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The Power of Concentration (Condensed Classics): The Classic to Harnessing Your Mental Power from the Immortal Author of The Kybalion
This May Be the Most Extraordinary and Life-Changing Book You Ever Encounter
In this epic yet remarkably simple volume, Theron Q. Dumont-the pseudonym of William Walker Atkinson, author of the legendary work The Kybalion-shows how proper concentration can bring you into an entirely new world of personal magnetism, success, and effectiveness.
We grossly undervalue the power of our thoughts. But this simple program of mental focus will vastly increase your power, charisma, and self-mastery. You will think better, do more, and experience greater respect and success.
Newly abridged and introduced by PEN Award-winning historian and New Thought writer Mitch Horowitz, this condensation provides you, in a very short space of time, all the elements and principles of Atkinson's mind-power program, which you can put into use right now to create a better, more dynamic self.
In this epic yet remarkably simple volume, Theron Q. Dumont-the pseudonym of William Walker Atkinson, author of the legendary work The Kybalion-shows how proper concentration can bring you into an entirely new world of personal magnetism, success, and effectiveness.
We grossly undervalue the power of our thoughts. But this simple program of mental focus will vastly increase your power, charisma, and self-mastery. You will think better, do more, and experience greater respect and success.
Newly abridged and introduced by PEN Award-winning historian and New Thought writer Mitch Horowitz, this condensation provides you, in a very short space of time, all the elements and principles of Atkinson's mind-power program, which you can put into use right now to create a better, more dynamic self.
104 pages, Paperback
Published October 9, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 6, 2021
For a book that is now over a century old this is not a bad self-help book on improving one’s concentration. Those who have read any productivity/self-help book written in the past 2 decades, or attended a corporate "seminar" or conference on self-development, the material found here will be familiar, and that’s probably because much of the current crop of productivity gurus/authors like Covey, Zigler, Tracey, etc., have done a bit of cribbing from writers like Dumont, or his contemporary Dale Carnegie or Napoleon Hill (who may have been a legitimate conman).
Among the many things these people have in common is a link with some form of ‘spirituality’, ‘esoterica’ or religiosity. In the case of someone like Covey, a member of the LDS, and many other lesser-known productivity authors/speakers, are also similar in affiliation with either the LDS or a form of evangelical Christianity. Oftentimes the productivity-enhancing advice is seen virtuous when viewed from the perspective of the “protestant work ethic” and there is definitely connections to these notions and the prosperity gospel movement, which also finds it’s genesis within the same era of Carnegie and Hill (if not a bit earlier).
In the case of Dumont, he was a “student” of “eastern” religions/philosophies as well as the esoterica (otherwise known as the occult). Though, much of his writings in this book have strong connections to meditation Buddhism. Specifically, many of the ‘concentration’ exercises he suggests for the reader seem close to the kind of centering/meditations Buddhist engage in to excepl thought from their mind (which ironically takes a good amount of concentration).
Dumont makes clear a few times that the reader should not simply expect any results by just reading the pages, and this is correct. With respect to improving one’s concentration it is similar to doing reps for exercises. Reading 10 pages of a book for a week, seems to make it easier for someone to read 20 pages the weeks after. This is true for even more mentally complex activities, say writing code or proving theorems. Except for those activities, there are many places where one can get stuck in a rut without deliberate self-correction.
THe other part of Dumont’s books, which is that the “will” of one’s wishes is strong enough to materialize it into being is also very familiar. In more recent times, Dilbert creator and “political commentator” (?) Scott Adams has promoted the notion of “affirmations”, which is effectively the same idea (and he’s even suggested that the reason it works is also non-rational). Although this bit can be a bit absurd, there is a rational explanation for why “willing” something often (though not always, or not even in the majority perhaps) relate to “getting something done” , and that’s just because often getting things done is not just doing one “big thing”, but instead doing many small things consistently, and chipping away at something until you gain traction, and if one is constantly “willing” something to happen, there is a decent chance they are actively doing things to make that thing happen. Though this is not always the case, and in recent eras, there’ve been many who have fallen into the trap of “reading” on how to improve their productivity, but not actually doing anything about it. Also, as other books in the genre have pointed out, like the eponymous “Willpower is Not Enough”, one must actively shape their environment to make something more likely on top of having “will” to do something.
This verbiage also seems arcane, and that’s because it’s very much an artifact of the 20s and 30s, with comical examples of it in the United States including “boosters” (people who “boosted” things, like companies, cities, stocks, businesses etc.), or more darkly, the Nazi ideology, which spoke ad-nasuem on the “truimph of the will”. The ideas shouldn’t be discounted on those merits however, one definitely needs at least some will power to get things done, maybe a better term is conviction.
Overall, I found the book a better example of self-help/productivity in the genre. It is less vague than the average installment in the field, though not as concrete as more contemporary authors like Cal Newport, it’s still worth a listen if you’re needing a “boost” (pun-intended). Conditional recommemnd
Among the many things these people have in common is a link with some form of ‘spirituality’, ‘esoterica’ or religiosity. In the case of someone like Covey, a member of the LDS, and many other lesser-known productivity authors/speakers, are also similar in affiliation with either the LDS or a form of evangelical Christianity. Oftentimes the productivity-enhancing advice is seen virtuous when viewed from the perspective of the “protestant work ethic” and there is definitely connections to these notions and the prosperity gospel movement, which also finds it’s genesis within the same era of Carnegie and Hill (if not a bit earlier).
In the case of Dumont, he was a “student” of “eastern” religions/philosophies as well as the esoterica (otherwise known as the occult). Though, much of his writings in this book have strong connections to meditation Buddhism. Specifically, many of the ‘concentration’ exercises he suggests for the reader seem close to the kind of centering/meditations Buddhist engage in to excepl thought from their mind (which ironically takes a good amount of concentration).
Dumont makes clear a few times that the reader should not simply expect any results by just reading the pages, and this is correct. With respect to improving one’s concentration it is similar to doing reps for exercises. Reading 10 pages of a book for a week, seems to make it easier for someone to read 20 pages the weeks after. This is true for even more mentally complex activities, say writing code or proving theorems. Except for those activities, there are many places where one can get stuck in a rut without deliberate self-correction.
THe other part of Dumont’s books, which is that the “will” of one’s wishes is strong enough to materialize it into being is also very familiar. In more recent times, Dilbert creator and “political commentator” (?) Scott Adams has promoted the notion of “affirmations”, which is effectively the same idea (and he’s even suggested that the reason it works is also non-rational). Although this bit can be a bit absurd, there is a rational explanation for why “willing” something often (though not always, or not even in the majority perhaps) relate to “getting something done” , and that’s just because often getting things done is not just doing one “big thing”, but instead doing many small things consistently, and chipping away at something until you gain traction, and if one is constantly “willing” something to happen, there is a decent chance they are actively doing things to make that thing happen. Though this is not always the case, and in recent eras, there’ve been many who have fallen into the trap of “reading” on how to improve their productivity, but not actually doing anything about it. Also, as other books in the genre have pointed out, like the eponymous “Willpower is Not Enough”, one must actively shape their environment to make something more likely on top of having “will” to do something.
This verbiage also seems arcane, and that’s because it’s very much an artifact of the 20s and 30s, with comical examples of it in the United States including “boosters” (people who “boosted” things, like companies, cities, stocks, businesses etc.), or more darkly, the Nazi ideology, which spoke ad-nasuem on the “truimph of the will”. The ideas shouldn’t be discounted on those merits however, one definitely needs at least some will power to get things done, maybe a better term is conviction.
Overall, I found the book a better example of self-help/productivity in the genre. It is less vague than the average installment in the field, though not as concrete as more contemporary authors like Cal Newport, it’s still worth a listen if you’re needing a “boost” (pun-intended). Conditional recommemnd
January 20, 2022
Doesn't include any practical advice!
March 5, 2022
Concentration is very important skill for success but I little bit misleading this book hhe
January 1, 2024
Worth revisiting when you need a reminder about the power of your our willpower
*revisited and enjoyed a little more second go around. Nice start of year read. Time to lock in 🏔️
*revisited and enjoyed a little more second go around. Nice start of year read. Time to lock in 🏔️
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews