Think and Grow Rich summary

by Napoleon Hill · 1937 · 7 key ideas · 18-minute read

Riches begin with a definite goal held with burning desire, and are reached through planning, decisiveness, persistence and the help of a like-minded group.

Why read it

For anyone curious about the roots of modern self-help and goal-setting. It's one of the best-selling books of its kind ever, and its ideas about desire, persistence and 'mastermind' groups still echo through business culture — though some of its claims need a sceptical eye.

Think and Grow Rich in brief

Hill claims to have distilled a 'secret' of success from studying hundreds of successful people. He presents it as thirteen steps, beginning with thought itself: every achievement starts as an idea, and thoughts mixed with a definite purpose, persistence and burning desire tend to turn into their physical equivalent.

The first and most important step is desire — not a vague wish, but a specific, obsessive goal, with a deadline and a plan. Hill pairs this with faith, which he says can be built through autosuggestion: repeating your goal to yourself daily with emotion until your subconscious accepts it.

Further steps turn desire into action: acquiring specialised knowledge, using imagination to create ideas and plans, making decisions promptly, and persisting through setbacks. Hill emphasises the 'master mind' — a group of people working together in harmony towards a shared goal — as a way to multiply knowledge and energy.

The final chapters move into more mystical territory, discussing the subconscious, the brain as a broadcasting station and a 'sixth sense'. Hill closes by describing six basic fears — of poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age and death — that block success and must be mastered.

The 7 key ideas

1. Start with burning desire

Wishes drift. Definite goals with deadlines move.

2. Talk to your subconscious

Repeat the goal until it shapes your choices.

3. Knowledge is power only when organised

Know where to find it — then use it.

4. Build a master mind

Alone you add; together you multiply.

5. Decide quickly, change slowly

Gather the facts, decide, then commit.

6. Three feet from gold

Temporary defeat is not failure.

7. Outgrow the six fears

Name the fear, then act anyway.

Key takeaways

• Write a specific goal with an amount, a deadline and what you'll give in return.
• Review your goal daily so it shapes your choices.
• Identify the specialised knowledge you need and decide whether to learn it or source it.
• Form a small, harmonious master mind group that meets regularly.
• Make decisions promptly on reversible choices, and persist through temporary defeats.

Our take

Think and Grow Rich endures because its practical core — set specific goals, plan, decide, persist, and surround yourself with supportive allies — is sensible and motivating. But much of it is unverifiable or unscientific. Hill's claims to have interviewed hundreds of famous people, and about Carnegie's role, have been questioned by researchers who found little supporting evidence. Chapters on 'sex transmutation', 'infinite intelligence' and the 'sixth sense' are mystical. And the book suffers from survivorship bias: plenty of people with burning desire still fail. Read it for its motivational principles, not as a science of success.

About Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill was an American author and lecturer. He said the book grew from years of studying successful people, a project he claimed began at the suggestion of industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

If you liked this

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
• I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
• The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko