The reason I selected this book to write a review is that maybe a newer generation might find it an interesting book to read, and they might not have heard about it before.

I know the book has been re-published many times since and is available. This is second time I have read this book with many years between the readings. This was one of the books I found in my grandfather’s bookcase and one which I kept after he died. The copy I have read was first published in 1960. The mantra of believe in yourself is the premise of this book. Then on the next page, the author says that people 'discover that decisions and observations made alone in managed solitude have an uncanny way of being 100% right!' Wait, did he just imply Hitler was right?Ī Review of The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. It's not bad advice but he uses Hitler (surprise! Hitler gets brought up!) as an example of someone who used his time alone to come up with a 'brilliantly wicked' plan. In the last chapter of the book, the author is making the point that it is important for people to spend time alone for critical thinking. I'd like to think that since they are still publishing this book that they would update it every now and then to make it more relevant to the times, but if they have, they haven't changed the way women are discussed at all.Īlso, I really didn't expect the book to have a surprise twist at the end. Women cannot be successful business people - they are allowed to work menial jobs or be wives, but nothing more. On the other hand, the author's misogynistic views on women is prevalent throughout the book and is really a sign of when this book was written (the 1950s). On the one hand, this book had some good advice about things like thinking positive, treating people well and setting a good example.

Summary of the magic of thinking big