The Magic of Believing (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "IS THERE a something, a force, a factor, a power, a science-call it what you will-which a few people understand and use to overcome their..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Art of Mental Pictures, New York, Suggestion Is Power (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Millions of success-oriented Americans have drawn on the no-nonsense techniques described in The Magic of Believing to achieve all their long- and short-term goals. Times may have changed, but ambitions have not, and Claude Bristol's tough-minded, hard-hitting message remains as fresh and focused as it was 50 years ago.

About the Author

The late Claude M. Bristol was a lawyer, lecturer, investment banker, and foreign correspondent. He is the coauthor of the long-time bestseller, TNT: The Power Within. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671745212
• ISBN-13: 978-0671745219
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,810 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Believing, March 26, 2009

By	K.B. - See all my reviews

This book is all about increasing the chances of getting what you want by believing that you CAN get it. Written in the 1940's, this book is still pretty popular. Interestingly, it's concepts are still being written about in more recent works such as "The Secret".

I don't know how much science there really is to this stuff, but I will tell you that every successful person you talk to has believed, to varying degrees, that they COULD actually get to where they are today. There's just something about believing that it's possible to get what you want that makes things happen- and reading this book will go a long way towards getting your thoughts on the right track. The writing is laid back and the numerous examples make it interesting.

Get the book if you feel like you need a little help in getting what you want out of life. It will get you headed in the right direction, and remember, you can't get what you want until you KNOW what you want. And believing you can get it is the whole point of the book. Other good goal-oriented books I liked include "Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World."

118 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Magic of Believing" Claude Bristol, February 9, 2002

By A Customer

I first heard about "The Magic of Believing" in 1973,listening to Larry Glick's late-night talk show on WBZ Boston -- he was absolutely sold on it and kept bringing on celebrity guests who felt the same way, and I eventually bought a copy. I was skeptical going in, and for a while after - this was'nt the first self -help book I had read and not the most polished in style. But there was something about it -- the down-to-earth commonsense of the author I think (Bristol seems to have been above all a practical guy)-- that kept me reading it to the end. I started to do some of the mechanical things -- aids to visualization -- he suggested, figuring what the hell, what's to lose?. I decided the goal to set was to move up from my earnings at the time ($20k per year) to three times that amount -- virtually "impossible" where I was working. To cut to the chase. A year later I was making $80,000 per year, I kept doing better each year and I am still doing well. Things fell into place without any planning too many to relate. I gave up a salaried job I hated in order to free-lance but without any real prospects for doing well at it -- the idea was to tread water until I found something I liked better. But a first client appeared out of nowhere and referred me to another. Work kept coming in and did not stop. Every year I did better. I don't really know how it works, and I don't particularly care. I do know it worked for me -- and still does, and not just financially. So do I believe Bristol was on to something? You bet your life I do. I have also had a chance to observe other people for whom things seem to work out well, none of whom have read this book. They confirm one of its basic principles. People tend to get what they expect -- they fulfil their own prophecies. In general, optimists thrive, the pessimists don't. What this book shows is that these attitudes are not "givens" -- to an extent they can be self-generated.

103 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books of My Life, January 7, 2002

By	Stogie Chomper - See all my reviews

Of all the self-help and self-improvement books I have read in my life, this one is best. Claude Bristol wrote "The Magic of Believing" in the late forties when the subconscious mind was less understood. He only knew that there was some kind of powerful psychic force that exists, that can be tapped for man's good. Intuitively, I think I have always known this. I first learned it in college, when I made an effort to change my beliefs about what is possible -- and made the Dean's List for the first time in my life.

The mind is like a thermostat, and once set at a level of accomplishment, it will not allow the individual to exceed that set level. The thermostat is really what you believe is possible for you. When "the area of the possible" expands for you, your accomplishments will expand as well.

This is not really "magic," it only seems that way. It is really natural forces at work that are not completely understood, yet may be used for your benefit.

I reread this book every few years. I am always amazed at the insights it contains.