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The Path to Personal Power
This true lost manuscript from the "grandfather of self-help," Napoleon Hill provides timeless wisdom on how to attain a more successful and wealthy life using simple principles. Napoleon Hill first wrote The Path to Personal Power in 1941, intending it as a handbook for people lifting themselves out of the Great Depression. But upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into World War II, these lessons were put aside and largely forgotten--until today.Discovered in the archives of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, this never-before-published work is made up of three easily digested lessons, each its own Definteness of Purpose; the Master Mind; and Going the Extra Mile.This concise book is a powerful roadmap that leads to a single discovery--you already have the power to attain whatever wealth, success, and prosperity you desire in life. All you need to do is walk the path without straying, and the rest will follow.Using these lessons, you have principles to live by that will help you stay on your own personal path to power, and achieve success that you never thought possible.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2017
333 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Napoleon Hill
1,805 books5,368 followersOliver Napoleon Hill was an American self-help author and conman. He is best known for his book Think and Grow Rich (1937), which is among the best-selling self-help books of all time. Hill's works insisted that fervid expectations are essential to improving one's life. Most of his books were promoted as expounding principles to achieve "success".
Hill is a controversial figure. Accused of fraud, modern historians also doubt many of his claims, such as that he met Andrew Carnegie and that he was an attorney.
Hill is a controversial figure. Accused of fraud, modern historians also doubt many of his claims, such as that he met Andrew Carnegie and that he was an attorney.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 27, 2018
This book taken a lot of key points from other books by Napoleon Hill like Think and Grow Rich or The Master Keys to Riches. However, I think it is a great because it helps re-enforced all the key points from the other books. As you see the same principle mentioned, you will start to absorb the information better. Seeing the idea once you might forget but reading from one book to another and seeing that idea again you will start to pay attention to it.
August 10, 2017
My Recommendation: If you're able to go into this book with an open mind acknowledging that this is a snapshot of America at a certain time period then it's worth a read. If you take the three concepts of Definiteness of Purpose, The Mater Mind Principle, and Going the Extra Mile and connect them to modern workforce examples then this book is well worth the read. I know I struggled, not because of the concepts or the application, but I just couldn't get my mind over that 75 year snapshot hurdle for some reason. I hope Think and Grow Rich aged better, because I know I will read that eventually.
My Response: Once you start reading self-help novels, you open the floodgates to anything and everything. From journals and experiential books like How to be Happy (Or at Least Less Sad) to the more spiritual books like The Power of Forgiveness the broadness of the genre is breathtaking. Just check out my nonfiction page, most of those are self-help with a few biographies/history book sprinkled throughout.
When the publisher reached out to me about this and I saw on Goodreads (of all places - it's also on the back cover) that Napoleon Hill is the "grandfather of self-help" how could I turn it down?* It looks like TarcherPerigee might be turning these into a series, The Mental Dynamite Series, but I'm not sure I would the next one. Even before they'd reached out to me I added Hill's Think and Grow Rich book to my list as it's one of the personal finance books to read.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest opinion, no additional goods or money were exchanged.
My Response: Once you start reading self-help novels, you open the floodgates to anything and everything. From journals and experiential books like How to be Happy (Or at Least Less Sad) to the more spiritual books like The Power of Forgiveness the broadness of the genre is breathtaking. Just check out my nonfiction page, most of those are self-help with a few biographies/history book sprinkled throughout.
When the publisher reached out to me about this and I saw on Goodreads (of all places - it's also on the back cover) that Napoleon Hill is the "grandfather of self-help" how could I turn it down?* It looks like TarcherPerigee might be turning these into a series, The Mental Dynamite Series, but I'm not sure I would the next one. Even before they'd reached out to me I added Hill's Think and Grow Rich book to my list as it's one of the personal finance books to read.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest opinion, no additional goods or money were exchanged.
September 19, 2017
It's interesting to go through this book and realize you are reading something so foundational, ideas that went on to shape the world—for better and for worse. I agreed with some of the steps and advice here, especially the idea of finding, defining, and pursuing a purpose. It's also cool to see how his work is the backbone for things like the Law of Attraction and manifestation, and things like the Wheel of Fortune were mentioned, all ideas and concepts that I regularly encounter as a tarot card reader. You would think the leap from early self help that's heavily informed by business practices and capitalism would be a far cry away from tarot and New Age movements, but I guess it's not that much of a gap. (After all, tarot, New Age, and the Law of Attraction are all multimillion dollar industries that also capture people's need for guidance on how to improve their life and get what they want.) I'm also a proponent of entrepreneurialism, and I do believe that someone can acquire knowledge and skills on their own even if they don't have access to formal education. I liked how Hill and the people he interviewed made it seem like their success was entirely accessible and replicable, not something that only people with a trust fund, an angel investor, and no student loans can obtain. I loved the shoutout to libraries as being a place where people can get such an education. (No surprise, Andrew Carnegie was instrumental in helping to found public libraries all across America.)
However, it was a little weird to read some of these interviews with men like Carnegie and realize that some of the virtues that they describe and their approach to business, economics, and managing also are some of the guiding principles of our capitalist society. It's like you step into history and see how these men become "heroes" of industry and influence American today, in the new millennium, when Conservatives and others adopt some of the same hard-ass guidelines. Like, a man should always do more than he is expected, more than he is required, in his job and not expect to get paid for it since he is going "above and beyond" to prove he is worthy of a raise and/or promotion.
No, sorry, that guy should be paid for his time.
Or Carnegie's feeling towards charity, a polite way of saying "no handouts." There you go, there's the root of the gold old American tension between providing social services and a safety net for people in suffering and the opponents who say these people are freeloaders and dead beats sucking the life out of our economy and society.
Then you have to look at people who Hill and his buddies use as examples, like Henry Ford and Walter Chrysler. Sure, they built very successful companies in the automobile industry, but we all know what happened in the last decade, when changing labor patterns precipitated the near-death of the automobile industry and manufacturing mecca in Michigan that Hill loves.
Another example: Hill and his interviewees all think the stock market and Wall Street should be celebrated instead of regulated. They believe that the American government and Constitution are a kind of utopia, operating in a continual harmony where things get done, Congressmen from different parties catch up over lunch, and it's just, aw shucks, just so perfect and perfectly American, the country with no problems that cannot be overcome with a little elbow grease and unpaid overtime and free coffee and danish after church on Sunday.
The problem is, that philosophy is exactly why America today is divided, our government gridlocked by partisan fighting (and infighting), lobbyists, excessive spending, cuts to entitlement and social welfare programs, and people in the Rust Belt Napoleon Hill and his friends praised so much laid waste, unemployed, angry, and wondering how they got cut out of the American dream we are told is our destiny, like it's an article in the Constitution and not actually, well, a dream, which is by definition not a reality, and certainly not a guarantee. These "titans of industry" helped create the forces that would put in play our country's Great Recession, the betrayal of the everyday man by the Wall Street and bankers they endorse.
So while I do appreciate the mindset presented here, and I like the spirit that someone scrappy enough can overcome adversity, I felt dropped down into a film reel reading these interviews and lectures and witnessing the dawn of a new socio-economic-political movement that I don't think has overall helped our country for the better. These men mythologized the currents of capitalism that directly contributed to mass unemployment and a Great Recession as bad as the Great Depression they claimed their philosophies helped overcome.
You can trace a straight line from this kind of hodgepodge glorification of capitalist leaders who have achieved enormous wealth and success -- and the people who believe that if they just think about their goal long enough, they can accomplish the same things. It (rightly) gives people hope while manipulating those dreams to benefit the shareholders.
This was how the American promise was created.
And this is how the American promise failed, which led to a billionaire "outside" candidate winning on a new promise to "Make America Great Again" and blow up Washington.
In that room, I wish I could have turned off the tape recorder, unplugged any cameras recording the event, and put up a sign on the door saying, "Lecture Canceled." I'd rather hear from laborers, unions, the poor, the disabled, the unemployed, women, minorities, and ask them, "What does your power look like to you?"
And: "How can we help you get it?"
Read this for my work as an Instaread Research Editor.
However, it was a little weird to read some of these interviews with men like Carnegie and realize that some of the virtues that they describe and their approach to business, economics, and managing also are some of the guiding principles of our capitalist society. It's like you step into history and see how these men become "heroes" of industry and influence American today, in the new millennium, when Conservatives and others adopt some of the same hard-ass guidelines. Like, a man should always do more than he is expected, more than he is required, in his job and not expect to get paid for it since he is going "above and beyond" to prove he is worthy of a raise and/or promotion.
No, sorry, that guy should be paid for his time.
Or Carnegie's feeling towards charity, a polite way of saying "no handouts." There you go, there's the root of the gold old American tension between providing social services and a safety net for people in suffering and the opponents who say these people are freeloaders and dead beats sucking the life out of our economy and society.
Then you have to look at people who Hill and his buddies use as examples, like Henry Ford and Walter Chrysler. Sure, they built very successful companies in the automobile industry, but we all know what happened in the last decade, when changing labor patterns precipitated the near-death of the automobile industry and manufacturing mecca in Michigan that Hill loves.
Another example: Hill and his interviewees all think the stock market and Wall Street should be celebrated instead of regulated. They believe that the American government and Constitution are a kind of utopia, operating in a continual harmony where things get done, Congressmen from different parties catch up over lunch, and it's just, aw shucks, just so perfect and perfectly American, the country with no problems that cannot be overcome with a little elbow grease and unpaid overtime and free coffee and danish after church on Sunday.
The problem is, that philosophy is exactly why America today is divided, our government gridlocked by partisan fighting (and infighting), lobbyists, excessive spending, cuts to entitlement and social welfare programs, and people in the Rust Belt Napoleon Hill and his friends praised so much laid waste, unemployed, angry, and wondering how they got cut out of the American dream we are told is our destiny, like it's an article in the Constitution and not actually, well, a dream, which is by definition not a reality, and certainly not a guarantee. These "titans of industry" helped create the forces that would put in play our country's Great Recession, the betrayal of the everyday man by the Wall Street and bankers they endorse.
So while I do appreciate the mindset presented here, and I like the spirit that someone scrappy enough can overcome adversity, I felt dropped down into a film reel reading these interviews and lectures and witnessing the dawn of a new socio-economic-political movement that I don't think has overall helped our country for the better. These men mythologized the currents of capitalism that directly contributed to mass unemployment and a Great Recession as bad as the Great Depression they claimed their philosophies helped overcome.
You can trace a straight line from this kind of hodgepodge glorification of capitalist leaders who have achieved enormous wealth and success -- and the people who believe that if they just think about their goal long enough, they can accomplish the same things. It (rightly) gives people hope while manipulating those dreams to benefit the shareholders.
This was how the American promise was created.
And this is how the American promise failed, which led to a billionaire "outside" candidate winning on a new promise to "Make America Great Again" and blow up Washington.
In that room, I wish I could have turned off the tape recorder, unplugged any cameras recording the event, and put up a sign on the door saying, "Lecture Canceled." I'd rather hear from laborers, unions, the poor, the disabled, the unemployed, women, minorities, and ask them, "What does your power look like to you?"
And: "How can we help you get it?"
Read this for my work as an Instaread Research Editor.
October 18, 2018
I read the Hungarian version that is named "Az erő útja" which translates more to "the path of power" and does not even imply it is "personal power". I have found this one having useful information in it - despite what I usually think about "success-related-books".
There are things I think very much differently than presented here, but the bullshit-content is much lesser than other works in similar topics so best read this. It also articulates the changes in times and what people think of success.
I dislike the rare parts when describing and explaining wrong events being good (when it was only luck or ugly), but it is much more rare than in todays works. It seems "success-authors" degraded over time :-(
There are things I think very much differently than presented here, but the bullshit-content is much lesser than other works in similar topics so best read this. It also articulates the changes in times and what people think of success.
I dislike the rare parts when describing and explaining wrong events being good (when it was only luck or ugly), but it is much more rare than in todays works. It seems "success-authors" degraded over time :-(
September 7, 2024
- ทำให้เราเป็นคนเก่งขึ้น แม้แต่เล็กน้อยก็ยังดี
- เนื้อหาส่วนใหญ่จะอยู่ในช่วงปฏิวัติอุตสาหกรรมของสหรัฐฯ
- หนังสือยกตัวอย่างบุคคลที่ประสบความสำเร็จในยุคนั้น เช่น โทมัน อัลวา เอดิสัน, เฮนรี่ ฟอร์ด, คาร์เนกี
- เป็นหนังสือสัมภาษณ์เพื่อหาจุดร่วมกันของบุคคลต่างๆ
- ซึ่งก็คือต้องมี 1.เป้าประสงค์ 2.อภิจิต 3.ทุ่มเทเกินร้อย
- หนังสือดี เหมาะกับบางช่วงเวลาเพื่อเสริมความรู้
- เนื้อหาส่วนใหญ่จะอยู่ในช่วงปฏิวัติอุตสาหกรรมของสหรัฐฯ
- หนังสือยกตัวอย่างบุคคลที่ประสบความสำเร็จในยุคนั้น เช่น โทมัน อัลวา เอดิสัน, เฮนรี่ ฟอร์ด, คาร์เนกี
- เป็นหนังสือสัมภาษณ์เพื่อหาจุดร่วมกันของบุคคลต่างๆ
- ซึ่งก็คือต้องมี 1.เป้าประสงค์ 2.อภิจิต 3.ทุ่มเทเกินร้อย
- หนังสือดี เหมาะกับบางช่วงเวลาเพื่อเสริมความรู้
March 1, 2019
The Carnegie interviews alone are worth the cost of this book. Napoleon Hill's books are full of gold nuggets of wisdom on individual achievement. Highly recommended; especially the chapter on the "habit of going the extra mile."
December 5, 2021
This book recaps on Definiteness of Purpose, and the 10 point personal power rules. Master mind alliance (very very important, since no man alone can achieve any noteworthy success), and finally Habit of doing more than paid for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2017
Yes.
Sure, it repeats and reviews the principles of Hill's previous books, but it presents everything in a better, clearer, more concise light. I love it.
Sure, it repeats and reviews the principles of Hill's previous books, but it presents everything in a better, clearer, more concise light. I love it.
March 19, 2018
great book that taught 3 important lessons. definiteness of purpose, master mind and going the extra mile.
March 20, 2018
Need to implement the principles in this book to see if it really works. will comeback and update on its progress.
January 21, 2023
Loved ‘Go the extra mile’ mentality!
August 4, 2024
The book is good.
I enjoyed reading the first part.
But it becomes very repetitive after and it felt like I was reading the same idea over and over again.
You kind of loose interest at the end.
I enjoyed reading the first part.
But it becomes very repetitive after and it felt like I was reading the same idea over and over again.
You kind of loose interest at the end.
November 16, 2025
Only reason I give this a 4 star is because it’s focused around the US. Otherwise the concept and content was very relevant. I related to it and hence I liked it!
October 22, 2017
Great book from the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Very motivational and will definitely empower you to get moving toward living the life you desire.
February 28, 2018
a must read that will change your perspective on what you choose to do to create success in your life!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews