Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill - BCF #34

Think and grow rich is a fantastic self-improvement book written in the 1930's by a man called Napoleon Hill.

A little bit about the Author

American born Napoleon Hill is considered to have influenced more people into success than any other person in history. He was born into poverty in 1883 in a one-room cabin on the Pound River in Wise County, Virginia. At the age of 10 his mother died, and two years later his father remarried. He became a very rebellious boy but grew up to be an incredible man.

He was given an assignment to write a series of success stories of famous men, and his big break came when he was asked to interview steel-magnate Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie commissioned Hill to interview over 500 millionaires to find a success formula that could be used by the average person... included Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Elmer Gates, Charles M. Schwab, Theodore Roosevelt, William Wrigley Jr, John Wanamaker, William Jennings Bryan, George Eastman, Woodrow Wilson, William H. Taft, John D. Rockefeller, F. W. Woolworth, Jennings Randolph, among others.

These men were the pioneers of their time. A time where innovators were the celebrities of society. Everything he learnt, was documented and summarized in his book: 'Think and Grow Rich'.

A little bit about the book

Think and Grow Rich has sold over 7 million copies and has helped thousands achieve success over the years. It was originally published in 1937 and its teachings are as applicable now as they were back then - hence its success over the years.

In essence, the book highlights 13 different principles you must adopt/ consider adopting if you wish to become truly successful. The main focus in the book is about the acquiring of riches, however, I love how Napoleon Hill subtly indicates that life is about more than the acquisition f riches, and understands that the reader will find this out for themselves as they come more into the realisation of their true purpose in life.

What a fantastic book this is though! It reminds me of Dale Carnegie's How to win friends and influence people stylistically in the respect that both books are fantastic at getting their point across through the correct use of language and examples. It really helps that Napoleon Hill speaks of actual successful people's habits and traits because it validifies his claims.

This book means a lot to me, I first read it almost 3 years ago, and although the title would suggest that it is a heartless book about getting rich, OH IT IS SO MUCH MORE! If you are looking for a book that will make you questions your habits, beliefs and direction in life, no matter what your age, buy Think and Grow Rich!

Here is a quote on decisiveness from the last page of the book:

"Life is a chessboard, and the player opposite is time. If you hesitate before moving, or neglect to move promptly, your men will be wiped off the board by time! You are playing against a partner who will not tolerate indecision!"

Be Exceptional,

Adam x

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Buy the Book!

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The Bookclub

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The Wisdom Of Insecurity, Alan Watts
Tools of Titans, Tim Ferris
Homo-Deus, Yuval Noah Harari
Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
Born a crime, Trevor Noah
How brands grow, Byron Sharp
Tales of modern Russia, Peter Pomerantsev
Stone Soup, Marcia Brown
How to get filthy rich in rising Asia, Mohsin Hamid
The Art of War, Sun Tzu
Why Bob Dylan Matters, Richard F. Thomas
On the Shortness of Life, Seneca
Not Fade Away - A short life well lived, Peter Barton
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What I know for sure, Oprah Winfrey
Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl
Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
The Rational Optimist, Matt Ridley
What Makes Sammy Run? , Budd Schulberg
How to Develop Self-Confidence in Public Speaking, Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
As a Man Thinketh, James Allen
The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
The Magic of Thinking Big, David J. Schwartz
The Great Philosophers, Edited by Ray Monk & Frederic Raphael
The Outsiders, William N. Thorndike
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The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, Thom Hartmann
The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan Holiday
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Paul Reps
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