Art of Contrary Thinking (Paperback)

by Humphrey Bancroft Neill (Author) "THE ART OF contrary thinking may be stated simply: Thrust your thoughts out of the rut..." (more)
Key Phrases: contrary thinking, contrary viewpoints, contrary opinion, New York, United States, Wall Street (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"When everybody thinks alike, Everyone is likely to be wrong."

The ten words quoted above are, according to Humphrey B. Neill, a potent factor behind the economic booms and busts that blight our civilization. "The Mississippi Bubble," Hollands incredible "Tulipmania," and the New York stock market crash in 1929 are historic examples of disasters magnified and hastened by the pressure of mass opinion.

In exactly the opposite direction, in the years immediately following the close of World War II, ominous popular forecasts of business recession turned out to be wrong. What actually happened was-a business boom, not a business bust!

The reason is no mystery to anyone versed in the contrary way of thought-the practical application of the Neill Theory of Contrary Opinion. Today, this Theory-which began as one man's quest for a way to solve the puzzles of economic trends-has expanded enormously in both scope and significance.

In THE ART OF CONTRARY THINKING you will find the answer to a question increasingly asked by persons of affairs and influence: Contrary Opinion-what is it?. . .What will it do for me?

About the Author
Years of observation and analysis of economic trends from the vantage point of Wall Street did not rub his Vermont heritage out of his face, or speech, or heart. Since 1828, generations of Neills have occupied their homestead in Saxtons River, Vermont. A book-lined room off the kitchen of the venerable house served Humphrey Neill as his editorial workshop, while the former harness room in the big barn housed his research library and his newspaper and bulletin files. From these sanctums he wrote his well-known Letters of Contrary Opinion.

After a decade of apprenticeship with such organizations as the Brookmire Economic Service, Humphrey Neill established himself as a business writer whose lively, human approach to a "dusty" facts-and-figures science brought him nationwide attention. His many published books include Tape Reading and Market Tactics (1931), Understanding American Business (1939), and The Inside Story of the Stock Exchange (1950).

Throughout his active business life Humphrey B. Neill observed, researched, and recorded data from which he developed the theory of Contrary Opinion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: Caxton Press; 5 Enlarged edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087004110X
• ISBN-13: 978-0870041105
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,826 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for budding contrarians, August 23, 1999

By	Robert Stoll (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr Neill lays out in short, specific chapters, his arguments for why popular opinions often times turn out to be wrong, while the opposite, contrary opinion, would turn out to be corrrect. The historical examples he uses make one wonder if the "New Economy" of the 1990's is really just a precursor to the types of events seen in the late 1920's/early 1930's and the early 1950's, when prominent economists touted a New Era of prosperity (we all know what the happened afterwards).

Mr. Neill also cites past writers who analyzed the behavior of man, and how he gets caught up in the "herd". While sometimes getting off the subject, Mr. Neill lays out a clear framwork of how one assesses what the "popular" opinion is, and how to teach yourself not to get caught up in the herd and to think independantly.

A highly recommended book for those who wish to understand how contrary minds think, or for those who need a "refresher" (getting your mind out of a rut according to Neill).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best of Its Kind, December 1, 2006

By	A. C. Bradford (Wall Street) - See all my reviews

Often, less experienced investors overlook the big picture topics such as macroeconmics and behavioral finance and focus on the investment book of the month which is invariably trash. This book was originally written many decades ago and the fact that it is still selling is a testiment to its quality.

When you look at al of the current investment books out in print, how many do you think will still be selling 40 years from now? Of course, back then, the publishing world was selective. Today, it focuses on publishing books about investing by big name preachers and sports legends or psychopaths with useless TV shows because they know people will buy them.

If you cannot appreciate this book then you have a very long way to go towards becoming a good investor. And if you are a good investor, this book is just another step towards your progression into a great investor.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "DONT BE THINKLESS", May 3, 2008

By	Robert B. Murray - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An excellent book if you want to think!, what I meant by that is, the author gives you scenarios about when you would use contrary thinking and you have to think and apply the scenario to a time that you have in mind,also talks about mass crowd mentalaty,what kind of people follow the crowd etc.