What the Preface of Think and Grow Rich
Reveals About Success
Why are people still reading Think and Grow Rich nearly 90 years after it was written?
In this video and article, I explore one powerful idea hidden in the preface that might explain why the book still resonates today.
Note to the Reader: The edition I’m referencing is the 1937 edition.
Why Read a Book Written in 1937?
Why read a book published nearly a century ago?
That’s a fair question.
Today we have unlimited access to personal development advice. Books, podcasts, YouTube videos, online courses—there’s no shortage of people explaining how to become successful, productive, wealthy, or fulfilled.
So why go back to something written in 1937?
Because sometimes the ideas that last the longest are the ones worth paying attention to.
Think and Grow Rich has been read by millions of people for almost ninety years. It continues to appear on bestseller lists, recommended reading lists, and the bookshelves of entrepreneurs and dreamers around the world.
That alone makes it worth asking a simple question:
What is inside this book that keeps people coming back to it generation after generation?
To begin answering that question, I decided to start where the book itself begins—with the Publisher’s Preface and the Author’s Preface.
And surprisingly, those opening pages already contain several powerful ideas.
Want to explore the ideas from Think and Grow Rich with me?
I’m reading the book slowly and sharing reflections, notes, and insights along the way.
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The Power of First-Hand Wisdom
Imagine someone interviewing you about your life.
They would ask about your pivotal moments, the decisions that shaped your path, the lessons you learned through success and failure.
Now imagine that same process repeated with hundreds of highly successful people.
That’s essentially what Napoleon Hill set out to do.
According to the book, Hill spent more than twenty years studying and interviewing successful individuals, including well-known figures like Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and Thomas Edison.
These men were not just wealthy—they reshaped industries and changed the world:
- Henry Ford revolutionized transportation by introducing the assembly line, making automobiles affordable for the average person. His Model T transformed the way people lived and worked, making car ownership possible for the masses.
- Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, built the U.S. steel industry and became one of the richest men in history. Through Carnegie Steel, he fueled America’s industrial growth, helping construct railroads, skyscrapers, and bridges. Later, he became a major philanthropist, funding libraries, universities, and cultural institutions.
- Thomas Edison was one of the most prolific inventors in history, with over 1,000 patents. He is best known for perfecting the light bulb, but his work also led to the development of the phonograph, motion pictures, and the modern electric power grid. His innovations shaped modern life as we know it.
The lessons from these men are timeless—not just about making money, but about innovation, persistence, and impact.
Hill’s goal wasn’t simply to tell inspiring stories.
He wanted to answer a deeper question:
Is success predictable?
Is there a pattern in the way highly successful people think, decide, and act?
If such a pattern existed, Hill believed it could be studied, understood, and shared with others.
Andrew Carnegie reportedly encouraged Hill to take on this challenge. What began as a suggestion eventually turned into a decades-long mission.
The result of that mission became Think and Grow Rich.
And the preface gives us our first glimpse into what Hill discovered.
One Idea Might Be Enough
One line from the Publisher’s Preface stands out immediately:
“You may need one idea, plan, or suggestion to start you toward your goal. Somewhere in this book you will find the needed stimulus.”
Think about that for a moment.
Not ten ideas.
Not a complete life blueprint.
Just one idea that changes the direction of your thinking.
Sometimes that’s all it takes.
A single insight can shift the way we see opportunities, approach problems, or believe in what might be possible.
Many inventions, businesses, and creative breakthroughs began exactly that way—with one idea that someone decided to pursue.
The publisher seems to suggest that somewhere in these pages there might be a thought powerful enough to start something new in the reader’s life.
The Mysterious “Secret”
One of the most intriguing aspects of the preface is the way Hill refers to something he calls a secret.
Throughout the opening pages, he hints that this secret appears repeatedly throughout the book.
But interestingly, he never clearly names it.
Instead, he writes something almost mysterious.
He suggests that as you read the book, the secret may suddenly reveal itself.
And when it does, you’ll recognize it.
That idea adds a sense of curiosity to the reading experience.
Rather than simply presenting a formula, Hill invites the reader to notice something.
To watch for an idea that might stand out and suddenly make sense.
Whether this “secret” is truly hidden or simply a way to encourage deeper reflection is open to interpretation.
But the approach is effective.
It encourages the reader to read with attention and curiosity.
Riches Are Not Only About Money
Despite the title of the book, the Publisher’s Preface also offers an important clarification.
At one point it reminds readers:
“Riches cannot always be measured in money.”
This is an idea that deserves a moment of reflection.
I grew up hearing people say that wanting money was bad—as if wealth automatically made someone greedy.
But over time, I’ve come to understand:
Money is a tool.
Money creates options.
And in many ways, money provides freedom.
.
This quote resonated with me:
“Money and material things are essential for the freedom of the body and the mind.”
Money certainly plays a role in life. Financial security can provide stability, freedom, and the ability to make choices about how we spend our time.
But wealth can take many forms.
Riches might also include:
- Peace of mind
- Meaningful work
- Strong relationships
- The freedom to live life on your own terms
- A sense of purpose
In other words, wealth is not purely financial.
Money can support a good life, but it cannot fully define it.
Recognizing this broader definition of wealth adds a thoughtful layer to the book’s message.
Success Begins With a Thought
Near the end of the Author’s Preface, Napoleon Hill gives perhaps the most important clue to the book’s central idea.
He writes:
“All achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.”
It’s a simple statement.
But it carries profound implications.
Before anything exists in the physical world, it begins as a thought.
Every invention.
Every company.
Every creative work.
Every meaningful change in someone’s life.
All of these things begin in the same place:
the human mind.
An idea appears.
Someone believes in it.
And then they begin the process of turning that idea into reality.
When you start looking at the world through this lens, the pattern becomes easy to see.
The phone in your pocket.
The buildings in your city.
The technology that connects people across continents.
Each of these once existed only as an idea in someone’s imagination.
Knowledge Is Only Valuable When Applied
Another theme that emerges in the preface is the importance of action.
Hill suggests that the knowledge in the book is not meant to remain theoretical.
Ideas only become powerful when they are applied.
Reading alone does not create change.
But reading can spark ideas.
And those ideas can inspire decisions.
And decisions can lead to new outcomes.
In that sense, books can serve as catalysts.
They don’t do the work for us, but they can change the way we think, and thinking differently often leads to acting differently.
Why This Book Still Matters
Today we live in a world full of advice about success.
But what makes Think and Grow Rich interesting is its origin.
It wasn’t written as a collection of motivational slogans.
It was the result of years of observation and study.
Napoleon Hill believed that the principles behind achievement were not random or mysterious.
He believed they followed patterns.
Patterns that could be recognized, understood, and applied by anyone willing to learn.
Whether one agrees with every claim in the book or not, the central idea remains compelling:
Success may not be purely a matter of luck.
It may also be influenced by mindset, persistence, belief, and the ideas we choose to pursue.
This Is Just the Beginning
And this is only the beginning.
Everything discussed here comes from just the Publisher’s Preface and Author’s Preface.
The rest of the book introduces thirteen principles that Napoleon Hill believed explain how ideas can be transformed into achievement.
In the next chapter, the first of those principles appears.
It begins with something simple but powerful:
Desire.
A Question to Consider
Before moving forward in the book, it may be worth reflecting on one final idea.
If every achievement begins with a thought…
then perhaps the most important question is not simply:
“What do I want to achieve?”
But instead:
“What ideas am I allowing to grow in my mind?”
Because somewhere in those ideas may be the starting point of something meaningful.
Enjoy exploring ideas like this?
I’m reading Think and Grow Rich chapter by chapter and sharing reflections, insights, and practical lessons along the way.
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Next Up: Chapter 1 – Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement
Think and Grow Rich Series
• Preface (You are here)
• Chapter 1 – Desire (Coming Soon)
• Chapter 2 – Faith
• Chapter 3 – Auto Suggestion