Book Excerpts:
WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST?
Is It Money, Fame, Power, Contentment, Personality, Peace of Mind, Happiness?
The Thirteen Steps to Riches described in this book offer the shortest
dependable philosophy of individual achievement ever presented for the benefit
of the man or woman who is searching for a definite goal in life.
Before beginning the book you will profit greatly if you recognize the fact that the book was not written
to entertain. You cannot digest the contents properly
in a week or a month. After reading the book thoroughly, Dr. Miller Reese Hutchison, nationally
known Consulting Engineer and long-time associate of
Thomas A. Edison, said ‘This is not a novel. It is a
textbook on individual achievement that came directly from the experiences of hundreds of America's most
successful men.
It should be studied, digested, and meditated upon. No more than one chapter should be
read in a single night. The reader should underline the sentences which impress him most. Later, he
should go back to these marked lines and read them again. A real student will not merely read this book,
he will absorb its contents and make them his own.
This book should be adopted by all high schools and no boy or girl should be permitted to graduate
without having satisfactorily passed an examination
on it. This philosophy will not take the place of the subjects taught in schools, but it will enable one to
organize and apply the knowledge acquired, and
convert it into useful service and adequate compensation without waste of time.
Dr. John R. Turner, Dean of the College of The City of New York,
after having read the book, said— ‘The very best example of the soundness of this philosophy is your
own son, Blair, whose dramatic story you have outlined in the chapter on Desire.’ Dr. Turner had
reference to the author's son, who, born without normal hearing capacity,
not only avoided becoming a deaf mute, but actually converted his handicap into a
priceless asset by applying the philosophy here described.
After reading the story (starting on page 52), you will realize that you are about to come into
possession of a philosophy which can be transmuted into material wealth, or serve as readily to bring
you peace of mind, understanding, spiritual harmony, and in some instances, as in the case of the author's
son, it can. help you master physical affliction. The author discovered, through personally analyzing
hundreds of successful men, that all of them followed the habit of exchanging ideas, through what is
commonly called conferences.
When they had problems to be solved they sat down together and talked freely
until they discovered, from their joint contribution of ideas, a plan that would serve their purpose.
You, who read this book, will get most out of it by putting into practice the Master Mind principle
described in the book.
This you can do (as others are doing so successfully) by forming a study club,
consisting of any desired number of people who are friendly and harmonious. The club should have a
meeting at regular periods, as often as once each
week. The procedure should consist of reading one chapter of the book at each meeting, after which the
contents of the chapter should be freely discussed by all members.
Each member should make notes, putting down ALL IDEAS OF HIS OWN inspired by the discussion.
Each member should carefully read and analyze each chapter several days prior to its open reading and
joint discussion in the club. The reading at the club
should be done by someone who reads well and understands how to put color and feeling into the
lines.
By following this plan every reader will get from its pages, not only the sum total of the best
knowledge organized from the experiences of hundreds of successful men, but more important by far,
he will tap new sources of knowledge in his own mind as well
as acquire knowledge of priceless value FROM EVERY OTHER PERSON PRESENT.
If you follow this plan persistently you will be almost certain to uncover
and appropriate the secret formula by which Andrew Carnegie acquired his huge fortune, as referred to in
the author's introduction.
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