Napoleon Hill
Orig version 1937, abridged version 1960, restored version 2004

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Think and Grow Rich! is one of the granddaddies of self-help books. The first version was published during the Depression. The 1960 version was abridged by Hill, who removed a lot of the text that was focused on Depression era concerns. The new version restores the cuts (now once again relevant) and annotates the text. The new version has some interesting additions, but the meat of the book is in the earlier edition, which is available inexpensively used.

Hill, who died in 1970, appears to be something of an enigma – a man who, under the tutelage of Andrew Carnegie, spent the better part of his life interviewing successful people, codifying what he learned, and teaching the principles to others and inspiring them to action - and yet his own life appears to have been beset with difficulties. A human life is never a simple proposition…

But this book rightfully stands one of the all-time classics on how to focus your attention, re-program your subconscious expectations, and achieve your goals. Although these principles have been used by robber barons to amass enormous fortunes and create the all-powerful “corporatopia” which is strangling us today, they are universally applicable. Although we are always subject to the whim of Luck, the congruent intention one projects can largely determine the result one achieves.

The philosophy is based on the observation that although there is very little externally that we can control in life, we have the potential for absolute control over one thing—our own minds. And control of our thoughts will affect everything about how we experience our world, how others react to us, and how we take advantage of the opportunities that our behavior draws to us.

The idea is ancient, but what is new is that Hill develops it in a secular context and lays out a practical program that anyone can follow.  Other authors since have repeated these ideas ad infinitum, and many wealthy and accomplished people have attributed their success to his influence. Research in energy systems and quantum mechanics now confirms many of his theories of how thoughts can influence and mold our realities ( for example, see The Field), and Cognitive Therapy has created a whole psychological system based on this idea.

He claims that he is not going to reveal “the secret,” and that you will have to recognize it for yourself. However, the principles are obvious on every page. You can easily translate language or concepts that may seem dated. This book is a manual, chapter and verse, on how to get what you want in life. The real secret is that most of us are not willing to make the effort to decide what we want, to persistently invest our energy and attention in that goal, and to change our habitual thoughts and behaviors to achieve it. By and large we are asleep; we accept the limitations of our situation, or we prefer to distract ourselves and waste our time. But if you are ready to MOVE, these seeds will fall on fertile ground!

One of the more interesting chapters for single women who don’t have a partner discusses the transmutation of sexual energy. This is a simple concept, more familiar in a religious context (where it has also been misunderstood), which has been almost entirely lost in our culture. The conventional wisdom today is that everyone needs sex to be healthy, has a right to sex, and other people are undoubtedly getting more than you are, so you should feel inadequate or resentful.

Sexual energy, or what Freud called libido, is a powerful motivating force for human beings. It is life energy - not negative or inherently dangerous, but strong. Used for aggression or to wield power, it produces destructive results. It can be dissipated through the repetitive, distracted act of sex, or used in a playful way to produce relaxation and intimacy. Or it can be channeled, sublimated toward powerful creative expression - and this is the important point that Hill makes.

We can retain our identities as sexual women and cherish our sexual energy without reference to the sexual act. We channel it toward our own growth and creative expression.  It is only a hardship to be without physical sex if we think it is. In reality, if you have ever had even one experience of great sex, you have had SEX! The rest is fundamentally a repetition of the same old. Sex can certainly be an enhancement to intimacy, but real intimacy can be found in many places other than bed.

Another interesting thing about reading a book of this vintage is that in both editions, although Hill is not a sexist, women -  especially as important or powerful characters - are virtually not present. The fact that today there are many wealthy and successful women who have achieved their ambitions on their own terms is a testament to the real possibilities available now for each one of us.

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