Napoleon Hill’s 1937 self-help classic Think and Grow Rich remained entrepreneurship bible through 2010s-2020s, selling 100+ million copies with success-through-mindset philosophy.
Book Origins
Published 1937 during Great Depression, Hill claimed to have studied 500+ successful people (Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison) over 20 years to distill success principles.
Historical note: Much of Hill’s backstory (Carnegie commission, Edison meetings) lacks documentation; biographers debate accuracy.
13 Principles of Success
- Desire: Burning obsession for specific goal
- Faith: Belief you’ll achieve it (autosuggestion)
- Autosuggestion: Influence subconscious through affirmations
- Specialized Knowledge: Expertise in your field
- Imagination: Visualize desired outcome
- Organized Planning: Concrete action steps
- Decision: Prompt decisiveness
- Persistence: Continued effort despite obstacles
- Power of the Mastermind: Surround yourself with advisors
- The Mystery of Sex Transmutation: Channel sexual energy into creative pursuits (controversial chapter)
- The Subconscious Mind: Program it for success
- The Brain: Acts as broadcasting/receiving station for thought
- The Sixth Sense: Intuition developed through other principles
Enduring Influence
Mastermind Groups: Hill popularized concept of peer advisory groups; became staple of entrepreneurship culture (Vistage, EO, YPO).
Affirmations/Visualization: Influenced manifestation teachings, vision boards, Law of Attraction.
Definite Chief Aim: Set one overriding goal; precursor to modern goal-setting frameworks.
Social Media Presence
Entrepreneur Twitter frequently quoted Hill. YouTube “success” content creators built channels on Hill’s principles.
Network marketing (MLM) companies heavily promoted Think and Grow Rich to recruits (2010s).
Criticism
Historical Accuracy: Biographers found Hill fabricated or embellished many claims about his research and subject interviews.
Magical Thinking: “Thoughts become things” messaging downplays action, luck, systemic barriers.
Gender/Class Blind Spots: 1930s context limited relevance for women, people of color, poor (though principles claimed universal).
Positive Contributions:
- Emphasized mindset importance in achievement
- Democratized success principles (not just for elites)
- Inspired countless entrepreneurs
Sources
- Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich (1937)
- Sales data (100M+ copies claim)
- Biographies questioning Hill’s claims
- Mastermind group research