What is in a thought? Everything in the world is there for you to attain, in that thought. Name, Fame, Money, Peace of Mind, Talent…virtually everything! Only thing is that we have to know how to think and get the benefit of it!!
On afternoon, as usual I was walking through Dubai roads, reading. I was reading this book, ’Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill. One young gentleman stopped me while walking and told me, ’Hai, I stopped you simply to say that this book is excellent and I made good benefit out of it…’ and he shows me the paperback edition of this one from his pocket. In conversation he explained how the book helped him to come back from a broken state to a millionaire. He is not bluffing which I could make out from his talk. Another day, I was getting in the bus and moving towards a seat at back where one couple from South Africa stopped me just to say that how wonderful this book is! I took a seat near to them and had a chat. I am talking about a book published 70+ years back, in 1937!!
Think and Grow Rich is the result of Napoleon Hill’s mission assigned by Steel Giant Andrew Carnegie to create a Success Philosophy. Hill was a young journalist who went to interview Carnegie for 3 hours but spent 3 days and 3 nights on discussions and ended up with an assignment of 25 years to create this philosophy. Hill interviewed 500 plus great people of all walk during this time in the like of Thomas Alva Edison, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Theodore Roosevelt, John D Rockefeller, George Eastman, Alexander Graham Bell & Woodrow Wilson.
The Success Philosophy is explained through 13 steps even though few of these steps are linked one another. Mind Power or the ability of our mind to think is the starting point of this success philosophy. A burning Desire and Strong Faith are prerequisite and this may achieve by Autosuggestion. We may require Specialized Knowledge and Imagination to make our mind to believe what we ask it to do so in faith. Organized planning is a must when we try the practice. We have to develop a habit of taking matured Decisions and let Persistence be one quality attributed to our behaviour. We may make ’A Mastermind Group’ to consult often on important things where we have full faith in the team. We may get a powerful insight into the benefits of Sex Transmutation, we may use the potentials of our Sub Conscious mind, unlimited power of our Brain and finally we may even get the Sixth Sense which will guide us in all walks of life. When you go through the title headings itself you will realize that it is not an ordinary success guide but a philosophy of success, personal development and even much more than that.
The narrative style of the book is very attractive where a good number of inspirational stories are told to convey the message across.
The book can be divided in to 3 parts but in assorted chapters (This is my classification, there is no such division in the book). The first part, which consists of The introduction, The Mind Power, Desire, Faith, Autosuggestion, Imagination, Decision & Persistence together, these chapters are simply excellent and the success philosophy is explained exceptionally well through these chapters. The Second Part: Specialized Knowledge, Organized planning and Mastermind group. If I disagree on the book, this is the section. I am not saying that they are not required, but the description was either sufficient or gone out of hand from the author. Could have been much better! The Third Part: The Mystery of Sex Transmutaton, Sub Conscious Mind, Brain & The Sixth Sense takes the book to a new level where not much authors can catch up with Hill. Superb observation and vision!
The strength of the book is on the chapters mentioned by me as Part One. Part three will take you to a higher level of understanding of life’s principles and will be interested to you if you are interested to fly high. Out of all these chapters, the chapter on Sex Transmutation stands different. This topic has not been touched by anybody so convincingly. I am not extending my good words where I left it for you to observe for yourself. I can only say that this book is better than many books published in this category in recent years.
Negative side of the book:
1. The book gives the wrong impression that we should concentrate all our efforts and energy on acquiring money. The author criticizes one who doesn’t do that even though they are proven success in other fields.
2. The author at times gives an impression knowingly or unknowingly that to earn money one doesn’t have to work hard. In reality, any success philosophy should take the needs of the masses in confidence and hard work is one sure shot which Hill neglected and limited the philosophy to the elite group.
3. At place the author try to convince that we can create everything from nothing by thought. On another place, where workers protest for better facilities etc., the author plays another tune, ignoring their view point completely saying they will not get concessions for nothing. It can be both wrong or both right. Not otherwise.
4. The Chapter Organized Planning made the author a lawyer of Capitalism. Like a powerful lawyer he argues against socialists but in the argument he lost the sense of balance and it ended up as nothing but a political speech. I think the Capitalist in Napoleon Hill killed the Saint in him which was so powerful knowing the secret of the world and almost reached to its treasures.
Having pointed at the plus points and minus about the book I have no reservation in recommending this book strongly. The book will definitely take some thoughts from you and give some. And when the book says you can conquer money with the thoughts, why not??