“Acres of Diamonds”, available as both the stand alone lecture or the book of the same title, begins, essentially, with three versions of the “Grass is always greener ...” story, or parable if you prefer. From these three parables, Dr. Conwell proceeds into his message of pursuing any, and all, opportunities available to you now, at home before seeking them elsewhere.

The “Acres of Diamonds” message is one of great inspiration, look at what you have available to you here and now, before you seek your fortune elsewhere. He then progresses to a discussion of the manner in which one might identify that opportunity, possibly present right before your very eyes.

The lecture available represents the most recent and complete form of the lecture, delivered in Philadelphia, Dr. Conwell’s home city. When he says “right here in Philadelphia”, he means the home city, town, or village of every member of his audience, whether physically present at one of his over 6,000 lectures or the person reading his book, just as he would use the name of the city, town or village when delivering the lecture.

In Dr. Conwell’s own words “This lecture has been delivered under these circumstances: I visit a town or city, and try to arrive there early enough to see the postmaster, barber, keeper of the hotel, principal of the schools, and ministers of some of the churches, and then go into some of the factories and stores, and talk with the people, and get into sympathy with the local conditions of that town or city and see what has been their history, what opportunities they had, and what they had failed to do - and every town fails to do something - and then go to the lecture and talk to those people about the subjects which applied to their locality. “Acres of Diamonds” - the idea - has continuously been precisely the same.  The idea is that in this country of ours every man has the opportunity to make more of himself than he does in his own environment, with his own skill, with his own energy, and with his own friends.

While the lecture is inspirational and highly recommended reading, the book includes additional material on the incredible life of Dr. Conwell himself, instrumental in construction of Temple Baptist Church, tireless founder and first president Temple University and Samaritan Hospital.  The book “Acres of Diamonds” includes:

   ACRES OF DIAMONDS - the lecture in Philadelphia

   HIS LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS - biography by Robert Shackleton

•   I.     THE STORY OF THE SWORD
•   II.     THE BEGINNING AT OLD LEXINGTON
• III.     STORY OF THE FIFTY-SEVEN CENTS
• IV.    HIS POWER AS ORATOR AND PREACHER
•   V.    GIFT FOR INSPIRING OTHERS
• VI.    MILLIONS OF HEARERS
• VII.    HOW A UNIVERSITY WAS FOUNDED
• VIII.    HIS SPLENDID EFFICIENCY
•   IX.   THE STORY OF “ACRES OF DIAMONDS”

  FIFTY YEARS ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM - brief note by Dr. Conwell

Although Dr. Conwell’s message is timeless and has become a cliché, it is well worth the read simply for the manner in which it is presented and developed. We are all subject, to some degree, to a wander lust, a desire to move on to greener pastures. This is well and good, if the opportunity in those greener pastures is real and substantive.  However, as Dr. Conwell notes in his lecture “... of all the simpletons the stars shine on, I don’t know of a worse one than the man who leaves one job before he has gotten another”.

To purchase digital ebook (Click Here).