The Power of Concentration

by Theron Q. Dumont

"Though he wrote more than 100 books during his lifetime, Theron Q Dumont is largely a forgotten entity today. In fact, Theron Q Dumont is not even his real name. It is a pen-name adopted by William Walker Atkinson, an American polymath, who began his career as a grocer's assistant in nineteenth century Baltimore, studied law and went on to amass fame and fortune as a successful legal luminary. However, disaster struck when he suffered a nervous breakdown due to over strain and he lost everything that he had earned. He made an incredible comeback as a religious leader and follower of the New Thought philosophy.

William Atkinson wrote under several pseudonyms like Yogi Ramacharaka, Thomas Sheldon, Magus Incognito, Swami Panchadasi and many others. Theron Q. Dumont was one such pen name that he used, to create the persona of a French writer who talks about the powers of the mind, memory enhancement, the will and using the power of personal magnetism to achieve one's ends. It was presumed that he adopted these pseudonyms to protect his legal career.

The Power of Concentration was first published in Chicago in 1918. As a pioneering self help book, it deals with developing the faculty of deep concentration to achieve your personal and professional goals. Bending the entire power of your mind and focusing it on the thing you want to achieve apparently creates cosmic energies that will manifest the goal. For many modern day readers, this may sound extremely familiar. Current theories of coaching, mentoring and the plethora of “How To...” books that crowd bookstore shelves all contain ideas like this. The power of visualization, self-dialog, self-awareness, elimination of negative thoughts etc. are all presented in The Power of Concentration.

The book also contains practical exercises for honing your powers of concentration, observation and keeping your focus sharp and keen. There are also excellent suggestions regarding diet and nutrition, exercise and physical fitness and their effect on the mind. However, the latter half of the book could be disappointing to some readers as it meanders through topics like cosmic rays, divine wisdom, etc which tend to delve into less than believable territory.

However, as a self help manual, The Power of Concentration does indeed provide valuable tips on cultivating the now lost art of concentration. For today's generation which is subject to an infinite number of distractions and is prey to notoriously short attention spans, The Power of Concentration is a most valuable and useful guide."

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Personal Development, Productivity, Audiobook, Business

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

Pseudonym used by William Walker Atkinson

Reviews

[Adomas Sliužinskas · Rating 2 out of 5]

It starts nice and well constructed, although racist and sexist, obviously. But then halfway through author starts blabbering about cosmic rays and arguing the infinite wisdom of God. That's pretty much where it goes to shit :) Interesting read to see how the self-help was done back in the day, but please don't take the second half of it seriously :)

[Desiree Finkbeiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some excellent exercises presented in this book which can help anyone fine-tune levels of concentration and focus. My favorite was the one to choose an object in the room and to study every detail about it for 10 minutes, all the while never allowing the mind to wander from the study. Among many other cool ways to sharpen thought-process, Dumont covers important points on simple changes to nutrition and physical fitness and how they affect one's ability to think without deviation. I recommend following up with another book by this author (William Walker Atkinson- his pseudonym is Dumont) called, "Practical Mental Influence." Once you master your mental focus, the book heretofore mentioned takes thought direction to the next level

[Roots · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this audio book. Looking forward to finishing the book book to take some notes and to underline those super cool quotes I heard.

I recognize that it was written during a time where the power of women may have been shunned and people were much more conservative. But I'm excited about life and no book could change my mind about that, lol. Great tools to add to your shelf and mind. DIG IN! Sk

[Birgit Aljaste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m known for my ability to do a hundred things at the same time & pushing boundaries. But doing that has required so much growth & discipline of me.

And even though I have achieved my goals this far exactly as planned - one shouldn’t really experiment with one’s health & well-being.

This book came to teach me exactly the right things at a time when my focus is strongly on my body - both spirituality and physical strenght.

[Mhd Nabil Zakariya · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب مفيد و لكنه يحتاج إلى تركيز عالي, يحوي على بعض التمارين العملية في فن التركيز وجدتها مفيدة إلى حدٍ ما...

[Dwight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read with wonderful exercises to increase your level of focus and concentration.

[الزهراء · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
الكتاب يحتوى على افكار مختلفة وجديدة عن معنى التركيز ، وكيف يمكن استغلال قوة التركيز لتحقيق السعادة.. يحتاج الكتاب إلى وقت وذهن صافى لاستيعاب أفكاره وتطبيق التمارين الموجودة به

فالتركيز عادة تكتسب وأسلوب حياة يؤدى إلى تغيير شامل ..
عندما تطور من نفسك باستمرار وتتطلع إلى آفاق جديدة من العلم والمعرفة ، فأنت تدرب عقلك باستمرار وتزيد من قواك الذهنية التى بدورها تزيد من قوة تركيزك
عندما تتخلص من عاداتك التى لا قيمة لها والتى تستهلك من طاقتك ووقتك ، وتكتسب بدلا منها عادات نافعة تقربك من أهدافك أكثر ، فهذا يساعدك على التركيز والوصول إلى ما تتمنى
عندما تتحكم فى مشاعرك وأحاسيسك وانفعالاتك ، وتتحكم فى أفعالك وحركات جسمك اللاإرادية ، فهذا يقلل من مصادر التشتت ويساعدك على التركيز
عندما تدرس نفسك باستمرار .. عيوبك ومميزاتك .. رغباتك ومتطلباتك .. تقيم أدائك فى العمل .. وتفكر باستمرار كيف تزيد من فعاليتك وإنجازاتك باستخدام ما تملك من طاقات وقدرات .. تتعلم أكثر من أخطائك والتحديات التى تواجهها .. تركز أكثر لتحقق ما تريد

الكتاب مفيد لمحبى التنمية البشرية .. كلما طبقت أفكاره أكثر كلما زادت استفادتك منه
.

[Thordur · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short book, but it inholds lots of information about being positive, optimistic, successful and plainly happy. The focus is on concentrating on what you are actually doing every day. If your mind is not focused and you are not listening to what people are saying you aren't getting as much success in life as you should have. The author goes much deeper than that. You can be whatever you want to be and have whatever you want to have. Just be positive about it, have faith, and be optimistic. And concentrate on what you really want.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat

Pretty neat book
Pros
-lots of good information that'll help you
-pushes forward the ideal of self reliance
-Lots of thoughts regarding why and how people fail and for what reasons
Cons
-author rambles a bit
-repeats a lot of stuff throughout the book

Overall it's a good book

[Bhavana Varma · Rating 1 out of 5]

What worked -
Chapters listing exercises to improve concentration.

What didn't work-
The rest of the book
Rehashing things that others have said was a drag
He took manifestation too far and said you can control what others do with concentration and manifestation.
Christianity is brought in to prove a point. Personally, I don't like religion dragged into any self help book.

[Derrickteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book!

[Floyd John Barbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay.

[Mohamed Nadjib Mami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a landmark in its topic, can't argue with that. However, I have two remarks (not critics): (1) the book has been written in an era that it quite different from the one we are living in today. That says, the advise given doesn't suit quite well with the type of concentration we are concerned with, namely, era of the Internet, social network explosion, technology diversion, bro-science, etc. (2) the book's focus is more on why concentration is good (power of concentration), but not that much, or at least as much as one might firstly image, on how to increase the concentration. So, if you are looking for a book that is 90% teaching you how to improve your concentration and fight distraction, then you probably are better off with other works.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend at work gave me a copy of this audiobook to listen too. Thought Ok, should be good. Wasn't so much current. For many of the recommendations, I had to control my laughter. It wasn't until I was more than half way through before it was pointed out that this was a early 1900's book. Once I heard that, still lots of laughter, but at least I knew why.

On the positive side of this review. Yes, there are some interesting exercises discussed late in teh book that look to provide focus in one's life. Also yes, in the early 1900's with no tv and electricity, maybe sitting around and concentrating on something really really really hard did make those dreams come true.

[Matjaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite some outdated words and views this book has some amazingly timeless passages.

If you're looking for some personal development self-help reading look no further, this is the only thing you need to read. Not much has changed in 100 years.

Procrastination, focus, self-improvement, path to riches... I dare to bet that every author that has dabbled in this sort of literature has read this work and devised his own self-help mumbo jumbo around it.

[Jonathan Harbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information with included exercises directed primarily toward men and business. I plan to listen to this several more times since the advice and practices are dense.

[Baroness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn’t get anymore real then this. A must read.

[Alex Makatsaria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy shit.

[مُحمّد عبد الحليم · Rating 1 out of 5]

كلام فارغ ... ولعل الترجمة هي السبب
لكن هذا الشيء = مضيعة للوقت

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
* -} ? {- *
~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:- ? -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * /10 * -:}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

[Surabhila · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are several attributes of the nineteenth century that are instilled in this book which will make you go Ugh!

Heard the audiobook at 2x speed.

Let me check if having heard the word "concentration" over a hundred times in one day has some effect on me.

[Siddharatha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given when the book was written, the context may be a bit outdated. But beyond the fluff there is a solid foundation advocating the importance of the ability to focus and what can be accomplished in doing so. I listened to it as an audiobook and I feel that is probably the best way to intake this text. It is like one of those books that you can have in the background and subsciously absorb the information. Has a great chapter on practical exercises to master your concentration, but other than that it's really just advocating the importance of the power of concentration. I will personally listen to it a couple times over during my commute to work simply to instill the ideas in my brain and subconsciously program myself.

[Ahmed Faiq · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most precious books that are there on the Net for free, I enjoyed an audio version on YouTube, just like many other important titles, especially in the field of self-help and Human development.
Although it is a bit old, but it gives many beautiful ideas and exercises the reader can benefit from to gain maximum concentration and then increase one's performance.
It is important to have believe in the subject to be able to digest it, as many ideas are spiritual and have influences from Buddhism and Hinduism.

[Hayden Fuchino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some wonderful gems are scattered throughout this short book, and the author writes with a commanding, powerful, authoritative voice. It's a bit of proto-mindfulness from over a hundred years ago. However, the author distinctly neglects to acknowledge social position, class, race, gender, or any other barrier that one might face when seeking success. Achieving success is not so easy as Dumont says, but there are kernels of wisdom throughout this work.

[Tao Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

health is the only hindrance of success. An untrained mind can make it impossible to concentrate. Steady calm and control will increase will power. A Feeble mind is a lack of weak mind with lack of will. You must not waste your time reading bad newspaper and news headlines, you will create a poor mind. Impulsive one moment and calm the next is not cultivating the best mind. When you are talking to anyone, do not let your attention wander - give them you undivided attention. Concentration is success. Do not lose your eyes, when you are talking to someone or a big group. All kinds of excitement can be bad when you are trying to concentrate. You need to be very careful about what you concentrate on, because concentrating on a lot of things at once can confuse you. You can't do everything well, but only a few things well, and that will shape your life. The mind is part muscle and it is important to exercise if you want to maximize your thoughts and mind health. It is easier to talk than to listen. So, listen more than you talk. Have a good handshake - master the handshake. Shake many hands and use a hand sanitizer and use it often + lotion. If you do not care about something, you will never have a will to make it better. That's the law of all things that you are attracted to. A focused person is a calm person - this is how dogs think as well. If you don't have temper, no one can arouse you. You must concentrate more and extend the more than average person. Despair is the enemy of success. You must get up and walk outside in nature to calm your mind to concentrate better once you get back to your task. People are habit machines - create the right kind of habits. You are not getting any younger. No man is stronger than his habit. If you have bad habits, you will not seek the goods. If you have good habits, you will not seek the bads. Aim so high that when you don't reach it, you still have reached by a long stride. You must have a burning desire for something. Too much rest is laziness. Surround yourself with helpful influences. Do not waste your time and spend time in frivolous activities. Do not become a heavy consumer and always be a producer. Constantly try to improve your methods. What worked well yesterday, may not work well today. Plan the day before. Resolve to accomplish this. Some of your brain cells will get tired and you will need to retire those cells for the day and then you must find other things to do that are productive to energize and keep those cells going. The hardest part of work is thinking about it. It is nothing when you are there. Write down things that you read and do it. No ones will is stronger than mine.

[Seemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book - am very surprised I have neither heard of the boom or author before, but came across it by chance - yet I believe this book was right up there with the classic "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill - just as in depth in many ways and powerful explanation the power of our mind and how I can impact many aspects of our lives

To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
Waseem.tv/Blog

👆🏼 P.S -
If you found this review helpful - I’d like to invite you to discover more on our blog. Where the community share some of our most important insights to level up each others knowledge 💡- from experience in studying books like this, training programs, podcasts and much more - visit the blog link above to find out more.

P.P.S 😅 - You probably noticed from my profile that I’ve reviewed a LOT of books over the years now - if you love seeking knowledge like me I’d love to connect with you further as a like minded person (send me a friend invite! 😀) - Also if you are curious - here is my preferred and recommended resource for seeking timeless wisdom - Check it out via the website invite link below 👇🏼 (You’ll be able to claim some awesome books for free 📚)

https://Waseem.tv/GoodReadsBookInvite

[Bady · Rating 1 out of 5]

This must be the worst book I ever read.
Despite being outdated (hence being quite sexist, so keep in mind that the book is pretty old) the ideas presented in this book are ridiculous. For example: you are able to stop your heartbeat for 5 minutes and then "turn it back on" by sheer willpower...(please don't try this). Sometimes the book seems to talk about things absolutely unrelated to concentration, like cosmic rays or the power of God.
The only nice parts of this book are the exercises, because if you have problems concentrating, they might help you indeed.
What can be taken from this book is "believe in yourself", but that is it.
All in all it is a waste of time.

[Nakeita]

I'm not a big fan of audio books, I usually like the traditional smell, feel and look of a good ole book, but I have to admit that I looked forward to listening to this book on my way to work. It had very interesting advice and covered a topic often overlooked. I have some exercises to commit to after listening to this and I will listen to it again.

[Hafsa El Kamous · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could a book so old be so complete. I honestly regret following the latest personal development books while such a treasure exists, and could be downloaded free from the internet.

I recommend this book for everyone. Pedagogical, concise and informative, it is the dream book. I have read it 4 times and I feel the need to read it more.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

The new thought movement of of the early 1900's. Will yourself out of disease and depression. Will yourself to success! Some great exercises such as stare at a doorknob for ten minutes without moving. Guess I won't be rich because I do not have the will to stare at the doorknob.