Book: "Think and Grow Rich"

[why2kie]

Hi Mustachians,

I would like to ask about your opinion/review of this book. The book is written by Napoleon Hill.
I read that Mahatma Gandhi endorsed this book. Do this book also represent Mustachians Philosophy?

Thanks

[arebelspy]

It's the power of positive thinking and affirmations and such taken to an extreme.

It comes up every few decades.  Think and Grow Rich was the version for the early 1900s.  In the 1950s or so was the bestselling audiotape of Earl Nightingale's The Greatest Secret.  The latest incarnation was called "The Secret" about 5 years back.

A lot of it, IMO, is hocus. 

I'm a huge believer in confidence and the power of positive thinking.  But those books (all essentially the same thing) take it to a ridiculous new-age exteme, IMO.

YMMV.

[why2kie]

Thanks for your opinion arebelspy.

At a moment I'm also a little bit sceptic, if I should think like the suggestions in the book. I'm still reading the book and I will filter the contents which are suitable for myself.

[PKFFW]

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly arebelspy but Think and Grow Rich isn't connected to The Greatest Secret or The Secret in any way.  Unless you just mean they all deal with the power of positive thinking.

TAGR is a good book but it does make it seem as if all you have to do is have the right mindset and everything will just work out fine and you will become rich.  Whilst I agree the right mindset is extremely important and you are very unlikely to achieve success without it, TAGR does kind of gloss over the fact that you have to work you arse off as well as have the right mindset.

Certainly worth a read, especially if you struggle with staying positive and sticking to your goals but be sure to also nut out a clear plan of action, roll your sleeves up and be prepared to work hard at achieving your success.

[arebelspy]

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly arebelspy but Think and Grow Rich isn't connected to The Greatest Secret or The Secret in any way.  Unless you just mean they all deal with the power of positive thinking.

...really?  I can't agree with that at all.

Care to elaborate?

[PKFFW]

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly arebelspy but Think and Grow Rich isn't connected to The Greatest Secret or The Secret in any way.  Unless you just mean they all deal with the power of positive thinking.

...really?  I can't agree with that at all.

Care to elaborate?

All three books are written by different authors at different times and published, I'm pretty sure, by different publishers.  I've never heard of any corrobarative efforts in the writting of these particular books by the authors involved in each book either.

They all deal with the same general philosophy and idea and the latter two obviously borrow from the first.  However, where I'm not sure I'm understanding you corrctly, is that your post made it seem you were saying they are three versions of the same book which they are clearly not.

[arebelspy]

You took me too literally (I reread my post and don't see how you took it that way, but it seems you did), but in reality they basically are the same book.

Yes, they're different authors at different times.  The authors are just repackaging the same ideas.

The idea of taking positive thinking and affirmations and such to the extreme gets rehashed into a popular bestseller every few decades. 

Think and Grow Rich, The Greatest Secret, and The Secret are all essentially the same book.

The original, TAGR, is probably the best incarnation, IMO, if you want to read one to see what the hype is about.

[PKFFW]

You took me too literally (I reread my post and don't see how you took it that way, but it seems you did), but in reality they basically are the same book.

I guess the following bit....

It comes up every few decades.  Think and Grow Rich was the version for the early 1900s.  In the 1950s or so was the bestselling audiotape of Earl Nightingale's The Greatest Secret.  The latest incarnation was called "The Secret" about 5 years back.

where you mention "it comes up every few decades" and "was the version for the 1900's" it made me think you were saying they are versions of the same book.

[arebelspy]

The ideas contained within them catch on in popularity every few decades, and they show up in different forms. 

[PKFFW]

Yes that I would agree with and I understand that is what you meant all along.

[iris lily]

It's the power of positive thinking and affirmations and such taken to an extreme.

It comes up every few decades.  Think and Grow Rich was the version for the early 1900s.  In the 1950s or so was the bestselling audiotape of Earl Nightingale's The Greatest Secret.  The latest incarnation was called "The Secret" about 5 years back.

A lot of it, IMO, is hocus. 

I'm a huge believer in confidence and the power of positive thinking.  But those books (all essentially the same thing) take it to a ridiculous new-age exteme, IMO.

YMMV.

yep--read them all! Then when it's time for the trend to come up again, write your own re-hash of the "visualize it and it will come to you" book. Stash the cash, retire. Tell you kids about the book so that they can re-hash the idea for their own generation and make $$$ retire. Then they will tell their kids about it...etc.

I don't have children or else I'd be doing this!