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The Secret of Success
William Walker Atkinson was one of the first authors to write about the law of success otherwise known as the law of attraction. In other words that "like attracts like". Decades before Esther and Jerry Hick's "Money and the Law of Attraction" or Rhonda Byrnes "The Secret", he taught taught readers how to use the power of thought to attract wealth, health, happiness and success. "Many of us are like young elephants that allow themselves to be mastered by weak men, and put through their paces, little dreaming of the mighty strength and power concealed within their organisms. We wonder at the achievements of the great men in all walks of life, and we are apt to excuse ourselves by the sad remark that these people seem to “have it in them,” while we have not. Nonsense, we all have it in us to do things a hundred times greater than we are doing!"- William Walker Atkinson
108 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1996
About the author
William Walker Atkinson
2,860 books420 followersPseudonyms: Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka, Swami Bhakta Vishita & Swami Panchadasi
William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.
Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.
Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.
By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).
In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.
He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.
Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.
Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a
William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.
Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.
Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.
By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).
In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.
He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.
Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.
Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 18, 2017
FINALLY! An excellent book in the Prosperity Bible. I immediately added this to my wish list so that I can own this book to read again next year. Finally, a book that presents the Law of Attraction in a way that I can accept - using a scientific explanation as opposed to a metaphysical one. My favorite part is that the foundation of success is Individuality. Individualism is something everyone has but it expresses itself differently. This is why you can't have a one-size-fits-all recipe for success. This is also why I recommend people work with life coaches one-on-one for customized strategies for their specific goals, strengths and weaknesses. He also discusses the importance of energetic enthusiasm, which he calls "spiritedness" I loved the concept of using willpower to find your mental second-wind. Work harder than you think you can and you'll unleash a latent, dormant mental power that you never even thought possible. Then, you'll begin to unlock third, fourth and even fifth winds!!! The potential is infinite. Toward the end, he gets into exactly how to develop an attractive personality (AKA being a great listener) which is key to creating synergistic relationships with Master Minds. The concept of Master Minds was really the only thing I thought was missing from this book. A 5 star read worth buying. Yay!
November 10, 2024
Atkinson es de ese tipo de escritores a los que uno se habitúa a leer y encuentra muy pronto que consigue hacer que uno capte un sentido que todavía está vigente a pesar de que han pasado muchos años desde su muerte. Con mucha meticulosidad nos describe lo que en su tiempo lo llevó a sentirse un hombre de éxito y cono trasladar el mismo efecto en nuestras vidas.
February 23, 2022
yuyur ini bukan jenis non-fic yang kusukai, karena berat banget meskipun dia juga tipis banget. berat disini tuh dalam segi bahasa, penulisan, dan pembahasannya. tapi mungkin orang-orang dewasa diatas 30tahunan atau businessman akan suka buku ini.
June 15, 2022
Una excelente descripción de las leyes que rigen los resultados. Sin intentar dogmatiza, el autor va dandlo los elementos que suveden cuando las personas tienen éxito. Es un libo que trata fundamentalmente de la ley de la atracción. Es el secreto para lograr lo que ese desea y se espera.
March 29, 2024
A nice short book from one of the greatest masters of personal development. This is short and can be listen to over and over again. But you still need to read his other books to get the full benefit of his wisdom.
December 25, 2017
The book has some amazing insight and so many quotables. There are a few hints of New Age nonsense and poor logic. I'd still recommend this book though.
July 13, 2019
Another predecessor for The Secret in prosperity area
May 9, 2023
God helps those who help themselves.
April 21, 2015
"The Caucasians have a favorite proverb that says:
“Heroism is endurance for one moment more. “And that one moment more tells the difference between the “quitter” and the man who has “done his Best.
“No one is dead until his heart has ceased beating – and no one has failed so long as there is one more bit of fight in him. And that “one moment more” often is the moment in which the tide turns – the moment when the enemy relaxes his hold and drops back beaten."
Great read. Highly recommend.
“Heroism is endurance for one moment more. “And that one moment more tells the difference between the “quitter” and the man who has “done his Best.
“No one is dead until his heart has ceased beating – and no one has failed so long as there is one more bit of fight in him. And that “one moment more” often is the moment in which the tide turns – the moment when the enemy relaxes his hold and drops back beaten."
Great read. Highly recommend.
September 29, 2013
It's one of the good books...
August 5, 2014
Full Of Wisdom & Truth!
January 25, 2021
Incredible book
July 29, 2013
wonderful
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews