objects. An example Hill provides is the story of Edwin Barnes, who decided to go into business with Thomas Edison. Barnes’s unwavering determination led him to achieve his goal, demonstrating that an intangible impulse of thought can be transmuted into material rewards by the application of known principles. This principle underscores the importance of persistence and the refusal to quit when faced with temporary defeat.

"He stood there before me like an ordinary tramp, but there was something about the expression of his face which conveyed the impression he was determined to get what he had come after. I had learned from years of experience that when a man really desires something so deeply that he’s willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of the wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win." - Thomas Edison

Desire

Main Idea: There are no limitations except those we set ourselves. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.

Hill outlines a six-step method for transforming a desire for riches into its financial equivalent:

• Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.
• Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for that amount of money.
• Establish a definite date by which you intend to possess the amount of money you desire.
• Create a definite plan for carrying out that desire and begin at once to put that plan into action.
• Write a clear, concise statement of the amount, by when, and your plan for how you will achieve it.
• Read your written statement aloud each day and visualize yourself already having achieved your goal.

Hill emphasizes that merely wishing for money is not enough; one must desire riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, backed by persistence and a definite plan.

"The method by which desire for riches can be transmuted into its financial equivalent consists of six definite, practical steps." - Napoleon Hill

Faith

Main Idea: Ideas are translated into huge fortunes all around you every day. Using the medium of faith, you can join that group of people whose achievements know no bounds.

Faith is the head chemist of the mind. The emotions of faith, love, and sex are the most powerful of all the major positive emotions. When blended, these emotions can reach the subconscious where they are changed into their spiritual equivalent, which can then receive instructions from the Infinite Intelligence. Faith can be cultivated through repeated affirmations and autosuggestion, where the mind is programmed to believe and achieve specific goals.