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 Napoleon Hill (October 26, 1883 – November 8, 1970) is the well known American author of the famous book “Think and Grow Rich”, one of the earliest and most widely read books of personal-success genre. This book represents one of the best-selling books on personal development of all time. “Think and Grow Rich”, together with Hill's works, examine the power of personal beliefs, attitudes and character traits and the role they play in achieving personal success. The manner in which success is achieved, for anyone and everyone with a “Burning Desire for Success”, is the underlying premise in his books “THINK AND GROW RICH” and the “LAW OF SUCCESS”.
Napoleon Hill was born to an impoverished family, in a one-room cabin in Pound, Southwest Virginia. His mother died when he was nine years old and his father remarried two years later. (His step mother was to play a very strong motivating and supporting role in his later success). At age 15, Hill began writing as a "mountain reporter" for small-town newspapers in the Wise County area and later used his earnings as a reporter to enter law school, but soon had to withdraw for financial reasons.
Initiation of Research into the Philosophy of Success
In 1908, Hill met with Andrew Carnegie to interview the billionaire industrialist as part of a series of articles about famous men. During this meeting, Mr. Carnegie challenged Mr. Hill with a proposal to undertake (without pay or other compensation) the research which culminated, over a period of more than twenty years, in Hill’s personal philosophy for success. It was Mr. Carnegie’s suggestion that the route to success was epitomized by the many successful and powerful, businessmen and politicians throughout the United States and that research (via interviews facilitated through introductions by Mr. Carnegie) of these men would result in identification of the specifics character traits that made them successful. Having identified these traits, the common man could then develop those same characteristics so as to achieve his own success.
In the course of his research, Hill interviewed over 500 of the most successful men and women of his time, including , but not limited to: Andrew Carnegie, George Eastman, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Dr. Elmer Gates, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Theodore Roosevelt, Charles M. Schwab, William H. Taft, John Wanamaker, Woodrow Wilson, F.W. Woolworth and William Wrigley Jr.. His research for this project extended over a period of more than twenty years. Mr.Hill also served as an advisor to two presidents of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
The Philosophy of Success
Hill’s research culminated in his Philosophy of Success, which was initially released to the public in 1928 as the “Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons”. The material was subsequently released as the best selling “THINK AND GROW” in 1937, having similar content but with a slightly different emphasis. The Achievement formula was further detailed and published in home-study courses, including the seventeen-volume "Mental Dynamite" series until 1941.
“In his later material, Hill referred to his personal success teachings as "The Philosophy of Achievement". He considered freedom, democracy, capitalism, and harmony to be important contributing elements to the Philosophy of Achievement.. Without these important foundations, as Hill attempted to document throughout his writings, successful personal achievements are not possible. He contrasted his philosophy with others, and thought Achievement was superior and responsible for the success Americans enjoyed for the better part of two centuries. Negative emotions, fear and selfishness among others, had no part to play in his philosophy, and Hill considered them to be the source of failure for unsuccessful people
The secret of achievement was tantalizingly offered to readers of Think and Grow Rich, but was never explicitly identified. Hill felt discovering it for themselves would provide readers with the most benefit. He presented the idea of a "Definite Major Purpose" as a challenge to his readers in order to make them ask themselves, "In what do I truly believe?" For according to him, 98% of people had no firm beliefs, and this alone put true success firmly out of their reach” (modified slightly from Wikipedia - “Napoleon Hill”).
Napoleon Hill published a number of books under the genre of personal development and/or personal success. In his various books, Hill referenced many preceding and contemporary authors for material in support of his material. He has utilized material and quotes from a wide variety of diverse sources including, but not limited to: the Bible, Major C.A. Bach, Edward W. Bok, Hugh Chalmers, Croesus, Emerson, Henry Ford, W.C. Freeman, Charles Haanel, Elbert Hubbard, Leigh Hunt, Shakespeare and Judge T. Troward, As a result of its wide appeal, Hill’s Philosophy of Success has been utilized and adapted by many authors since it’s release. His own books have sold millions of copies, with “Think and Grow Rich” his best known and most popular, being still in print in several versions, with more than 30 million copies sold worldwide.
Writings and other works
Hill's Golden Rule magazine, publisher and editor (1919-1920) Law of Success (1928) The Magic Ladder to Success (1930) unpaid advisor to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1936) Think and Grow Rich (1937) How to Sell Your Way through Life (1939) Mental Dynamite (1941) The Master Key to Riches (1945) How to Raise Your Own Salary (1953) taught Philosophy of Personal Achievement with W. Clement Stone and lectured on the Science of Success (1952-1962) Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude (1959) abridged version of Think and Grow Rich (1960) PMA Science of Success Course (1961) Grow Rich with Peace of Mind (1967) Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion (1970)
Posthumous publications
Napoleon Hill’s “Philosophy of Success” or “Philosophy of Achievement” in numerous books was, and remains, firmly grounded in the underlying research he undertook through interviews of many of the most successful men and women of his time. From this extensive research, undertaken over more than twenty years, he synthesized his Success Philosophy for anyone to review and evaluate. His long and successful career elucidating his personal philosophy for success is evident in the continued success and popularity of his books, as well as its use, adaptation and incorporation into the material of subsequent authors and self-help gurus. This continued success demonstrates the universal and timeless nature of his material. His Philosophy of Success is just as applicable and relevant today as it was when first released in 1928.
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