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12 min 33 sec
Available in:Englishไทย

Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

Shows how to turn a vague wish for money or success into an exact, dated plan, then protect it with daily self-belief, firm decisions, persistence and a small circle of capable allies.

Table of Content

Most people who want money already know they want it. What they lack, Napoleon Hill argues, is a desire strong enough to survive repeated failure. In Think and Grow Rich, Hill points to Thomas Edison, who by his account failed in more than 10,000 experiments and still would not be shaken from his goal of an electric light. Hill’s larger claim is that wealth, of whatever kind, is seldom luck. It grows from traits and skills anyone can learn.

The whole book rests on one chain. A burning desire becomes a written, dated plan. Daily self-talk turns that plan into belief. Knowledge, imagination and firm decisions turn belief into action, and persistence plus the right people carry it through. Follow that chain and a vague hope of doing better can become a number, a deadline and a set of habits you can start before the week is out.

A writer collected dozens of rejections before her first story appeared in print. Hill uses her case to show what separates a wish from a goal, and he adds a small daily ritual to keep it alive.

A leader with no money and no army faced down an empire. Hill traces that kind of conviction to something ordinary people can practice, and to what they choose to let into their minds.

A man who never reached high school went on to build an industrial empire. Hill uses him to redefine what knowledge means, and to show why you rarely need to hold it all yourself.

The Walkman and Coca-Cola both began as something else entirely. Hill sees in them a kind of imagination most people overlook, and one that grows stronger the more it is used.

A study of thousands of failed careers pointed to one trait, and the stories of multimillionaires pointed to its opposite. An unlovely car shows what that trait looks like in practice.

Most plans die at the first real obstacle. Hill offers four rules for outlasting it, and a particular kind of group whose combined output, he argues, adds up to more than its members.

Hill’s promise is that getting rich depends less on luck than on habits anyone can practice, and those habits form a chain. Desire supplies the fuel. Precision turns it into a plan. Repeated self-talk turns the plan into belief, while knowledge, imagination and firm decisions turn belief into moves. Persistence and a few trusted allies keep those moves going when the first obstacles appear. Each link is weak alone. Joined, they explain how Fannie Hurst outlasted more than 36 rejections, and how Gandhi, with no army behind him, held to his conviction that he could move a nation.

The book supports a short, concrete start. Write your goal as an amount, a date and a list of steps, and read it aloud each morning and each night. Keep it away from people who reliably discourage you, and share it with two or three who will help you reach it. When a hard choice comes, decide quickly, then hold your course unless the facts truly demand a change.

Hill measured success in fortunes. His method asks for something smaller first: a goal clear enough to read out loud tonight.

About this book

What is this book about?

Plenty of people want more money and more freedom, and most of them stay stuck at wanting. Napoleon Hill argues that wealth, of whatever kind, is rarely the product of luck. It comes from traits and skills that anyone can learn, starting with a desire strong enough to survive failure. Hill sets out a sequence. Name an exact goal, a deadline and a step-by-step plan, and read them aloud twice a day. Build self-belief through auto-suggestion and by feeding your mind positive emotions. Gather knowledge without needing a degree, use imagination to recombine existing ideas, make decisions quickly and stand by them, and persist with the help of a small brain trust of capable allies. His examples range from Thomas Edison and Fannie Hurst to Gandhi, Henry Ford's Model T, the Sony Walkman and Asa Candler's Coca-Cola. Readers get a compact method for turning a vague ambition into a written plan, along with habits for protecting it from doubt, critics and the first serious setback.

Book Information

Rating:

Genre:

Motivation & Inspiration, Personal Development

Topics:

Goal Setting, Grit, Mindset, Self-Talk

Publisher:

Penguin Random House

Language:

English, ไทย

Narrator:

Hannah

First published:

January 1, 1937

Pages:

320

Length:

12 min 33 sec

Get the book:

Amazon

Who it's for

  • Hoping to earn more

    Young professionals who want to earn more but have never written down an exact figure or deadline.

  • Hesitant founders and freelancers

    Founders and freelancers who keep stalling on decisions or letting critics shake their plans.

  • Career switchers doubting themselves

    Career switchers who doubt themselves because they lack a degree or the right background.

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About the Author

Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill (1883 to 1970) was an American self-help author from Virginia who began writing for small town newspapers at the age of 13. Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, is widely ranked among the top sellers in the self-help genre. He also wrote The Law of Success and Outwitting the Devil. Hill remains a controversial figure, and historians doubt some of his claims, including his account of meeting Andrew Carnegie.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings at a glance

4.4

Overall score based on 2642 ratings.

What people think

Listeners find this work to be an excellent experience that imparts significant success principles, with one listener highlighting how it offers timeless lessons for both life and business. Additionally, the content fosters constructive personal changes and helps improve one's mental outlook, while providing a wealth of practical advice on making financial choices. Listeners feel it is a solid value for the investment. Conversely, the quality of the erasure receives varied feedback, as some consider it timeless whereas others believe it has become obsolete. Finally, opinions on the physical construction are split, with some listeners reporting that the book fell apart by page.

Top reviews

Yuwadee

This book is essentially the blueprint for modern success literature, and it's wild to think it was written back in 1937. While some of the language feels a bit archaic, the core principles about maintaining a burning desire and a definite plan are absolutely timeless. I found the section on the 'Master Mind' group particularly enlightening because it emphasizes the power of collective intelligence over solo effort. Truth is, your mindset dictates your reality more than any external circumstance, which is a hard pill to swallow for some readers. It really challenges you to upgrade your thought life and stop making excuses for why you haven't achieved your goals yet. It's not just about money; it’s about the psychology of winning in any field you choose. Every entrepreneur needs to have this on their shelf as a foundational text.

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Prapaiwan

As someone who has struggled with focus, Hill’s emphasis on 'autosuggestion' and fixed goals was exactly the kick in the pants I needed. The book teaches you that your mind is the only thing you truly have control over in this chaotic world. I’ve started applying the six steps for transforming desire into gold, and the mental shift is already palpable in my daily routine. To be fair, you have to read this with a filter because it was written during the Great Depression. Some examples are clearly products of their time, but the underlying drive for achievement is universal. I loved the poem 'My Wage' included in the early chapters because it perfectly encapsulates the theme of self-worth. It’s an investment in yourself that is well worth the price of admission and encourages real positive changes.

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Pranee

The chapter on the 'Sixth Sense' might sound a bit 'new-agey,' but it really speaks to the power of intuition and subconscious processing. I finally got around to reading this after hearing every successful person I know mention it at least once. It’s not a 'get rich quick' scheme; it’s a grueling manual for psychological restructuring and disciplined action. Napoleon Hill doesn't sugarcoat the fact that most people fail because they give up at the first sign of defeat. In my experience, the 'QQS Formula'—Quality, Quantity, and Spirit of service—is the most practical takeaway for any professional today. The book helps you stop being a passive observer and starts making you a deliberate creator of your own fortune. If you can get past the old-school terminology, the wisdom here is incredibly potent for long-term growth and success.

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Arthit

Finally, a book that addresses the mental barriers we put up against our own success instead of just giving us spreadsheets. I've been applying the Master Mind concept with a few colleagues, and the synergy we've created is unlike anything I've experienced. It turns out that having a definite purpose and a burning desire isn't just a cliché; it's a physiological necessity for high achievement. The book encourages positive changes by forcing you to confront your basic fears, like the fear of criticism and the fear of poverty. Some critics say it’s outdated, but human nature hasn't changed since 1937, and neither have the laws of success. It’s a timeless masterpiece that I plan to revisit every year to keep my mindset sharp and my goals clear. Definitely a must-read for anyone who feels stuck in a rut.

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Somkid

Look, if you want to change your life, you have to change your thoughts first, and that’s exactly what this book facilitates. The 13 steps to riches are essentially a masterclass in self-discipline and visionary thinking that applies to much more than just money. I particularly enjoyed the stories about Edison and Charles Schwab, as they provide real-world context for the abstract principles Hill discusses. People complain about the 'kooky' parts, but if you focus on the core message, it’s remarkably practical and grounded. This book is a bargain considering the amount of high-level coaching it provides within its pages. It has completely upgraded my thought life and given me a new perspective on how to handle setbacks. Don't let the old-fashioned title fool you; this is a powerful tool for any modern professional.

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Luckana

Ever wonder why some people seem to manifest wealth effortlessly while others struggle despite working twice as hard? Napoleon Hill claims to have found the secret after interviewing titans like Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie for over two decades. The book is a fascinating deep dive into the psychological triggers that lead to financial abundance and personal growth. Look, some of the stuff about 'vibrating energy' and 'Infinite Intelligence' feels a bit like kooky pseudoscience to a modern reader. However, the practical advice on organized planning and decision-making is worth its weight in gold. My only gripe is that the physical copy I bought had pages falling out halfway through, which was annoying. Despite the poor binding, the content provides a roadmap for anyone serious about improving their financial decision-making.

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Sirichai

Not what I expected, but I’m glad I pushed through the slower parts to find the actual gems of wisdom. Most business books today are just watered-down versions of what Hill wrote about nearly ninety years ago. I found the section on 'The 30 Major Causes of Failure' to be brutally honest and incredibly helpful for self-reflection. Got to say, it’s refreshing to read something that emphasizes character and willpower over simple 'hacks' or shortcuts to wealth. The book does feel a bit repetitive at times, hammering the same points about desire and faith over and over. However, maybe that's necessary to actually get the message to sink into the reader's subconscious mind. It’s a solid 4-star read that offers a lot of value for the price, provided you have the patience for it.

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Sam

After hearing my mentor rave about this for years, I finally sat down with a copy and a highlighter. The truth is that while some examples are incredibly dated, the psychological principles are still very much relevant in today’s economy. Hill’s focus on the subconscious mind and how it processes our dominant thoughts is ahead of its time. I do wish the book was a bit more concise, as he tends to ramble in the later chapters about cosmic forces. Also, my copy arrived with several pages already starting to detach from the glue, which was quite disappointing for a classic. Despite the physical quality issues and some 'woo-woo' segments, the overall impact on my financial decision-making has been positive. It’s a foundational text that deserves its place in the canon of success literature.

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Brooklyn

Wow, talk about a mixed bag of brilliant insights and total nonsense wrapped in a very fragile paperback cover. On one hand, the principles of persistence and specialized knowledge are foundational for any business endeavor or personal goal. On the other hand, the author gets lost in these strange tangents about telepathy and 'invisible counselors' that haven't aged well. I’m not saying there’s no value here, but you definitely need to take the pseudoscience with a heavy grain of salt. Also, the physical durability of this edition is terrible; the spine cracked almost immediately, and several pages started coming loose. It’s a great read if you want to understand the roots of self-help, but don't expect a modern scientific manual. It’s more like a historical curiosity that happens to have a few really good productivity tips hidden inside.

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Tak

Picked this up because everyone calls it a classic, but I found the underlying philosophy to be quite problematic in today's world. Frankly, the idea that a lack of success is simply a lack of 'burning desire' feels like a dangerous form of victim-blaming that ignores systemic issues. It suggests that if you aren't rich, you just didn't want it enough, which is a pretty cold take on reality. The chapter on 'sex transmutation' was particularly bizarre and felt like something out of a weird 1930s fringe science pamphlet. While I can appreciate the historical significance, a lot of the 'timeless' lessons feel hopelessly outdated and out of touch. There are some okay bits about persistence, but you have to wade through a lot of fluff and weird mysticism to find them. I'd recommend reading more contemporary business literature.

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Questions about this book

Napoleon Hill argues that wealth, of whatever kind, is rarely the result of luck. It comes from learnable traits and skills: a burning desire, an exact goal with a deadline and plan, self-belief built through auto-suggestion, practical knowledge, imagination, quick and firm decisions, persistence, and a small group of capable allies he calls a brain trust.

Auto-suggestion is Hill’s term for deliberately feeding your own mind specific, purposeful thoughts. You tell yourself that you can reach your goal, that your thoughts can become real and that you should follow your own path with confidence. Hill claims that repeating these messages plants them in the subconscious, which then steers your thoughts and actions toward the goal.

A brain trust is a small, chosen group of capable people who share one goal. Hill distinguishes it from a casual network: its members define a common aim, develop skills together and keep each other in check. Its value is synergy, since people who pool their knowledge, experience and contacts can achieve more together than the sum of what each could do alone.

Start with Hill’s simplest ritual. Write down an exact goal, such as a specific amount of money, along with a deadline and the steps to reach it, then read it aloud every morning and every night. Limit time with people who discourage you, make decisions quickly and stand by them, and gather two or three trusted people who will help you persist.

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Think and Grow Rich

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