Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich is one of the bestselling personal finance and success books of all time. Based on Hill's study of over five hundred of America's most successful individuals, it distills the principles of wealth creation into a practical philosophy that has guided millions toward financial independence.
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Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is one of the most influential books in the history of personal development and wealth creation. Originally published in 1937 during the Great Depression, the book was the product of over twenty years of research during which Hill studied more than five hundred of America's most successful individuals, including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and many others. Carnegie himself commissioned the project, challenging the young Hill to organize a philosophy of personal achievement that would be available to anyone willing to apply it.
The book is organized around thirteen principles that Hill identified as common to all the successful people he studied. The first and most important principle is desire. Hill does not mean a casual wish but a burning, all-consuming obsession backed by a definite plan and unwavering persistence. He outlines six specific steps for translating desire into its financial equivalent: fixing in your mind the exact amount of money you desire, determining exactly what you intend to give in return, establishing a definite date by which you intend to possess it, creating a definite plan and beginning immediately, writing a clear statement of these four elements, and reading the statement aloud twice daily.
The second principle is faith, which Hill defines as visualization of and belief in the attainment of desire. He argues that faith is a state of mind that can be induced through repeated affirmation and instruction to the subconscious mind. The third principle is autosuggestion, the medium through which you influence your subconscious mind. By deliberately feeding your subconscious with positive, specific instructions, you can program it to work toward your goals even while you sleep.
The fourth principle is specialized knowledge. Hill distinguishes between general knowledge, which is widely available but rarely useful on its own, and specialized knowledge organized and directed toward a definite purpose. He argues that knowledge is only potential power; it becomes actual power only when it is organized into definite plans of action and directed toward a specific end.
The fifth principle is imagination, which Hill divides into two forms. Synthetic imagination rearranges existing concepts, ideas, and plans into new combinations. Creative imagination is the faculty through which finite minds have direct communication with infinite intelligence, hunches, and inspirations. Both forms are essential to success, and both can be strengthened through use.
The sixth principle is organized planning. Hill emphasizes the importance of building a mastermind alliance—a group of two or more people who work together in a spirit of harmony toward a definite purpose. He argues that no individual has sufficient experience, education, or ability to accumulate a great fortune without the cooperation and assistance of others. The mastermind group provides not only practical support but also a kind of synergistic intelligence that exceeds the sum of its parts.
The seventh principle is decision. Hill's research revealed that every one of the wealthy individuals he studied had the habit of reaching decisions promptly and changing them slowly, if at all. Procrastination—the habit of reaching decisions slowly and changing them quickly—is a common enemy of success. He notes that the signers of the Declaration of Independence risked their lives by making a swift, definitive decision, and that this quality of decisiveness is found in virtually every great leader.
The eighth principle is persistence, which Hill calls the sustained effort necessary to induce faith. He identifies four simple steps for developing persistence: a definite purpose backed by burning desire, a definite plan expressed in continuous action, a mind closed tightly against negative and discouraging influences, and a friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage you to follow through.
The ninth principle is the power of the mastermind, which Hill explores in greater depth. The tenth is the mystery of sex transmutation, in which Hill argues that sexual energy, when redirected toward creative and professional pursuits, becomes one of the most powerful drivers of achievement. The eleventh principle is the subconscious mind, which Hill describes as the connecting link between the finite mind and infinite intelligence. The twelfth is the brain, which Hill likens to a broadcasting and receiving station for thought. The thirteenth is the sixth sense, a kind of creative intuition that Hill describes as the apex of his philosophy.
Throughout the book, Hill returns repeatedly to the theme that thoughts are things. He argues that the dominating thoughts you hold in your mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action and gradually transform themselves into their physical equivalent. This is not mysticism in Hill's framework but a practical observation about how focused, persistent mental effort leads to the discovery of opportunities, the attraction of allies, and the execution of plans that produce tangible results.
Hill also dedicates a chapter to the six ghosts of fear: the fear of poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age, and death. He argues that these fears are the primary obstacles to success and that they must be mastered before the thirteen principles can work effectively. He provides a self-analysis questionnaire to help readers identify which fears are holding them back.
Think and Grow Rich has sold over one hundred million copies worldwide, making it one of the top ten bestselling self-help books of all time. Despite being written during the Great Depression, its principles have proven remarkably durable, influencing generations of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and personal development authors. The book's enduring appeal lies in its combination of inspirational storytelling, practical frameworks, and the foundational insight that success begins in the mind long before it manifests in the material world.
Hill argues that success begins with a burning, obsessive desire—not a mere wish. He provides a six-step method for translating desire into its financial equivalent, emphasizing that desire must be specific, backed by a plan, and pursued with relentless determination.
The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.
No individual can achieve great success alone. Hill's mastermind principle involves creating a group of two or more people who work in harmony toward a shared purpose. This alliance generates a synergistic intelligence greater than any single member could produce, providing ideas, accountability, and resources that accelerate achievement.
No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind—the master mind.
Faith, as Hill defines it, is the visualization of and belief in the attainment of desire. It is not passive hope but an active mental state that can be cultivated through autosuggestion—the deliberate practice of feeding your subconscious mind with positive, specific instructions until they become habitual beliefs.
Faith is the head chemist of the mind. When faith is blended with the vibration of thought, the subconscious mind instantly picks up the vibration, translates it into its spiritual equivalent, and transmits it to Infinite Intelligence.
Hill found that successful people reach decisions quickly and change them slowly, while unsuccessful people decide slowly and change often. Persistence—sustained effort backed by burning desire—is the quality that separates those who achieve their goals from those who abandon them at the first sign of difficulty.
Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.
Hill's overarching philosophy is that thoughts, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and burning desire, have a tendency to translate themselves into their physical equivalent. This is not mere positive thinking but a practical observation about how focused mental effort shapes decisions, attracts opportunities, and drives consistent action.
Truly, thoughts are things, and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches.
Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
— Napoleon Hill, Hill summarizes the foundational principle of his entire philosophy: that the limits of achievement are set by the limits of belief.
The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.
— Napoleon Hill, Hill introduces desire as the first and most critical of his thirteen principles of success.
Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.
— Napoleon Hill, Hill emphasizes that persistence is not merely a useful trait but an essential structural element of character without which no lasting achievement is possible.
Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.
— Napoleon Hill, Hill encourages readers to commit fully to a single, clear objective and describes the almost magnetic effect that definiteness of purpose has on circumstances and people.
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.
— Napoleon Hill, Hill argues that setbacks are not merely obstacles but contain hidden opportunities that can be discovered by those who maintain faith and persistence.
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Get StartedThink and Grow Rich presents thirteen principles of personal achievement based on Napoleon Hill's twenty-year study of over five hundred successful Americans. The book covers desire, faith, autosuggestion, specialized knowledge, imagination, organized planning, decision, persistence, the mastermind, and other principles that Hill identified as common to all wealthy and successful people.
Anyone pursuing financial independence, entrepreneurial success, or personal achievement will benefit from this book. It is especially valuable for those who feel stuck in their careers or finances, as Hill provides a systematic framework for transforming ambition into tangible results through mental discipline and strategic action.
The main ideas include the power of burning desire, the importance of faith and autosuggestion, the mastermind alliance, the habit of prompt decision-making, and the necessity of persistence. Hill's overarching message is that thoughts, when backed by purpose and persistence, translate themselves into their physical equivalent.
At 238 pages, most readers can finish Think and Grow Rich in about 4 to 6 hours. Hill's writing style combines storytelling with instruction, making the book engaging while dense with practical principles. Many readers revisit individual chapters multiple times to internalize the concepts.