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| January, 2006 | ||
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If there was one book amongst many that I consulted in my youth, when I gave fleeting thoughts of becoming a millionaire, it was Think and Grow Rich. I did read it—or parts of it—put it aside and went on to become a journalist—at a salary, I suspect, that would have most likely not earned approval from Napoleon Hill. Since it was first published in 1937, this remarkable guide to prosperity has sold an astonishing fifteen million copies. It was inspired by a meeting of the young Hill with Andrew Carnegie, who encouraged him to develop and pass on to others the secret of his success. This encounter led to a twenty-year task of research by Hill into how some of the great inventors, industrialists, and public servants also attained achievement in their respective fields. These included Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Woodrow Wilson, among many others. What was Carnegie’s secret for success? As one might suspect, it was not a single, simple one but, as developed in the book, a series of thirteen steps that include desire, faith, visualization, and decision-making, each comprising a chapter. Many are filled with fascinating anecdotes. For example, the author recounts the surprise relationship between Edwin Barnes and Thomas Edison. Barnes arrived penniless at Edison’s laboratory, dirty and dusty from riding on freight cars. However, his burning desire to work for the great inventor so impressed Edison that he hired him on the spot. Barnes eventually became a partner in helping to develop his inventions. This revised edition also includes profiles of some well-known contemporary figures such as Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, and Mary Kaye Ash. Think and Grow Rich is the classic in its field, long recognized as setting the standard for the proliferation of motivational and self-help books to follow. —Cliff Johnson
Kicking the Big But Syndrome can be a fun read while you’re working out in the gym to fulfill your New Year’s resolution to reduce the other butt. Author Eddie Conner presents real solutions to some of our biggest “buts” in an entertaining way. He defines the syndrome this way, “Having considerable desire with a contradicted belief to that desire, which, overtime, creates an unpleasant quality of life.” Conner uses a familiar example of how we oppose our desire for something with a contradictory belief: “I want to go to my high school reunion, but first I need to lose fifteen pounds.” It’s not surprising that some of the most common contradictions are found in our attitudes about money, love, and careers; of course food, family, and body image are ripe for but thinking, as well. Chapter Three, “Symptoms of the BIG BUT Syndrome” begins with a list of symptoms that includes: indecision, hurt feelings, complaining, and pessimism. The symptoms, which Conner refers to as low-frequency attributes, can over time slow us down and eventually stop our heartfelt desires. By Chapter Eleven, “Twelve BUT BLASTERS—Soul Tools to Obliterate Your Big But” we are into the Twelve Spiritual SOUL-utions, they include: prayer, nature, music, laughter, and the TAGS Technique. With the TAGS Technique Conner encourages us to employ Thanksgiving, Appreciation, Gratitude, and Sending Soul Signals. He believes that “The TAGS Technique is the easiest and purest form of merging with Universal Consciousness.” While the book is written in a lighthearted manner, Conner is seriously committed to helping us reduce the big buts that hold us back from success and happiness. —Yolanda Porter
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