When I picked up a copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, I had no idea this book would take me on such a wild ride. Subtitled, “This book could be worth a million dollars to you,” I was prepared for another dry productivity paradigm. I couldn’t have been farther off the mark.
Think and Grow Rich
Think and Grow Rich is cram-jammed full of dubious concepts. When I cracked the spine to find terms like “sex-transmutation” and “auto-suggestion,” as well as discussions about how to “raise your vibration” and on how to get in touch with the “infinite intelligence,” my bullshit detector was going off. It reminded me of the new-agey inspirational quotes that fill my Instagram feed on particularly woo-woo days. On top of all that, some of the anecdotes are extremely problematic, sometimes spilling into the blatantly racist, and stinking of outdated thinking. My reading experience cycled between bewilderment and disgust.
My Introduction: Ben Glass
Despite my hesitation, I still gravitated towards the book, because I have personal knowledge of someone who used the information supplied within to very successful ends: attorney and marketing guru Ben Glass. Back in 2014, I had the privilege to participate in Ben Glass’s Great Legal Marketing Mastermind Group. Ben Glass not only owns and operates a private law firm, he also has a successful marketing program with tiered subscription options, seminars, workshops, and coaching services. He grew to be so rich and powerful that after his adult children moved out of the house, he felt he had more in him to give, so he adopted several more children to raise. The wealth and strength required to be a husband, father to 8 or 9 children, owner and principal legal counsel at a private law firm, and a marketing business owner truly astonished me.
On Ben Glass’s weekly marketing mindset calls, and he made mention of a book that he held in great esteem, called Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. I never thought much of it. The book sounded very similar to all the other productivity books I was reading, so I wrote it off. Flash forward to October of this year, when I was perusing the shelves of the bookstore. I saw this mass-produced paperback in the discount section. The name rang a bell, although standing there in the store, I couldn’t remember where I had originally heard of it. I picked it up and thumbed through, then headed to the register. After some reflection, I remembered it from my previous time with Ben Glass. It was just the kind of thing I was looking for.
Recommendation
Within two days, I had read the book cover to cover. I absolutely devoured it. The contents contained practical information about how to create a mindset that will bring you wealth. But when I reached the end, I found myself extremely confused. The exact method it prescribes isn’t entirely clear, and it takes some legwork on the reader’s end to actually understand what he is telling you to do. I feel hopeful and confident, though, that with some additional personal study, that anyone might be able to reap the benefits of the information contained within this book. I gave it four stars, and recommend that anyone with dreams of lifestyle design or entrepreneurship should give it a read.
Did you read this book? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below.