书城英文图书思考致富(英文朗读版)
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第1章 TRIBUTES TO THE AUTHOR(1)

From Great American Leaders

“THINK AND GROW RICH” was 25 years in the making. It is Napoleon Hill’s newest book, basedupon his famous Law of Success Philosophy. Hiswork and writings have been praised by great leadersin Finance, Education, Politics, Government.

Supreme Court of the United States

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Hill:—

I have now had an opportunity to finish readingyour Law of Success textbooks and I wish to expressmy appreciation of the splendid work you have donein the organization of this philosophy.

It would be helpful if every politician in thecountry would assimilate and apply the 17 principlesupon which your lessons are based. It contains somevery fine material which every leader in every walkof life should understand.

I am happy to have had the privilege of renderingyou some slight measure of help in the organization ofthis splendid course of “common sense” philosophy.

Sincerely yours

(Former President and former Chief Justice of theUnited States)KING OF THE 5 AND 10 CENT STORES“By applying many of the 17 fundamentals of theLaw of Success philosophy we have built a greatchain of successful stores. I presume it would beno exaggeration of fact if I said that the WoolworthBuilding might properly be called a monument tothe soundness of these principles.”

—F. W. WOOLWORTH

A GREAT STEAMSHIP MAGNATE

“I feel greatly indebted for the privilege of readingyour Law of Success. If I had had this philosophyfifty years ago, I suppose I could have accomplishedall that I have done in less than half the time. Isincerely hope the world will discover and rewardyou.”

—ROBERT DOLLAR

FAMOUS AMERICAN LABOR LEADER

“Mastery of the Law of Success philosophy is theequivalent of an insurance policy against failure.”

—SAMUEL GOMPERS

A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

“May I not congratulate you on your persistence.

Any man who devotes that much time . . . must ofnecessity make discoveries of great value to others.

1 am deeply impressed by your interpretation of theTHINK AND GROW RICH‘Master Mind’ principles which you have so clearlydescribed.”

—WOODROW WILSON

A MERCHANT PRINCE

“I know that your 17 fundamentals of success aresound because I have been applying them in mybusiness for more than 30 years.”

—JOHN WANAMAKER

WORLD’S LARGEST MAKER OF CAMERAS

“I know that you are doing a world of good withyour Law of Success. I would not care to set amonetary value on this training because it brings tothe student qualities which cannot be measured bymoney, alone.”

—GEORGE EASTMAN

A NATIONALLY KNOWN BUSINESS CHIEF

“Whatever success I may have attained I owe,entirely, to the application of your 17 fundamentalprinciples of the Law of Success. I believe I have thehonor of being your first student.”

—WM. WRIGLEY, JR.

TRIBUTES TO THE AUTHOR

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

IN EVERY chapter of this book, mention has beenmade of the money-making secret which has madefortunes for more than five hundred exceedinglywealthy men whom I have carefully analyzed over along period of years.

The secret was brought to my attention by AndrewCarnegie, more than a quarter of a century ago. Thecanny, lovable old Scotsman carelessly tossed it intomy mind, when I was but a boy. Then he sat back in hischair, with a merry twinkle in his eyes, and watchedcarefully to see if I had brains enough to understandthe full significance of what he had said to me.

When he saw that I had grasped the idea, he asked if I would be willing to spend twenty yearsor more, preparing myself to take it to the world, tomen and women who, without the secret, might gothrough life as failures. I said I would, and with Mr. Carnegie’s cooperation, I have kept my promise.

This book contains the secret, after having beenput to a practical test by thousands of people, inalmost every walk of life. It was Mr. Carnegie’sidea that the magic formula, which gave him astupendous fortune, ought to be placed within reachof people who do not have time to investigate howmen make money, and it was his hope that I mighttest and demonstrate the soundness of the formulathrough the experience of men and women in everycalling. He believed the formula should be taught in·001·all public schools and colleges, and expressed theopinion that if it were properly taught it would sorevolutionize the entire educational system that thetime spent in school could be reduced to less thanhalf.

His experience with Charles M. Schwab, and otheryoung men of Mr. Schwab’s type, convinced Mr. Carnegie that much of that which is taught in theschools is of no value whatsoever in connection withthe business of earning a living or accumulatingriches. He had arrived at this decision, because hehad taken into his business one young man afteranother, many of them with but little schooling,and by coaching them in the use of this formula,developed in them rare leadership. Moreover, hiscoaching made fortunes for everyone of them whofollowed his instructions.

In the chapter on Faith, you will read the astounding story of the organization of the giantUnited States Steel Corporation, as it was conceivedand carried out by one of the young men throughwhom Mr. Carnegie proved that his formula willwork for all who are ready for it. This singleapplication of the secret, by that young man—Charles M. Schwab—made him a huge fortune inboth money and OPPORTUNITY. Roughly speaking,this particular application of the formula was worthsix hundred million dollars.

These facts-and they are facts well known to almost everyone who knew Mr. Carnegie—give you a fair idea of what the reading of this book maybring to you, provided you KNOW WHAT IT IS THATYOU WANT.