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Law of Success

(The Law of Success)

Napoleon Hill

4.32 · Rating details · 11,210 ratings · 356 reviews

Teaching, for the First Time in the History of the World, the True Philosophy upon which all Personal Success is Built.

“You Can Do It if You Believe You Can!”
THIS is a course on the fundamentals of Success.
Success is very largely a matter of adjusting one’s self to the ever-varying and changing environments of life, in a spirit of harmony and poise.

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Paperback, The 21st-Century Edition, 1035 pages

Published June 26th 2004 by High Roads Media (first published 1925)

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Jul 10, 2008 Jeffrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: self-improvement

This or some form of this book should be a part of every child's curriculum, beginning at least freshman year in high school. Why?

As an educator with over ten years experience (K-12 two years, college / university eight years) I can tell you that if a student comes to class with all the talent in the world WITHOUT an understanding (a very specific understanding) of his / her definite purpose (Hill calls it "chief aim"), self-confidence, a habit of saving, imagination, self-control, accurate tho ...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Anton Klink rated it really liked it

Having finished the short "Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success", the medium sized "Think and Grow Rich" and the massive "The Law of Success" all back to back, and having found them all fairly similar, I will discuss them all at once.

First of all, "Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success" is not by Napolen Hill at all. It is a fairly short book by modern authors outlining the main principles of success found in Hill's other books, especially "Law of Success" and "Think and Grow Rich". Although renamed and re Having finished the short "Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success", the medium sized "Think and Grow Rich" and the massive "The Law of Success" all back to back, and having found them all fairly similar, I will discuss them all at once.

First of all, "Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success" is not by Napolen Hill at all. It is a fairly short book by modern authors outlining the main principles of success found in Hill's other books, especially "Law of Success" and "Think and Grow Rich". Although renamed and reworded, the principles are the same as in Hill's original books and as such are sound, but "Keys to Success" reads like an abridged version of the aforementioned books and like all abridged books, it suffers from too much condensation and a lack of examples and elaborations. For those, who have read Hill's original books, it serves as a nice refresher but for those who haven't, it may remain too obscure.

Secondly, Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" from 1933 is actually a rewrite of sorts of his much larger "Law of Succcess" from 1928. Unfortunately it doesn't follow the same coherent structure as "Law of Success", introduces even more spiritual new age ideas than the former and his train of thought is all over the place. Although I have now read it a total of three times - once a bad translation more than 10 years ago and the second and third times just last month, one being a revised and updated 21st century edition and the other the original unmodified version - I still have a hard time understanding parts of it. As for the differences between the two versions, the revisions of the modern version consisted mainly of removing racial or sexist sounding language and adding modern commentary. I appreciated some of the modern commentary, since many of the people or concepts referred to in Hill's original version from 1933 are no longer familiar to the modern reader. However, I found that the direct tampering with the original text had altered some of the meaning and message of Hill's writing more than I could find justifiable. Overall though I found the added commentary more helpful than I found the tampering of the original text unjustified, so I give the modern version a slight recommendation over the original one.

Third comes Hill's "Law of Success", a monster of a book with a total of 1035 pages to it. The principles of success outlined by Hill are all sound and true and the work he seems to have done to amass these principles into one book seems to have been enormous. However, the book didn't really need to be 1035 pages long since much of the supporting framework built around the principles is of questionable value. Let me elaborate.

Although the book is filled to the brim with golden nuggets of wisdom, the constant barrage of Hill's personal pseudo-scientific ideas makes it a much harder read than it needs to be. This becomes especially evident in the very first chapter ("The Mastermind"), which by its very obscurity defends the whole book against the risk of being read by the more pragmatic and scientifically minded reader. Some of Hill's ideas and suggestions about what he calls "mind energy" and "mind chemistry" and his constant referring to telepathy and mind vibrations are in fact quite ridiculous. Having read the revised and updated 21st century version of this book, I wonder why none of that nonsense was removed. The multitudes of pseudo-scientific theories, most of which seem to have been conjured up in the mind of Hill himself, were highly speculative at the time of writing (in the 1920s) and are just plain silly today.

Interestingly enough, Hill claims that his only truly original contribution to all the laws and principles of success is the principle of that very same mastermind alliance, yet here is exactly where he steers off course the most. Although seemingly starting out as touting the positives of teamwork, Hill then goes downhill by attributing ethereal attributes to it and claiming things like vibrations of the mind moving through the ether from the thoughts of one person to another, telepathic abilities manifesting themselves in a collective mastermind of harmonious unity and similar nonsense.

It feels like Hill read a few sensationalist pseudo-scientific articles during his day and then, without even trying to confirm whether any of it was even remotely true, went on a tangent, extending and elaborating on these completely nonsensical theories and writing pages upon pages about them. Especially smitten is Hill with the ideas of "telepathy" and "ether" - he rolls them out every time he gets a chance and whenever he feels like it would give credibility to some of his other conjectures. In reality, "ether" was a speculative theory at the start of the 20th century about the nature of the universe and was considered to be the substance, through which all energy flowed (including radio waves and light). It was disproved and debunked fairly quickly, so the way Hill hangs on to it to "prove" the vailidity of many of his pseudo-scientific theories about how the mind works is highly regrettable.

In addition to a lot of quackery about ether and telepathy, we also find examples of the power of auto-suggestion to fend off pneumonia, cancer and even the bubonic plague. Knowing what we know about medicine and biology these days, some of the examples given are just plain silly - like the story of a woman, whose cancer tumour kept disappearing and reappearing depending on whether she was conscious or unconscious and thus whether she "believed" she had cancer or not. The principle of auto-suggestion is sound, but when such examples are used to seemingly illustrate its power, in really they only serve to undermine it.

Mixed with his pseudo-scientific ramblings is his ambivalent stance on religion. Although the editors of the revised edition keep commending him for never invoking any religion in his works, Hill's "infinite intelligence" as the creator of all the universe and an entity to pray to, the need to have "faith" and his constant professing of "christian values" is quite indistinguishable from referring to religion as I understand it. He even uses the creationist "blind watchmaker" argument in one of the chapters as proof, that the universe simply had to be created by intelligent design and a creator with a plan. On the other hand, he also invokes evolution and darwinism to back up some of his other theories. I don't really mind, whether the author is a religious creationist or a darwinist and atheist. What I do mind however, is when the author can't make up his mind and keeps switching sides whenever it suits his argument. Quoting both revivalist ministers and atheist humanists, I don't see this as being flexible and open-minded - I see this as the author being confused and not really knowing, what he himself really believes or thinks. It's a shame really, that so many of Hill's universally true principles of success, human psychology and self mastery are drowned out by tedious pseudo-scientific quasi-religious prose, which can make for a very frustrating read at times.

Additionally, instead of removing all that nonsense from the 21st century edition of the book, the editors have decided to dress it all up as magnificent foresight on Hill's part by claiming it to mean all kinds of other things instead of what Hill actually wrote. I remain thoroughly unconvinced though and so will any discerning reader.

Another puzzling aspect of the book is its constant redundancy. Some examples are not repeated just twice, but three, four or even five times in various chapters (sometimes almost word for word). I can understand, how redundancy can creep in, if you write a book over a number of years, however that same redundancy should get thrown out, if not during the editing stage, then in later editions by the very latest.

A matter of taste is the huge scattering of poems throughout the book. I am not a big fan of poetry myself, since my mind tends to wander the moment I stumble upon an artificially re-arranged word order (as so often happens in poetry to achieve a rhyme) and I don't think poems really address the modern reader like they might have a century ago, but I concede that this is a matter of opinion.

Even though I hardly touched upon the actual principles of success in this book, those are the ones that actually garner a four star rating from me. In spite of all the surrounding hogwash, the principles themselves are so true, that they outshine everything else. Without Hill's pseudo-scientific ramblings, this would in fact have been a five star book but since the golden nuggets of information are buried among too much "ether" and "mind vibrations", four stars is the best I can award this book or any its derivatives. ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Baxter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Very useful book for those who want to become successful in life. Highly recommended for all. Amazing write up by Napoleon Hill. I bought this book at special price from here:
https://www.amazon.com/Law-success-Na... ...more

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Nov 23, 2014 Zain rated it really liked it · review of another edition

15 Timeless Principles of Success:

1. Having a Definite Chief Aim
2. Self Confidence
3. The Habit of Saving
4. Initiative & Leadership
5. Imagination
6. Enthusiasm
7. Self-Control
8. The Habit of Doing More than Paid For
9. Pleasing Personality
10. Accurate Thought
11. Concentrate
12. Cooperation
13. Profiting by Failure
14. Tolerance
15. Practicing the Golden Rule

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Jan 17, 2010 Peter Parrish added it · review of another edition

A friend of mine gave me this book "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons" to read as a gift. We both were looking to take our businesses to greater height. We told each other that we would read this book through its entirety. The book shows how the wealthy create success.

Napoleon Hill was born in 1883 and living his life in poverty. In 1908 Hill was hired by Andrew Carnegie. At that time Carnegie was one of the richest men in the world. Hill had studied over 500 of Americas most successful busi ...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Chris Ruby rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Chris by: Robert Kiyosaki

Shelves: own, self-help, success

This is one of the best self-help books I've ever read! I have to admit, the book is quite verbose and boring at times (particularly in the beginning), but if you can get through the 1st quarter of the book, the remainder is well worth it. ...more

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Sep 03, 2015 Lars Andersson rated it it was amazing

All books of Napolion Hill is very good! I have read many of the and several times.

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Nov 05, 2008 David Ellis added it

I've been studying Think and grow Rich since 1971 and have always seen reference made by Dr. Hill to the Law of Success, but never sought to find it. Last December it jumped off the shelf at Barnes and Noble in Seattle when I was looking for the Art of War. I devoured the book in about three weeks. It was truly the most transformational experience of my life and was the frosting on the cake for Think and Grow Rich. I really began to connect with the members of my master mind alliance and ultimat ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 Lucas Carmo rated it it was ok

"Read in moderation" would be my tip for this book. Much as it was written long ago, many previously absolute truths are no longer applied to the twenty-first century. In addition, the author often demonstrates an arrogant attitude, which is another position not applied to the present day. I believe that in an updated version, the book could contain 100 pages (instead 1035), summarizing the 16 lessons for success. ...more

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Jan 20, 2010 Kelly Murray rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-development

Napoleon Hill was definitely ahead of his time. I learned so much from this. Just like there are indisputable laws of the Universe, there are also indisputable laws of success that any one must learn and accept if they wish to attain any sort of achievement.

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Mar 20, 2018 Henrik Haapala rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: wealth, favorites, how-to, classic

“Far from being a disadvantage, struggle is a decided advantage, because it develops those qualities which would forever lie dormant without it. Many a man has found his place in the world because of having been forced to struggle for existence early in life.” p.133

Mirror: “There stands the man to whom I promised to introduce you. There is the only man in this world who can put you back on your feet again, and unless you sit down and become acquainted with that man, as you never became acquainte ...more

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Feb 25, 2019 Emil Nygård rated it it was amazing

Phenomenal book! If you can ignore his rants about the so called ether and telepathy, this book contains super useful and practical life advice to become successful. As the book says -One can not read The Law of Success without being better off on the way to success. Or something along those lines.

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Jan 11, 2010 Jeff Stockett rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: success

This book is amazing. It is filled with timeless principles. This book is the culmination of Napoleon Hill's more than 20 years of studying and interviewing successful people.

This book contains an in-depth look at the habits that are required to bring about success. I really liked that this book acknowledges that material wealth is the primary focus of many of its readers. But it also emphasizes the other aspects of success.

Some of my favorite lessons include the lessons on imagination, pleasing ...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is about 600 pages. It is 15 laws of success while I have seen a photocopy version of the original printing at that has 16 laws. It seems that the introduction chapter in my version is actually the 1st law on forming a mastermind group. I have completed the book and this is a foundation book for everyone! This is a book you could study for quite some time. Some of the stories are a little dated especially when he talks about salaries but other than that it is loaded with great quotes, ...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Mark Peacock rated it liked it · review of another edition

1. have defined aim
2. cooperate with others to obtain aim
3. have a pleasant personality
4. don't waste time with thoughts or people who can support you
5. focus on aim
6. master mind. gather from team of co-contributors
7. don't procrastinate... be disciplined ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Martha Sweeney rated it it was amazing

I have a different version than this one (cover and internal format/information). Though it's older, there are so many truths that exist today in life and business. This is the second time reading this book in just a few years. DEFINITELY a must-read! ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Honoree rated it it was amazing

One of my top 5 favorite books. I have read it now, in its entirety, 7 times.

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Sep 15, 2015 Steven Walle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An othergreat book by Napolian Hill who is my favorite self help author. A full review is on it's way.
Be Blessed.
Diamond ...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Ayo Mj rated it liked it · review of another edition

I found this title highly informative and motivating. The lessons and supportive arguments constantly remind you of the author's primary message.

The presentation is easy to follow. Overall, it is a great book.

The major challenge with this title is the level of repetition you may observe. Probably for emphasis, major points are repeated time and again. This may cause you to quickly flip through some of the pages. The repetitions also had the effect of making the points communicated rather diffus ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Chris Munson rated it really liked it

Shelves: self-improvement

This book was written over 80 years ago, but still holds up well. I will issue a warning that much of the content is considered New Age, even by todays standards. I imagine back in the 1920s they must have thought that Napoleon Hill was a lunatic. The book is far superior to its sequel, Think and Grow Rich. The book is divided into 15 easy to digest lessons. Hill tends to meander within the lessons (e.g. he sometimes does not get to the actual topic of each lesson until about half-way through) a ...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Sorilbran rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I marvel at the simplicity of some of the principles and cringe a bit at the stretching in my character required to deliver on some of the other principles. Hill presents an arsenal of success tools that are pretty all-encompassing. These are methods by which one can govern her mind, mind, mood and attitudes. She who has the guts to cultivate all 17 principles will surely win the prize.

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Jun 01, 2019 Kajal Dhamija rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites

This is a no nonsense book. It is a commitment. A commitment that you make to yourself and insure yourself against failure in life. Just keep one thing in mind: do not pick this book if you are not ready to transform your life. You won't be able to sit lazily after reading this book. Also, if you don't want to actually try applying what is said in here, you better not pick up this book at all! ...more

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May 08, 2013 Brad rated it it was amazing

One of the most important books you will ever read!

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Jan 17, 2019 Danessa Violette rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent Book!

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Oct 02, 2018 Michael Fox rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book on two different levels. First, it's a classic in the self-improvement genre. Full of the wisdom of ages. Second, it's an old book (from early last century); therefore, it contains many dated cultural perspectives. For me it was an enjoyable read if taken just for the dated cultural perspectives. I'm fascinated by the 1920's era, so this book was an unexpected window into the thinking and perspectives of that time. I would warmly recommend this book to all who are seeking to ...more

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Jan 29, 2017 Keith Flint rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent book with workable principles. It is a little long so it will require a commitment, but if you make that commitment you'll be glad you did.
No matter what your current occupation or means of making money, simply reading this book will make you better at it.
Very highly recommended.

For those who want more of this kind of material, I encourage you to join the Global Information Network. ginevolve.com Use referral code "KFlint" ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Mario Tomic rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this book twice and both times I found it very inspiring. It kept me on point when I was just starting out my business and "Think and Grow Rich" was one of those books that got me into personal development. The book has its flaws but its good success material to feed the mind. ...more

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Apr 22, 2021 Daniel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, self-development

This is probably the best success advice I've seen. I prefer it over Think and Grow Rich.

There is a bunch of dogma in it, but the success principles fundamentally are super solid. Don't discount a book like this, just because it has a few racist or other nonsense remarks. ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Bonnie Juul added it

Loved listening to this. It is full of nuggets of wisdom.

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Oct 20, 2020 Sina Jafarzadeh rated it liked it · review of another edition

The author seemed to put a real effort and work is well-thought and written but the book contains many unsubstantiated anecdotes with a "just accept it" theme to them. It might appeal to certain type of people but I didn't find it inspiring overall; just another self-help book. The book was written about 100 years ago so it might also be the effect of time and emulation of the next works that reduces its perceived originality. (2.5/5) ...more

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About Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill

3,942 followers

Napoleon Hill was an American author in the area of the new thought movement who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. He is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich (1937), is one of the best-selling books of all time (at the time of Hill's death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold 20 m ...more