Think and Grow Rich

Start with a burning desire, make a decision to follow it, and be persistent. That is what Napoleon Hill advises in Think and Grow Rich. How much his advice is grounded in psychology (or how much not), I don’t know for sure. He argues that you should engage in ‘auto-suggestion’ and probe yourself into thinking about your goal (desire) all the time.

On the one hand, I dearly believe that it’s good to have goals and to know what you want. On the other hand, I question the efficacy of pounding an idea in your head – what if it’s not a good idea. And as with the previous book, how much of this ‘auto-suggestion’ will, you actually engage in.

Napoleon Hill states that most of his ideas came from Andrew Carnegie (of railroad/steel fame and riches). This makes me feel more confident about the lessons in the book in one way. At the same time, however, we never get a mention of Napoleon Hill in Carnegie’s autobiography. So I leave it to you to decide if you wish to read it.