Customer Reviews

The Science of Getting Rich

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

If someday somebody creates a "Hall of Fame" for self-help success books, this one will definitely be in there. I've read this book at least a half dozen times since I bought it a year ago. What makes it so appealing is that it's short, to the point, and very readable.

You can probably read this book in a good two hours. It takes me longer because I stop periodically to absorb the message. The tone of the book reminds me of "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.

This book was originally written almost a hundred years ago. It is focused on the acquisition of money, period. It's not about raising your self esteem, setting goals and leading a happy life. It's just plain money making. I like a bold author who cuts to the chase. I particularly like his assertion that we have "a right to be rich." No, it's not about greed and selfishness. It's not about trampling over other people.

The only downside to this book is that it won't appeal to some people because it comes across as "psycho babble" in many ways. There really aren't any particular exercises in this book "how to" get rich in the sense of what to do for a living or what investments to make. The reader just has to take everything on faith that he/she will magically, through thought and acceptance, get rich. Okay, maybe a lot of people find that hard to believe, but he doesn't advocate sitting in a corner meditating all day either. I would summarize his prescription for getting rich as going about your daily business, but organize your life in such a way that money can flow into it. I have friends who insist that no matter what they do, they just can't get ahead. They know all the reasons why things won't work. Can't find a good job. Employers don't pay enough. It's the economy. It's my upbringing. Blah, blah, blah. Life really is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have had some people object to this book because all it talks about is money and really nothing else. If money isn't important, why do we work so hard and look forward to promotions and raises? There is a sense of denial and shame that go with money, and I'm really glad I read this book to remind me that not only is getting rich a right, it is natural and it doesn't have to harm anyone or anything.

My favorite chapter in this little book was the one about gratitude. The author advocates being grateful before having the money. He claims that abundance is natural and invevitable if we accept it, so we should be grateful for it ahead of time instead of afterwards. Maybe that's why there are so few rich people. We're all saying "show me the money" without accepting that it will happen and naturally happens. Once we receive the money, then we will be grateful. Ever notice how few people in the world are really grateful? I suspect it's because we were taught to think backwards. I find the biggest impediment to our supply of money seems to be in the mind. It's hard to get rich when everyone around you is complaining about how unfair life is.

I'm giving this book 5 stars because I find it to be very readable and very true. I warn the reader that much of the book requires a ton of faith. It may take a while for the ideas to sink in, especially if you're used to working hard for money. It's worth reading several times but spaced apart. I find myself even now reading it every so often to refresh my mind.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this book will without any doubt change your life, by changing your mind about the concept of "money". So many of us were brought up with the idea of money as a finite resource, which you had to compete for. This book is desgined to release every preconcieved idea that is holding us all back from wealth.

The basic premise of this book is that becoming wealthy is a science, that once understood, and replicated will create wealth in everyone's life. Wealth is as infinite as the creative mind. Create ideas, take action and abundance will flow.

I have read over 200 books on success and wealth, before I read this book. Nothing I had read upto this point had such an incrediblely profound effect on my wealth, because it changed my misconceptions on what it took to become wealthy. Within ten months of applying these principles and concepts, I had expedentially increased my income to levels that would had been unthinkable 12 months earlier.

I would reccomend that every student of this book, also read, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Money is Easy by Larry Winget, The Einstien Factor Wenger & Poe, Psyco Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz & Born Rich by Bob Proctor. All these books will enhance your understanding of this incredible book.

The ideas and concepts, once studied and applied will transform your mental approach to money. This is a book that will take you a day to read, but a life-time to understand fully. Give it serious study, and I guarantee you success

Dr. Powell has butchered this classic to the point that this copy is not useable. Instead of the clear, simple prose W.D. Wattles wrote, you are left with the mindless drivel that Dr. Powell uses as examples to illustrate Wattles' points. Wattles expressly left out examples, and it was very effective. If you want to read what Wattles wrote, your only choice at this time is to find it elsewhere on the net, as the original version is no longer in print. There are a number of versions of this book floating around, but this one has the least in common with the original.

This new release is a reprint of the original 1910 edition of Wallace Wattles' guide to financial success and personal growth. Make sure that you get the new 2002 Iceni Books edition, and not some of the other versions that are around, which have been made unusable by editing. Wattles' book is a true classic in the genre, and it has been mentioned along with such other classics like George Clason's "The Richest Man In Babylon" and Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich." It was always a surprise to me, that this book, in full original title "The Science of Getting Rich or Financial Success Through Creative Thought," is less well-known than the titles mentioned above. While Clason's book, in the essence, is a tale about the workings of exponential growth, and Hill's book is little more than the repetition of the formula, "whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve," in Wattles' book there is much more to be found.

Wattles, like Hill, also emphasizes the importance of using one's power of thought, and one's willpower, as an indispensable ingredient on the way to get rich. But Wattles with his suggestions is way ahead of Hill, because he does not think exclusively along egoistical lines, as does Hill. Throughout the book he warns the reader of acquiring riches in a competitive way, and strongly advises to do any business in a creative way instead. He asserts that the reader should never compete for what is already there, but should instead create something of value, be it a product, or a service. This thought alone is a revelation. Wattles makes unmistakably clear that only in that way it is possible for everyone to get rich. Instead of keeping others down by competition, if you strive to get rich in a creative way, you inspire other people to do so as well, and open up a way for others to follow.

Besides this thought, which is original in how to get rich, and self-help literature, Wattles has much other original, yet always practical, advice for his readers, like how to best get into the right business, how to direct thoughts and actions purposefully, how to convey the impression of personal growth, and much more. I am issuing here, however, some kind of a warning to you: Wattles grounds his science on the ideas of oriental philosophies, which state that there exists one original substance in the universe, where all things originate from. To back up that notion, he mentions that this idea was also held by many western philosophers, like Hegel, and Emerson, and requires the reader to accept the truth of this notion by faith. I cannot say that I am a believer in the one substance, and still, I have learned some of my most important lessons from Wattles. So do not be put off by that esoteric concept, but concentrate instead on the solid foundations of financial and personal success that Wattles hands over to you. I am convinced that Wattles in this book says all that you need for success.

I watched the first twenty minutes of the DVD of "The Secret" (it's offered free on their website), and thought it was really hokey. It felt like they were trying to make a "Da Vinci Code" production out of it. To my knowledge, no "authorities throughout history" have ever tried to keep "the Secret" (i.e., the Law of Attraction) from humanity.

But I was curious about the book that inspired "The Secret's" creator, so I checked out Wallace Wattles' "The Science of Getting Rich."

Wow! And Super-Wow! Wattles has nailed all the self-help books (all the great ones anyway) that I've ever read and put it all in one slim volume. And I can state confidently, "This is the foundational book for fulfilling your life. You'll never need to read another one about 'getting the life you want.'"

For those of you who doubt, or just plain ridicule, the idea that you can get what you want by simply focusing on it and ceasing to focus on what you DON'T want, I recommend this experiment:

For one week, carry two little notepads with you, everywhere you go. Each notepad should have a different colored cover so they're easily identifiable. Label one "Positive" and the other "Negative."

As you go through your week, every time you hear, see or feel something positive in your surroundings, put a check mark in the "Positive" notepad. Every time you hear, see or feel something negative in your surroundings, put a checkmark in the "Negative" notepad. Do this for EVERYTHING you take in, whether it involves you personally or not--chats with friends, news reports, conversations you overhear on the bus, etc. If you're taking it in, put a checkmark in the appropriate notepad.

Be sure, especially, to include all the entertainment you see or hear. Be conscious of the story, the lyrics, etc. Is the message negative about life no matter how hilarious or thought-provoking it is? (A great example would be "Borat.") If so, put a checkmark in the "Negative" notepad.

At the end of the week, total the checkmarks in each notepad. If you have more negative checkmarks than positive ones (and I suspect you'll have many more), ask yourself how you can possibly get ANYTHING you want from life when you're taking in all that negativity, day after day? The answer is, you can't--because you don't have the Life Energy for it. All that negativity is draining it out of you.

By focusing only on what your heart desires, and believing unconditionally that those things are yours to have, you connect to the Universe which gave you those desires in the first place, and intends for you to fulfill them, in the name of Creation. As Wattles says again and again, the Universe wants you to have these things even more than you do. But you can't connect to the Universe as long as you're filling your head with the noise and negativity of the outside world.

"The Science of Getting Rich" will show you exactly how to "tune out and tune in," so you can have the wonderful life you were created for.

Give it a try. The only thing you've got to lose is a life you never wanted in the first place.

If you are going to buy Wallace Wattles, you may as well get the three books in one anthology. It is only two dollars extra.

It (SGR)is an easy read, and it's highly useful. You can get rich by acting in a certain way, and having certain beliefs. I believe this already. The one concept that was new to to me the importance of gratitude, which activates the higher vibrations of your mind, and assists mightily in manifesting what you desire.

Currently, I am reading the science of being great. It is a very simple straightforward book that anyone can follow.

Is this the foremost book on Law of Attraction? No. Yet it is still worth a read, and highly recommended. For other recommendations, check my other recent reviews. Hope this was useful.

This is a wonderful expression of the prosperity consciousness that blossumed at the dawn of the 20th century. The principles set out in the text are universal and timeless. Wattles has synthesized the essence of personal manifestation of wealth in a clear and readable explaination. Wattles instructs the reader how to rise out of a competitive state of mind into a creative allignment with the abundance flowing to us according to universal law. He sets out a simple method of how to adjust our minds to cultivate real financial wealth into our lives. Wattles clarifies the purpose of money and makes a clear case that it is our duty to get rich if we are to more fully express the divine potential in our lives as physical, mental and spiritual beings. The contents of this book inspired me in the short space of six months to first believe that I could, and then go out and create a fortune greater than all my earnings over the past 20 years. For me, the greatest lesson presented in the book is the wisdom with which Wattles clears away the heavy baggage of disempowering ideas associated with spiritually rightous poverty. Wattles teaches that if you wish to make a difference in this world then get rich first! READ THIS BOOK over and over again until its contents soak into your deepest heart of hearts and then with the fortunes you create go out and share your blessings!

This is very much a practical manual although the ideas are deeply rooted in the thought of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibnitz and Emerson, among others. The style is refreshingly direct and lucid as it explains the ancient truths anew. Much emphasis is placed on the emotion of gratitude and the individual's creativity as the channels for creating wealth; in other words, creating abundance without competing against others. Wattles writes with genuine authority and his style is free of embellishment. This is definitely a classic of the genre and ranks with the best works of later authors in the field, like Catherine Ponder, Joseph Murphy, John Randolph Price and Stuart Wilde.

A crystal clear look at truth. I would compare this gem to The Game of Life and How to Play It, by Scovel-Shinn (except that it's even better). It is a master piece written by someone who clearly understood (he passed away long ago) the reality behind the illusions of time and space. It could also be categorized as a "New Thought" book.

WARNING... I understand that this title's copyright has expired, therefore there are others who have reprinted this book, making slight modifications that entitle them to add their name as a co-author. Don't go there. Don't let anyone else tell you what Mr. Wattles had to say, because he says it all so well himself in this true reprint!!!

This is a MUST HAVE book!

Wallace D. Wattles wrote several books but is best known for his prosperity classic, The Science of Getting Rich. Wattles is an early author within the New Thought Movement whose book is making a comeback along with Charles Haanel's The Master Key System. Those who have read both works will notice their similarities, including their use of creative visualization as the primary tool for creative application of the karmic "Law of Attraction." The element that underlies this Law and gives purpose to one's visualization is strong desire mixed with unwavering faith in Omnipotent Goodness (or God) which is omnipresent and, therefore, in residence within as one's essential Source of empowerment. One must first know what one wants and want it badly enough to do whatever it takes (within ethical limits) to get it. This idea is expounded in other New Thought publications such as "It Works" by R.H.J. and "The Ultimate Secret To Getting Absolutely Everything You Want" by Mike Hernacki. Creative visualization requires one to imagine what one strongly desires (to be, do, or have) and take what Wattles calls "the Mental Attitude of Ownership" toward everything in one's mental picture. One must persistently visualize oneself as being, doing, or having whatever one wants, and be deeply grateful for it both before and after one actually gets it. According to Wattles, "the man who can sincerely thank God for the things which as yet he owns only in imagination, has real faith."

Wattles' view of God is pantheistic (All is God), which is rooted in monism (All is One; One is All). He admits this in his preface and refers the reader to Oriental philosophies and thinkers like Spinoza, Hegel, and Emerson for the philosophical foundations of his book. He freely alternates between the personal pronoun "He" with the use of "God" and impersonal terms like "the Universe," "Nature," "Original Substance," "Formless Stuff," etc. in reference to the Intelligent "One Thing" that lives, thinks and seeks increasing expressions of abundant life through creation (including creating through us via desire, will and imagination). His intent is practical, not philosophical. The book is "intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money; who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward." The "science" in the book's title refers to the "natural law" that "like causes always produce like effects; and, therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich." In Chapter 4, Wattles says that the first step towards getting rich is "to acquire the ability to think the way you want to think" which he defines as thinking "TRUTH," regardless of appearances. Does anybody desire poverty or disease? No; therefore, poverty and disease are considered only temporary appearances whereas the reality is abundance and health as desired by All.

Wattles sees economics from a divine perspective where scarcity isn't a problem. Therefore, he is at odds with contemporary economists like Thomas Sowell who, in his book Basic Economics, defines economics in terms of scarcity. According to Sowell, "Scarcity means that everyone's desires cannot be satisfied completely, regardless of which particular economic system or economic policy we choose - and regardless of whether an individual or a society is poor or affluent. Therefore competition among people for these resources is inherent." Wattles strongly disagrees and affirms that the supply is limitless because it transcends the visible supply in the "limitless riches of Formless Substance" out of which all things are made and continually being made. He calls his readers to "rise from the competitive to the creative plane" and bases his ethic on the creative mindset, which is without fear or haste. More life is sought for all, and every person should be given more in use value than any cash value received. According to Wattles, "you can only get what is yours by giving the other man what is his."

Although I disagree with the monistic and/or pantheistic world view, I think Wattles has some insightful things to say that may be divorced from monism but are essential to a unified concept of a personal God and His creation as essentially GOOD, not evil. Although Wattles says in Chapter 1 that he shall not speak of riches in a figurative way, it is clear that he views wealth more as abundant life than mere cash. However, one of several flaws in the book is that he doesn't discuss in detail the important question of WHEN one can expect to get one's most pressing need for money fulfilled and whether death may thwart one's quest or be overcome. Only if death is no obstacle can he boldly say, as in his preface, that "failure is impossible."