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How "Think and Grow Rich" Can Transform Your Path to Success (Updated Edition Review)
Summary
"Think and Grow Rich," published in 1937 by Napoleon Hill, is a foundational classic in the personal development and self-help genre. It's not merely a book about accumulating money; it's a philosophical guide to achieving any goal one sets in life. The core premise is that our thoughts are incredibly powerful things that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire, can be transmuted into their physical equivalent.
Hill's philosophy was developed after he spent over 20 years studying the habits of more than 500 of America's most successful individuals, including icons like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison. The book outlines a concrete, 13-step "Philosophy of Achievement" that anyone can follow to attract wealth and success. It emphasizes that the "secret" to success is a mindset accessible to all, but only mastered by those who are truly ready to receive it.
13 Key Lessons
The book is structured around 13 essential principles. Here are the most critical lessons from it:
The Power of Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement. This isn't a simple wish. It is a burning, obsessive desire for a specific goal. You must know exactly what you want and be determined to never give up until you get it. Hill calls this a "Definite Chief Aim."
Faith: The Visualization and Belief in the Attainment of Desire. You must have an unwavering belief that you can and will achieve your goal. This faith acts as a powerful force that influences your subconscious mind to find ways to make your desire a reality.
Auto-Suggestion: The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind. This involves feeding your subconscious mind with positive affirmations and commands related to your goal through repetition. You literally talk to yourself (in your mind) about your goals and your belief in achieving them.
Specialized Knowledge: Personal Experiences vs. General Knowledge. Hill distinguishes between general knowledge (which doesn't lead to wealth) and specialized, organized, and intelligently applied knowledge. You don't need to know everything, but you must become an expert in your specific field and know where to get any other information you need.
Imagination: The Workshop of the Mind. Ideas are the starting point of all fortunes. Your imagination is where you can synthesize old ideas into new plans. Hill encourages "creative imagination" to develop innovative solutions.
Organized Planning: The Crystallization of Desire into Action. A goal without a plan is just a wish. You must create a practical, step-by-step plan and be ready to persist with it or change it as needed, but never abandon the ultimate goal.
Decision: The Mastery of Procrastination. Successful people make decisions quickly and change them slowly, if and when new evidence warrants it. Unsuccessful people are slow to decide and quick to change their minds.
Persistence: The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith. This is the willpower to continue your effort long after the initial excitement has faded. Persistence is what separates those who achieve from those who merely dream. It is cultivated through a Definiteness of Purpose and a Burning Desire.
The Power of the Master Mind: The Driving Force. A "Master Mind" is a coordination of knowledge and effort between two or more people who work toward a definite purpose in a spirit of harmony. Hill states that no significant wealth or achievement was ever created without the power of a Master Mind group.
The Mystery of Sex Transmutation. In Hill's view, sexual energy is a powerful creative force. He argues that this energy can be "transmuted" and channeled from purely physical expression into creative, productive, and financial pursuits, leading to immense drive and genius.
The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link. Your subconscious mind is a fertile garden where the seeds of thought (planted by your conscious mind through desire, faith, and autosuggestion) will grow. It is the link to Infinite Intelligence and the mechanism that turns your thoughts into reality.
The Brain: A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought. Hill posits that the brain, when stimulated by the Creative Imagination, can vibrate at a higher frequency to "tune in" to and receive thoughts and ideas from the ether, facilitating innovation and problem-solving.
The Sixth Sense: The Door to the Temple of Wisdom. This is the apex of Hill's philosophy. After mastering the other twelve principles, the Sixth Sense is a heightened state of intuition and insight that comes to you automatically, warning you of impending dangers and guiding you toward opportunities. It cannot be explained, only experienced and used.
Related: The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
About the Author
Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) wasn't just another self-help author – he was arguably the pioneer of the entire personal development industry. His story is as remarkable as the book itself.
At age 25, Hill was given an assignment that would change his life: interview the industrial magnate Andrew Carnegie and write about his success philosophy. What began as a magazine article evolved into a 20-year research project studying over 500 of America's most successful individuals, including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Carnegie believed that success could be distilled into a simple formula that anyone could follow, and he challenged Hill to document it. Hill accepted this challenge without pay, spending two decades interviewing titans of industry, analyzing their habits, and identifying the common principles that led to their extraordinary achievements.
"Think and Grow Rich," published in 1937, was the culmination of this unprecedented research. Hill didn't theorize from an ivory tower – he extracted patterns from real-world success stories across different industries and time periods. His work laid the foundation for virtually every success philosophy that followed, from Dale Carnegie to Tony Robbins.
The 21st Century edition has been carefully updated by modern editors to make Hill's language more accessible to contemporary readers while preserving his original insights and methodology.
Key Takeaways: The Philosophy of Achievement
1. The Power of Desire and Definiteness of Purpose
Hill's fundamental principle is that all achievement begins with a burning desire and a definite purpose. This isn't about wishful thinking – it's about an all-consuming obsession with a clearly defined goal.
What You'll Learn: The difference between merely "wishing" for something and having a burning desire is like the difference between a warm flame and a forest fire. Hill argues that weak desires produce weak results, while burning desires backed by definiteness of purpose create the motivation necessary to overcome any obstacle.
How to Apply This:
Write down your definite major purpose in life with absolute clarity
Set a specific deadline for achieving it
Create a detailed plan and take immediate action
Read your goal aloud twice daily – once when you wake up and once before bed
Visualize yourself already in possession of your goal
The Modern Context: In today's world of endless distractions and opportunities, having a definite purpose is more critical than ever. Without it, you'll be pulled in a thousand directions by social media, news cycles, and other people's agendas. Hill's principle helps you create an internal compass that guides every decision.
Why It Works: Hill discovered that every successful person he studied had this in common – they knew exactly what they wanted and pursued it with unwavering focus. Edison tried 10,000 times before perfecting the light bulb. Ford persevered through multiple business failures. Their burning desire kept them going when logic said to quit.
2. Faith and Auto-Suggestion: Programming Your Subconscious Mind
One of the book's most controversial yet powerful principles is the idea that faith – absolute belief in your ability to achieve your desire – is essential for success. Hill provides specific techniques for developing this faith through auto-suggestion.
The Core Concept: Your subconscious mind is like fertile soil that will grow whatever seeds (thoughts) you plant in it. Most people inadvertently plant seeds of doubt, fear, and limitation. Hill teaches how to deliberately program your subconscious for success.
Practical Application:
Create affirmations that describe your goals as already achieved
Repeat these affirmations with emotional intensity (emotion is the key to reaching the subconscious)
Combine affirmations with visualization – see, feel, and experience your success
Eliminate negative self-talk and doubt immediately when it appears
The Science Behind It: While Hill wrote before modern neuroscience, his principles align with contemporary research on neuroplasticity, the reticular activating system, and the power of belief in shaping outcomes. What we focus on consistently literally rewires our brain.
Real-World Example: Hill shares the story of how he applied these principles to his own speech impediment, which he overcame through repeated auto-suggestion and unwavering faith. Countless readers have used similar techniques to overcome limiting beliefs and achieve seemingly impossible goals.
3. Specialized Knowledge and the Mastermind Principle
Hill makes a crucial distinction: general knowledge is useless for wealth accumulation. Specialized knowledge, applied practically, is power. More importantly, you don't need to possess all the knowledge yourself – you need to organize and direct the specialized knowledge of others.
The Mastermind Principle Explained: This is perhaps Hill's most original contribution to success philosophy. A mastermind group is an alliance of two or more minds working in perfect harmony toward a definite purpose. Hill claims this creates a "third mind" – a collective intelligence greater than the sum of its parts.
How to Apply This Today:
Identify the specific knowledge you need to achieve your goal
Either acquire it yourself or find experts who possess it
Form or join a mastermind group of 3-6 ambitious, like-minded individuals
Meet regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) to share ideas, resources, and accountability
Choose mastermind members carefully – they should be people you respect who are also committed to growth
Why This Is More Relevant Than Ever: In today's hyper-specialized world, no one person can know everything. The most successful entrepreneurs and leaders understand this. Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and other modern titans don't succeed because they know everything – they succeed because they surround themselves with specialized experts and coordinate their collective knowledge.
The Hidden Benefit: Your mastermind group provides not just knowledge but also emotional support, accountability, and different perspectives that challenge your assumptions and expand your thinking.
4. Decision, Persistence, and the Power of the Will
Hill found that successful people share two characteristics: they make decisions quickly and change them slowly (if at all), while unsuccessful people make decisions slowly and change them frequently.
The Key Insight: Indecision is a habit that starts early and becomes stronger with time. The inability to make decisions is one of the most common causes of failure. Conversely, persistence – the ability to keep going despite obstacles – is absolutely essential for success.
Practical Application:
Practice making decisions quickly in small matters to build the habit
Once you've made a decision aligned with your definite purpose, commit to it fully
Develop a systematic plan for dealing with temporary defeat
Remember that "failure" is usually just temporary defeat that successful people push through
Build persistence by maintaining your burning desire, having a definite plan, and surrounding yourself with supportive people
Modern Examples: Hill shares numerous historical examples, but consider modern parallels: Steve Jobs was fired from Apple but persisted in his vision until he returned to make it the world's most valuable company. J.K. Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before Harry Potter became a global phenomenon. Their persistence and unwavering decisions separated them from thousands of others with similar ideas.
The Warning: Hill also cautions about the destructive power of indecision and procrastination. Every day you wait to act on your purpose, your burning desire cools a little. Start where you are with what you have – perfection is not required, but action is.
5. The Six Ghosts of Fear and How to Conquer Them
In one of the book's most powerful sections, Hill identifies the six basic fears that hold people back: poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age, and death. He argues that these fears, often operating in the subconscious, are the primary obstacles to success.
What You'll Learn: Fear is a state of mind that can be controlled and directed. Most fears are based on false assumptions or past experiences that don't dictate future outcomes. Hill provides specific techniques for analyzing and eliminating each fear.
How to Apply This:
Conduct a thorough self-analysis to identify which fears control you
Recognize that fear of poverty and fear of criticism are the most debilitating for achievement
Understand that indecision crystallizes into doubt, which then blends with fear
Take immediate action when fear appears – action is fear's greatest enemy
Surround yourself with people who encourage rather than criticize
The 21st Century Context: Modern society has amplified some of these fears while adding new ones (fear of missing out, fear of public failure in the social media age, fear of technological obsolescence). Hill's principles for conquering fear are more relevant than ever.
The Transformation: When you systematically eliminate these six fears, you free enormous mental and emotional energy that was previously consumed by worry and self-doubt. This energy can then be directed toward your definite purpose.
Unlock Best-Selling Business Wisdom.
FAQ Section
Is "Think and Grow Rich" still relevant in 2025, or is it outdated?
This is the most common question about the book, and here's the honest answer: the core principles are absolutely timeless, though some of the language and examples feel dated. That's exactly why the 21st Century revised edition is valuable – it preserves Hill's fundamental philosophy while making the text more accessible to modern readers. The principles of desire, faith, specialized knowledge, persistence, and organized planning are just as relevant in the age of AI and remote work as they were during the Industrial Revolution. Success psychology hasn't changed – only the tools and platforms we use to apply these principles have evolved. If anything, the book is MORE relevant today because our world of infinite distractions makes definiteness of purpose even more critical.
Is this book only about making money, or does it apply to other areas of life?
Despite the title, "Think and Grow Rich" is about far more than financial wealth. Hill uses "riches" to mean achievement in any area of life – relationships, health, personal fulfillment, creative expression, or business success. The 13 principles he outlines apply to anyone pursuing any worthy goal. Many readers have used Hill's philosophy to excel in sports, arts, relationships, or personal development. The "riches" you're growing toward are whatever you define as success in your life. That said, Hill does focus heavily on financial examples because that was his original assignment from Andrew Carnegie, and money is a common, measurable goal.
How is the 21st Century edition different from the original 1937 version?
The updated edition modernizes Hill's sometimes archaic language and Victorian-era expressions while preserving 100% of his original content and philosophy. The editors have also added contemporary examples and case studies that demonstrate how Hill's principles apply in today's world. Some gender-specific language has been updated to be more inclusive, and explanations have been added where 1937 cultural references might confuse modern readers. The fundamental 13 principles remain unchanged – this isn't a rewrite, it's a careful update that makes the text more accessible without diluting Hill's message. If you struggled with the original's dated language, the 21st Century edition solves that problem.
What is the main point of Think and Grow Rich?
The main point is that your thoughts are incredibly powerful and can be transformed into tangible reality and wealth. The process requires a burning desire for a specific goal, an unshakable belief in its attainment, a persistent plan of action, and the mastery of your own subconscious mind.
Can a 12-year-old read Think and Grow Rich?
Yes, but with guidance. The concepts are profound and the language can be dated.
Target Audience
This book is perfect for:
Entrepreneurs and business owners looking for the mental foundation for success
Anyone feeling stuck and seeking a proven philosophy for achievement
Young professionals who want to establish empowering success habits early in their careers
Sales professionals and leaders who need to overcome mental barriers
People interested in personal development and the psychology of achievement
Anyone who's read modern success books and wants to understand where those ideas originated
Individuals who've achieved some success but feel they're capable of more
This book might not be ideal for:
Readers seeking specific, tactical business strategies or technical how-to guides
People uncomfortable with the spiritual/metaphysical elements in Hill's philosophy
Those who prefer data-driven, scientific approaches over anecdotal evidence
Readers who want quick tips rather than a comprehensive philosophy requiring sustained application
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Timeless foundational principles: The core philosophy has stood the test of 90 years and influenced virtually every success book since
Based on real research: Hill studied 500+ successful individuals over 20 years rather than theorizing
Comprehensive system: Provides a complete philosophy, not just isolated tips
Actionable exercises: Each chapter includes specific practices you can implement immediately
Updated for modern readers: The 21st Century edition makes the text accessible while preserving the original wisdom
Proven track record: Over 100 million copies sold with countless documented success stories
Universal application: Principles apply to any field or goal, not just business
Cons:
Requires commitment: This isn't a quick-fix book; the principles require consistent application over time
Metaphysical elements: Some readers find Hill's spiritual/mystical references off-putting or unscientific
Repetitive at times: Hill deliberately repeats key concepts, which some readers find tedious
"This feeling of recognizing your priorities is precious. Make this feeling a daily habit. Make the book your guide and buy it now."
Final Verdict
"Think and Grow Rich" remains one of the most influential personal development books ever written because Hill addresses something most success books miss: the mental and emotional foundation that makes all strategies and tactics effective. You can have the best business plan in the world, but without the burning desire, faith, persistence, and organized thinking Hill teaches, you'll likely abandon it when challenges arise.
Is the book perfect? No. Some of the metaphysical language will challenge skeptical readers, and you won't find specific investment advice or modern business tactics. But if you're looking to understand the psychology of achievement – the mental operating system that successful people run – this book is essential reading.
The 21st Century updated edition is the best version for new readers, making Hill's wisdom accessible without diluting its power. The principles work if you work them, but they require the very things Hill emphasizes: definiteness of purpose, persistence, and faith in the process.
Who should definitely buy it? Anyone serious about achieving a major goal who recognizes that mindset and psychology are the foundation of success. If you've been consuming tactics and strategies but still feel something is missing, this book provides the mental framework that makes everything else work.
Rating: 4.6/5 stars - A genuine classic that has earned its reputation, with the updated edition making it more accessible than ever to modern readers.
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