One of the very first personal development books was “Think And Grow Rich” by the awesome Napoleon Hill. inspired by Andrew Carnegie and published in 1937.

At Carnegie’s bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of these achievers and developed fifteen “laws” intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. “Think and Grow Rich!” itself condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement. Reflected in these principles is the importance of cultivating a burning desire, faith, autosuggestion and persistence in the attainment of one’s goals. Hill also discusses the importance of overcoming many of the common fears that can adversely affect one’s thinking and potential.

You can read the original work online here:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/tgr/#contents

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