Think and Grow Rich Summary – Napoleon Hill’s Best Book On Getting Rich

The Think and Grow Rich book is a seminal, motivational work that teaches one how to unlock their creativity, know that anything they desire can be accomplished, and the importance of the type of “mindset” one has in achieving goals. This statement may seem like an oversimplification; however, it is not an exaggeration to say that this text is one of the most influential books for entrepreneurs.

Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich Summary

Napoleon Hill’s lifelong passion project, Think and Grow Rich amassed 70 million copies sold since it’s release in 1937. Lauded as the “blueprint” for success, it’s 13 rules and habits have stood the test of time and continue to be the most effective way to achieve success, whether money, power, health or social change.

Think and Grow Rich Summary

A special investigator of a business magazine, Steel magnate Carnegie tasked Hill with a task, to write about the “secret” to success. Napoleon took this to heart, and 20 years and 500 interviews with wealthy businesspeople later developed the 13 habits that all of successful people had in common. It wasn’t education, it wasn’t inheritance, and it wasn’t predisposition

Best ideas from Think and Grow Rich

All of the skills are learned habits that focus on your mindset, demeanor and most importantly, your outlook on life. of these 13 concepts, three stand out above the rest: 1. determination and faith through autosuggestion 2. daily persistence working towards attainable goals 3. using masterminds to exponentially reduce the learning curve to your path of success.

The power of autosuggestion and determination

Being success is a long term game, and while most say they have patience, they don’t work towards that goal. The secret to success is doing something towards your definition of success everyday, and THEN only through patience you will see results which you previously thought unattainable. Hill reports on the six things millionaires did to get to their desired destination. This works on everything, but we’ll use the example of money as through the process of acquiring wealth, we tend to become successful and generous people.

  1. Write out your goal, the exact amount of money you want to make to the cent
  2. What will you give or what sacrifices will you make to put this in priority?
  3. The exact date of when you will have this money
  4. Create an achievable and definite plan of how you will acquire the sum
  5. A clear, written statement of what this money would mean to you, how much you desire it, and what you will give to get it
  6. Twice a day, once after waking and once before bed, read or recite this statement aloud.

Autosuggestion is a powerful tool that has existed for many years, however was made popular by this book and is still relevant today. Combining a clear and definite plan to success with statements of affirmations, in the present tense, as if to assume the money or success is already yours, is extremely powerful.

Be Persistent, Be stubborn, Show up everyday

A huge theme in all seminars, presentation, guides and books in the success, wealth, non fiction etc. is sticking through with your plan no matter what happens. Come hell or high water, you “show up” everyday and do the work. When you are working towards your own goals and not someone else’s you feel emboldened and powerful.

The consistence will constantly push your comfort zone further and further out so that eventually you can take on anything with confidence. This is done by sticking through with your plan even if you feel mildly sick, bored, tired, stressed. The key here is to not burn out, but to definitely push your boundaries.

Investors that stick with their plan make more money, business people that stick with their plan are successful (think Model T vs a better horse, revolutionary at the time!), and successful people are only successful because they constantly showed up, stuck to their decisions, and did the work.

Masterminds fast track your success

A Mastermind, so popular as it is today was an entirely new concept coined by Think and Grow Rich. Yes its that old, and yes, its still the best way to cut through a learning curve. Its used everyday.

Workplaces train their employees with mentors and failure regardless of their education so that they can get up to speed in only a few weeks or months. Associations are formed to share knowledge with their members so that they can be experts in their field. Ever been invited to a Facebook or WhatsApp group on a hobby or something you’re passionate about? that’s a mastermind.

The collective hive of like-minded individuals is the number one best way someone can succeed. Not only is there an accountability and mentorship factor, but masterminds share tips for successes and handling failures. Masterminds are also extremely useful for new entrepreneurs, as they struggle with answering their first few client’s questions, and are not confident that they can perform certain services.

A good mastermind will make success is not an option, it is a MUST to survive in the group. If there is only one takeaway from Think and Grow Rich, find 2-4 others that are likeminded and ideally want to achieve the same goal in the same or similar industry, the path to success will show itself, and you’ll have no choice but to get rich.

Think and Grow Rich, The Good and The Bad, and Should I read it?

A book that is a compilation of the best points of 500 millionaire interviews has little to criticize. Often critics claim that Think and Grow Rich is too vague in it’s explanation, and there are no real numbers or plan guides available to match what is being said. Affirmations are also criticized for their efficacy.

Think and Grow Rich is only a few hundred pages and needs to explain concepts simply to summarize the success of many millionaires of our time. Focusing solely on the concepts and guide, it is the single best self-help book on the market that has stood the test of time. Further research is necessary to be successful is detailed and up to the discretion of every person.

Hill cannot tell you a step-by-step guide of becoming rich in engineering, computers or beauty. This industry-agnostic book focuses on proven concepts that an array of disciplines and niches have found to be successful.

In essence, follow the book, do the work everyday, and find others (online or offline) that are in the same boat as you. If there are groups too large, condense yourself into a small and concentrated breakout room of 4-5 people. Keep yourselves accountable, share success and drive each other to be successful. With Think and Grow Rich, as long as you have a plan, and something to keep you to it, you will have no choice but to be successful.

Marilyn Nissen
Written by Marilyn Nissen

Marilyn Nissen is the founder of BestSellerSummary.com, a highly reputable book summary and reviews website. With over a decade of experience in summarizing and reviewing books, Marilyn is a trusted authority in the book industry.