Every Man a King was written during the second part of Marden’s career, .and it concentrates in how your mind and your thinking is responsible for your success or failure in life. Emotions, moods, fears, pessimism can be a person’s downfall. On the contrary, good control over your mind and thoughts, cheerfulness, optimism and imagination, are the ingredients for a good and successful life.
The author dedicated his life to gather the messages engraved in the wisdom of the ages, and to transfer them into dozens of volumes and thousands of pages, each and every one a true gem of the ages.
In them, Marden is able to capture the essence of life, self-development and true success, and therefore, his books are considered ‘the premiere self-help collection of all times’.
Although they are one hundred years old, his books are so current that it seems to have been written precisely for our time. A time where, more than ever, we need values, we need achievers, we need happiness and we need love.
The broadness of Marden’s education in history, philosophy, spirituality and more, and his ability to condense and transmit knowledge with remarkable clarity -in an entertaining and engaging way, make these readings a requirement for whoever in this life is searching for success, or just looking for life’s answers.
Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924) was an American writer associated with the New Thought Movement. He also held a degree in medicine, and was a successful hotel owner.
Marden was born in Thornton Gore, New Hampshire to Lewis and Martha Marden. When he was three years old, his mother died at the age of 22, leaving Orison and his two sisters in the care of their father, a farmer, hunter, and trapper. When Orison was seven years old, his father died from injuries incurred while in the woods, and the children were shuttled from one guardian to another, with Orison working as a "hired boy" to earn his keep. Inspired by an early self-help book by the Scottish author Samuel Smiles, which he found in an attic, Marden set out to improve himself and his life circumstances. He persevered in advancing himself and graduated from Boston University in 1871. He later graduated from Harvard with an M.D. in 1881 and an LL.B. degree in 1882. He also studied at the Boston School of Oratory and Andover Theological Seminary.
Great book! The concept that we are responsible for and can determine our own inner states of health and happiness, as well as our outer circumstances like financial flow are really a return to some ancient thinking patterns that have either been 1) forgotten by most of us or 2) perverted by Joel Osteen and his ilk. I love that he repeatedly acknowledges that we're created beings under the care of one Creator, without at all coming at this from a religious point of view. My copy of the book is very badly made - it seems to have been copied and pasted from HTML format by someone who is not a native English speaker. It was really difficult to read, and yet STILL worthy of 5 stars. I read this book and began applying the principles and IMMEDIATELY began to see tangible results in my own life, starting from the inside.
DISCLAIMER: I discovered Orison Swett Marden (1850 – 1924) a couple of years ago and have been reading his books ever since. None of his writings have disappointed me; they are all great! What surprised me was that they were all written in the late 1890s-1915. The lessons contained in his writings are truly priceless.
Every Man A King has to be read with the date it was published kept in mind, 1906. King refers to the top and not just a man as do his reference to "man", "men", etc. The lessons apply to both men and women of all ages.
It would be fruitless of me to think I could write an adequate review of this book. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence packs powerful messages that can literally lead someone from the darkness of uncertainty to the light of success. The lessons apply to everyone. It is hard to read this book and not be affected in a very positive way. You can purchase the book as a Kindle read on Amazon for just 99 cents. Maybe the best $1.00 you will ever spend.
Here is an excerpt from this wonderful book:
“Your thought will carry only the force of your conviction, the weight of your decision, the power of your confidence. If these are weak, your thought will be weak and your work futile. Some people are incapable of strong, deep conviction; they are all surface, and liable to be changed by the opinions of everybody else. If they resolve upon a certain course, their resolution is so superficial that the first obstacle they strike deflects them. They are always at the mercy of the opposition, or of people who do not agree with them. Such people are shifty and unreliable; they lack strength of decision, positiveness of resolution. What is a man good for if he hasn’t strength of resolution? If his convictions are on the surface, he stands for nothing; nobody has confidence in him. He may be a good man, personally, but he does not inspire confidence. No one would think of calling upon him when anything of importance was at stake. Unless conviction takes hold of one’s very being, there will be very little achievement in life. It is the man whose conviction is rooted deep and takes hold of his very life-blood, the man who is strong and persistent in his determination, that can be depended upon. He is the man of influence, who carries weight; he is above the influence of any man who happens to have a different opinion.”
“If young people only knew the power of affirmation, of the habit of holding in the mind persistently and affirming that they are what they wish to be, that they can do what they have attempted, it would revolutionize their whole lives, it would exempt them from most of their ills and troubles, and carry them to heights of which they scarcely dream.”
Who should read it? Everyone from the age of 8 on up but especially teenagers! How the world would be different if Marden's wisdom was actually taught in our schools. As time goes by ageless wisdoms like his books will become lost in time and therein IS the pity!
Would I read it again? Absolutely Would I buy it as a gift? Absolutely
Orison emphasizes on the idea of always keeping cheerful thoughts in the mind. The book can be consider a small chapter of his great book " Pushing to the front". If you really want to have a good idea about Marden idea of success, you should read his book " Pushing to the front". However, " Every Man A King " still a good book that will entertain you while reading it.
Orison (like Horizon with a silent H) Swett Marden is one of the great American success experts. Much like those who followed him - Earl Nightengale, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, and others - Marden lays out in simple, easy to understand language what it takes to succeed in life. Seeing as the book was written closer to the turn of the last century than this one please expect some of the stories to seem a bit outdated and the science to seem elementary and provincial, but the core knowledge - full control of the self- is as valuable today as the dayhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...# Marden penned it.
This book was part of our monthly training focuses where we take a deep dive and mastermind upon its wisdom (details to join us at the bottom of this review)
And it was a joyous read and book club mastermind- another gem uncovered and dissected from the past which normally people just associate with greats such as Napoleon Hill - well this deserves to be right up there
Although seemingly written for the man, it’s easily applicable to both genders. However it’s aptly named because this should be reading material for every man to build a life of success, fulfilment and honour…
Men play many important roles from Fathers, Husbands, Brothers, Sons and more — and with that comes great responsibility and need to level up as a man to fulfil and serve whilst keeping yourself sane especially in todays world.
This book will help towards that and it’s highly recommended for such an easy to consume and simple read - it packs a punch in terms of content and wisdom.
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Honestly I forgot since when did I read this book and when did I finish this. To be completely honest, I never got to finish this one because I bought the translated one and the translations was just so unpleasant I needed to stop and picked it up again for nth times. I ended up gave this book to my friend who asked for it.
I wish I could read the original one tho so I can give a proper rating & review.
I truly enjoyed this book with over 60 highlights. As the founder of Success Magazine, Marsden delivers profound new-thought ideas in an easily digestible way. Published at the turn of the 20th Century, it reads like something that could have been written yesterday. Seems like human consciousness still has a long way to go. I highly recommend this book.
The book affirms personal dignity, self-mastery, and the belief that character and disciplined effort shape both individual success and social progress. Even today, it radiates a humane optimism, reminding us that belief in oneself can be an ethical act as much as a personal one.