The Wisdom of Andrew Carnegie As Told to Napoleon Hill by Napoleon Hill

Synopsis of Content:

In 1908 a young reporter named Napoleon Hill obtained an interview with recently retired steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie had just sold his steel mills to a trust which would become US Steel. He was busy spending the last half of his life giving away the fortune he had accumulated during the first half. He was the richest man in the world and the most successful.

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Carnegie turned the original hour interview into a couple days where he lectured Hill about the principles of success he had learned and applied in business to become so successful. He liked what he saw in Hill and commissioned him, should he accept, with the task of interviewing most of the successful men of the time and writing a science of success, based at first on Carnegie's thoughts and then on what he would learn from the men of industry. Carnegie would pay Hill nothing - but would write him letters of introduction which would allow him to mine wisdom about success from nearly every man of success during the first quarter of the 20th century.

In this book Hill purports to recount the wisdom given him by Carnegie. While there is no reason to doubt that many of the gems in the book may have come from Carnegie, among others, there is good reason to doubt it all did. First because it is written in Hill's verbal and rhetorical style, including the quotes he attributes to Carnegie, and second because he makes generous reference to events that came long after Carnegie's death. Also, he adds in things like the supremacy of a positive mental attitude which came not from Carnegie but from Hill's later collaborator, W. Clement Stone. In fact this book was originally written under the title Think Your Way to Wealth and in 1953 published as How to Raise Your Salary. Later it was re-released as The Wisdom of Andrew Carnegie as told to Napoleon Hill.

The basic content in the final version is the 17 Principles of Success that Hill first wrote in his Science of Success series and repeated in various formulations in later works.

Like everything by Hill however there is a great deal of useful material here. The reader may well wish to skip over some parts that may not seem helpful but the greatest part of it is among the best of Hill's writings. The success principles and disciplines he writes about are the root of much of the success literature of the past 50 years and many of the speakers, leaders and authors in the success and self improvement field have been deeply influenced by this work.

Readability/Writing Quality:

This book is very readable. Like much of Hill's work it is easy to get through and well organized. Unlike some of his earliest work it is concise. Beginning with Think and Grow Rich Hill had learned to write with economy - a method much more accessible for the average reader.

Notes on Author:

Napoleon Hill dedicated his life to fulfilling the challenge he claimed that Andrew Carnegie had given him. I have yet to discover any independent record of this. I checked with the most recent biographer of Carnegie and he found no reference in any of Carnegie's papers or other biographies about him concerning this conversation or acquaintance with Hill. Yet, Hill spent a life time insisting upon its truth and no one to my knowledge from the Carnegie family ever challenged it.

In the 1930s, after many disappointments and failures, Hill gained national fame as a bestselling author with Think and Grow Rich, based in large part upon his studies under Carnegie and inspired by him.

Three Great Ideas You Can Use:

1. Before Hill met W. Clement Stone and agreed with him that a positive mental attitude was the most important quality for success Hill insisted that Carnegie and the man other successful men whom he had interviewed and learned from had discovered that having a definite major purpose in life and focusing all one's energy toward it was the first key to success. Whether you agree with Carnegie that this is the most important requisite for success or whether you concur with Stone that a positive mental attitude is most important may not matter - both attributes are vital to success in every area of life.

2. Use of the Master mind principle is the second great lesson taught by Carnegie. Carnegie and Hill both learned early in life that no one attains great success alone. To assemble a group of like minded people who will work together in harmony for a joint objective is the most powerful force in human endeavor and a key to success.

3. The exercise of self discipline is also a necessary and fundamental requirement for success. Those who have mastered this skill succeed - those who have not most often do not.

Publication Information:

The Wisdom of Andrew Carnegie as told to Napoleon Hill, by Napoleon Hill.

©1953, 1981 and revised in 2004. Published by the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Wise, Virginia.

Over all rating for this book: Very Good.

The Wisdom of Andrew Carnegie As Told to Napoleon Hill by Napoleon Hill

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"Think and Grow Rich" - By Napoleon Hill - Book Review

I am not sure how I first came to hear about this book, but I quickly discovered that it is well recognized as one of the all time greats for examining the psychology of people in terms of obtaining riches in the material, educational, and emotional sense of the word.  After just one time reading the book it was clear why this book has lasted the test of time since being released during the Great Depression in 1937.  Mr. Napoleon Hill wrote this book based on his life followings as an associate and biographer of Andrew Carnegie.  The book contains timeless advice and insight to understanding human emotion and thought, straight from one of America's most successful entrepreneurs.  I strongly suggest anyone interested in the philosophy of what drives human actions read this book and take note of its primary message.

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To open the book, Napoleon Hill outlines that there are 12 areas of real riches, nearly all of which cannot be quantified in a material sense:

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1)      A Positive Mental Attitude - (NOTE- Positive attitude comes first)

2)      Sound Physical Health

3)      Harmony in Human Relations

4)      Freedom from Fear

5)      Hope of Future Achievement

6)      Capacity for Applied Faith

7)      Willingness to Share Ones Blessings with Others

8)      To Be Engaged in Labor of Love

9)      Open Mind to All Subjects and All People

10)   Complete Self Discipline

11)   Wisdom to Understand People

12)   Financial Security -  (NOTE - Money comes last)

Immediately following this introduction of key areas, Napoleon Hill challenges his readers that throughout the book there is one central theme throughout each chapter that has helped to create many successful and rich men and women.  Hill explains that this theme is crucial to fully understanding how to grow rich in life and that it is made mention to quite often.   He teases that he will not explain exactly what that idea is, as it becomes much more powerful when you read between the lines and discover it for yourself.  I will highlight this theme later in the review, but first I think it is important to look at the main area Napoleon Hill feels we must grow rich:

Positive Mental Attitude

A positive Mental Attitude heads the list of items needed for a person to grow rich.  The reason being is that every single other item included in the twelve is virtually impossible to attain without the positive mental attitude to start.  There is no way to be free from fear in life, when you let negativity and self doubts overcome you thoughts.  There is no way to be fully engaged in love when have no self confidence or lack the ability to make another feel good.  There is no way to be open to a new person or idea if unwilling to accept the potential benefits to be gained.  There is no way to advance your financial situation if you subscribe to notion that you are victim and a change cannot be made.  It all of these situations you must possess the positive self image, hope, and foresight for the future that is needed to grow rich in any situation.

A positive mental attitude and the understanding that can you achieve, instills the new perspective and level of confidence needed to take on mastery of all riches.  A positive mental attitude in turn creates hope for the future.  When you have hope for the future, anything is possible.  So focus your mental attitude, build your hope, and then work on mastery of the remaining riches.  I have worked constantly on my mastery of a positive mental attitude and can proudly say that is the fuel behind much of my fire.  When you start to cut out the negativity and start to be solution oriented, the world has amazing possibilities.

What It Takes To Grow Rich (According to Napoleon Hill)

As mentioned, I have pinpointed the principles and theme presented in the book that Mr. Hill refers, but will not implicitly say.  I call them the 4 D's. Essentially, these D's provide what it is needed to be successful and grow rich:

1)      DEFINITE OF PURPOSE - Once you identify your purpose, everything takes a new level of significance.  Wandering in the dark will only get you so far and will leave you with some bumps and bruises.  Set your goals and purpose and once the target is marked, proceed forward with a lighted path. 

2)      DESIRE - Once you have defined your purpose, there is still no guarantee you will act on it.  Hill infers that deep desire for what you want and passion in the pursuit of it is a must.  As Tony Robbins would say, make it feel like achieving your purpose will create ultimate pleasure.

3)      DEDICATION- Hill speaks to levels of maturity and understanding that commitment, dedication, and sacrifices are needed to obtain riches.  In Hill's personal example, Andrew Carnegie asked Hill to work for him for years without pay, with the agreement that Hill would someday be able to chronicle his experiences.  This required years of sacrifice, but ultimately this dedication was the determining factor in the success of Hill.

4)      DETERMINATION - I understand this to be the overcoming of obstacles.  Things will inevitable stand in your way in quest of your purpose.  You must use your desire and dedications to stay determined and let persistence carry you through challenges.  Often times financial struggles will act as a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, use your resources to work past this.

Hill refers to all of these throughout his book and tells countless stories when all of the four are applied.  Overall he suggests that to think and grow rich we must apply ourselves passionately and use these four D's.   Hill also goes in much more depth about attaining riches in each of the highlighted 12 areas that are most important.

As I stated, I believe his in depth analysis on the psychology of people is dead on.  As an entrepreneur I have found countless ways to apply his methods and have proceeded to re-read his book twice over.

This article is available at: http://www.mattlehr.com

"Think and Grow Rich" - By Napoleon Hill - Book Review

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Napoleon Hill - Secrets to Financial Success

Way back in 1937 a book was written in the midst of the Great Depression that would give us the secrets to financial success. That book was "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. Even though it was released at a dark time when money was the most scarce it still managed to become a best seller.

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That's definitely not a coincidence. It is the inspiration for many people the world over to this day. It is credited with teaching many the way to success and financial freedom. It has taken many people from poverty to millions.

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The book he wrote is the culmination of many years of studying some of the most influential people of his time. He interviewed business men and women such as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.

He then formed his interviews into a simple formula he called the philosophy of personal achievement. That would become the basis for "Think and Grow Rich" in which he would lay down 13 principles that any average man could then use to create wealth for themselves.

The 13 principles that Hill gives and explains in his book are: Desire, Faith, Auto Suggestion, Specialized Knowledge, Imagination, Organized Planning, Decision, Persistence, Power of the Master Mind, The Mystery of Sex Transmutation, The Subconscious Mind, The Brain, and The Sixth Sense.

Using these 13 principles countless numbers of people over the decades have transformed their lives and the lives of those around them. For more information, please visit my website on Hill's secrets to financial success.

Napoleon Hill - Secrets to Financial Success

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Napoleon Hill Made a Mistake

Napoleon Hill was so right about so many things for the achievement of abundance and prosperity, but his process is a little off. If you are a Napoleon Hill fan, read on because his work only needs a little fine tuning.

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First, What Did Napoleon Hill Say?

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Napoleon Hill is often read and quoted by those interested in the Law of Attraction, and most of his ideas are exactly in sync with this principle.

"become magnetized with the dominating thoughts we hold in our minds.... These magnets attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts."

This is the first principle described by Napoleon Hill.

And, all his principles are exactly in accord with the other great teachers of the Law of Attraction and my own experience. He is more famous for this quotation:

"Whatever

the Mind of Man

Can CONCEIVE

and BELIEVE

it can ACHIEVE!"

I absolutely agree with Hill on these points. It is in his execution, or steps that I find disagreement.

What are Napoleon Hill's Recommended Steps?

Fix in your mind the exact amount of money desired. Be definite. We are reminded that open mindedness is key and belief is necessary. Hope will not produce results. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for that money. (There is no such thing in reality as "something for nothing.") This gift might be time or work, but we cannot just sit home on the couch in exchange for the money. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money desired. Create a plan and begin at once. Action is called for! Write out your plan. A clear concise statement of the amount of dollars, the time frame for the acquisition, and state that which you will give in return. Describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it. Read your written statement twice daily. As you read, see, feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

Do you see the problem? It's that the subconscious sends a message to the higher mind to work in partnership with Source/Creator/Divinity and there is no time outside of space/time. Our subconscious reads "future" as, "not now" and that will never change.

To manifest wealth or abundance in any area, you have to do it NOW!. Your higher mind does not have any limitations as to time. It can work opportunities and circumstances into your past just as easily as you can work right now.

This is something that Mike Dooley tries to explain but it is very difficult for us to take in. -- How can the past be changed from what it was?

All is possible if you have faith. In Ho'oponopono, or Charles Haanel and Dr. Amidi, we hear about the translation of conscious desire due to emotional impetus. This translation is done by the unconscious, and subsequently transmitted as a wish or prayer to the Creative Source, or Infinite Intelligence, or God the Father. Napoleon Hill does not say anything about creativity moving directly from the consciousness. All writers who deal in specifics explain the process as moving from conscious desire to the unconscious and only then to the Creative Source, or Infinite Intelligence.

But as with all who work from inspiration, sometimes our egoic minds get in the way.

Problems with the Ego

The Ego lives in time, and the Ego lives more in the past and the future than in the present. The Ego loves strategy which is not be the primary mode for acquisition in the 4th Dimension. Why? Because there is no future; there is only the NOW.

Whatever you love to do, do it NOW. Do it not because it will make you rich in the future, but do it because you love doing it and this will put you in the vibration of wealth. Doing what you love gets you out of the Ego into your higher mind. Do it fearlessly!

How do we correct the process above? Do 1, 2 and 6. Skip the rest unless you do them for the fun of it. But, leave the "how" to the Universe.

Napoleon Hill Made a Mistake

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Napoleon Hill and Auto Suggestion

Napoleon Hill was no dummy and he understood the power of autosuggestion which he even used in his book, Think and Grow Rich. Napoleon Hill wrote the text with certain phrases and words written in LARGER CAPS. This method of using small caps and large caps created the effect which is known to come from AUTOSUGGESTION. It is not only a very clever way of getting your point across to others but it works very well as a way of changing your own mind when you are determined to improve your attitude for the BETTER.

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Autosuggestion is a term used to describe the manner in which physical symptoms are said to be the result of the thoughts and beliefs of an individual. If you think it?s going to be bad, it will likely be bad and, if you think it will be GOOD, the physical sensation will likely be good. Scientific experiments have shown that, oftentimes a headache will go away after a patient takes a painkiller, but doctors report that the relief often takes place even before the painkiller could actually start acting on its own. The idea of autosuggestion is also something that is related to the idea known as the placebo-effect and it is something that many doctors have employed in their prescriptive practices and their counseling to patients who complain of imaginary symptoms.

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Surprisingly, many scientists dismiss the reality of a person?s experience when it takes place as a result of the placebo-effect. The patient may think they feel good but, according to the doctors, they really don?t. What Napoleon Hill has done is to take an entirely different approach to these scientific discoveries and has suggested that the placebo-effect is actually one of the most USEFUL treatments that modern medicine has at its disposal.

According to Napoleon Hill, if the patient thinks they feel good, then they actually do feel good and should consider the treatment a wonderful success. Doctors seem to underestimate the importance of the mind and belief in healing and send their patients away in less than ideal conditions.

According to Napoleon Hill, the influence of the mind on the body can be used in a POSITIVE WAY to improve the way a person feels both mentally and physically. Autosuggestion is the process by which a person can train their subconscious mind to believe something and more swiftly bring about an experience of success in life. This success can even transfer into real, material gain as in the case of a person who thinks positively and grows rich. This result can be accomplished through self-hypnosis and through methods of repetitive, ongoing self-affirmations.

One of the more popular methods of autosuggestion in use today is the famous A Course in Miracles which has been shown to bring about great transformations in a person's attitude when they practice the daily lessons for an extended period of time. Students of this course report a heightened sense of happiness and contentedness which comes through the strict practice of autosuggestion. Another common tool for this end is the famous Hazelden daily affirmations which are very popular among 12-step recovery groups. The daily use of these affirmations has been proven to help an addict or alcoholic recover from the deadly disease of addiction and to eventually live a more happy and productive life.

Critics of the autosuggestion method argue that the method may be seen as a form of self-induced brainwashing. Those who find it BENEFICIAL have often retorted to this criticism by suggesting that their previous way of looking at things or their old brain could use a good scrubbing. The acceptance of autosuggestion is said to be something that only results in amore positive lifestyle and a more productive way of approaching the world. It can even be quickened through mental visualization and has been scientifically correlated with the consistency of its use and length of time that it is used.

Autosuggestion is most easily accomplished by simply presenting, or BOMBARDING, one's mind with repetitive thoughts, until those thoughts become internalized. Practitioners typically hope to turn those thoughts into beliefs and then into actualities. Visualizing the manifestations of a certain belief and then verbally affirming it are typical means that Napoleon Hill has suggested for influencing one's mind and life toward success. In reality, autosuggestion is much different from brainwashing because the suggestions originate within the individual, rather than originating from others. Take it or leave it, autosuggestion works and Napoleon Hill has successfully given it as a suggestion which has led many people to TO GROW RICH!

Napoleon Hill and Auto Suggestion

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Napoleon Hill Reveals Law Of Success

I started reading Napoleon Hill's book "Law of Success" today, got about 35 pages into it, and suddenly I had an epiphany. This book was written originally in 1928, almost 100 years ago, and the same Law that worked then still works today. It will probably also work in 100 years and even 1000 years.

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As I said, I just started reading the book today, so I haven't read Napoleon Hill's insights into these 17 laws, but I can tell you 1 thing I learned from his case study. He laid out 7 successful people and 2 who had failed in a spreadsheet with their respective ratings for each of the 17 laws. Out of all 17 laws, there were a few that every successful person that Napoleon Hill did his case study on had in common.

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I'm going to tell you which laws the successes had in common, and also which laws the failures had in common. Then I'm going to share my thoughts.

They all had a strong belief in the power of the mastermind, and had used that power on a regular basis. This single law can take your success level from almost complete failure to huge success practically overnight. I remember when I found the power of the mastermind after reading "Think and Grow Rich".

They all had a definite chief aim. They knew what they wanted and what they were going to do to get there. This is very important. How would you know you've achieved success if you don't know what you're aiming for?

The ability to concentrate was also highly ranked across the board. I don't think I need to say anything about this law. I know the days when I stay focused I get a lot more work done than the days when my mind wanders. Concentration is a must-have skill, and I look forward to perfecting it someday soon.

Now the 1 law which wasn't followed that caused the 2 failures was "following the golden rule". That should tell you something about how you should treat other people in business and in life period.

My conclusion is that if you focus on what you're doing, know what you're doing, work with others, and treat people how you want them to treat you, then you'll achieve success. The other laws are important, and I might have even missed some of the other major influences. I'll make sure to keep you informed as I continue to read this book. The main law of success is and always will be hard work.

Napoleon Hill Reveals Law Of Success

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Thoughts on Success From Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill wrote "Think and Grow Rich". He has stated that we can turn defeat into victory and make failure a way to success. Failure does not exist in the successful mind, it simply is another kind of opportunity.

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In making business goals you will need to know when you need money. You will need to make a strategy and acknowledge that some sacrifice may be required in order to achieve the plan. Know the precise amount of wealth you need, and then focus on these goals and plans.

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Do you have what it takes to focus with energy? Some call it "fire in the belly" others simply "a burning desire", but whatever you may call this intense ambition and feeling you need to have it.

You have a strong ally constantly with you, your thoughts. To be successful center your energy and mind, your intellect and soul, on the positive outcomes you desire, and when negative and defeatist attitudes do arise overwhelm them at once with opposite fearless powerful thoughts. The time to think yourself into failure is over!

You must already believe you own whatever it is you are wanting, you must see yourself as in possession of it now. Seeing yourself in possession of your dreams, called visualization, and believing you will attain them, positive thinking, will go along way in attaining your dreams and desires.

You can succeed if you both are positive in your thought processes and believe and want and focus on achievement. According to Napoleon Hill anyone who disciplines himself in this manner can succeed.

Thoughts on Success From Napoleon Hill

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A Look at Napoleon Hill and the Law of Success

You may be familiar with one of the best selling books of all time, Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, (1937), but you probably have not heard of Napoleon Hill Law Of Success, published in 1928. The Law of Success is a longer version, study course, from which Think And Grow Which was taken.

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Hill was born, and grew up, poor, and he was always interested in the lives of the most accomplished people on Earth. He wondered what it was, that set them apart from the rest of humanity; how it is they could do so much, while most people never come close to fulfilling their own potential. He longed to be able to meet some of them and get their opinions on these matters.

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Hill was 25 years of age in 1908, writing for a small newspaper when he realized his initial dream. He persuaded the editor to publish a series of stories that Hill would write as he interviewed successful individuals. This helped him to arrange for an interview of industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest persons in the world. Carnegie's rags to riches tale, is probably the most powerful one of its kind, to this day.

Andrew Carnegie informed Napoleon Hill his belief that people who are successful have certain ways of acting and thinking, in common with each other, and that a success formula could be discovered by anyone who would undertake the project of interviewing hundreds of successful individuals, & then collect and analyze the data. Carnegie believed that once the formula was published, anyone could achieve success by following it. He asked Hill if he had what it took to accept such a large and important project. He assured Hill that he would have access to some of the most successful people on Earth, if he said, yes.

Hill, as you may imagine, did not ask for time to think about it. This was nothing less than the manifestation of his wildest dreams, having Andrew Carnegie open the doors of other wealthy & powerful moguls, for him to interview. It was the start of a 20 year sojourn that culminated in a study course, almost 1200 pages in length, entitled, The Law Of Success.

There are 16 lessons to the Law Of Success: The Golden Rule, Tolerance, Failure, Co-Operation, Accurate Thought, Pleasing Personality, Habit of Doing More Than You Are Paid For, Self Control, Enthusiasm, Initiative & Leadership, Imagination, The Habit Of Saving, Self Confidence, A Definite Chief Aim, and The Master Mind.

Out of several hundred contributors to the project, Hill credit Henry Ford & Andrew Carnegie the most. Carnegie, for facilitating so many of the early interviews and inspiring the project, and Ford, for the vast amount of time he spent with Hill. A lot of individuals are surprised to learn that Carnegie did not give Hill financial support for Napoleon Hill Law Of Success, but that was never a part of their deal.

A Look at Napoleon Hill and the Law of Success

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