Books & Literature

Book Review: Success Habits, by Napoleon Hill

The habits that should define you if you want to achieve success in health, wealth and happiness.

A transcript of Napoleon Hill's weekly radio show from Paris, 1952.
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Napoleon Hill speaks from the grave with the latest release from the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Success Habits. Hill’s book sums up the plexus of success in health, wealth and happiness as adhering to particular everyday habits. If you want to learn how to achieve your full potential, these habits should define you.

It is the type of book best read over a few days or weeks as the book is a transcript of Napoleon Hill’s weekly radio lectures delivered in Paris, Missouri in 1952. Reading one chapter at a time is akin to its design, containing one weekly lecture which is information-dense and instructional; if digested as an audiobook one will have the full experience of its original radio format. Nevertheless, as a reader, it is easy to imagine yourself in the audience spellbound by the eloquence and emotivity of Hill’s speech.

Definitiveness of Purpose is the first chapter of the book and engages one immediately by forcing one to reflect on their own life. The book then covers a myriad of other intangibles that one needs to develop to have a successful life; on the other hand it also lists the major causes of failure.

One of the most enjoyable features of this book is the fascinating insight into Hill’s life, such as how he became Andrew Carnergie’s protégé, how his son, Blair, acquired partial hearing, and other personal anecdotes of success, be they his own or other notable people he studied throughout his life.

Although the book is a little preachy in style, it is not to a specific doctrine. The focus of the book is about training yourself to cultivate habits for success. The habit of Applied Faith in one’s life is simply a precursor to the Cosmic Habit Force, however it may come across as pious. Later in the book, Hill defines the concepts in a more scientific way, which is why he concludes that playing by the rules, works. The rules are the habits and cannot be altered.

It is important to note that the Napoleon Hill Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation. Hill advocated for sharing his philosophy and was passionate about giving people the tools to achieve their full potential. Hill is best known for his iconic novel Think and Grow Rich, a timeless novel that is still relevant today and listed as one of the top ten books of all time.

Reviewed by Rebecca Wu

Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: January 2019
RRP: $24.99

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