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10-Minute Book Summary: As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen
As of July 2021, I’ve read more than 1,000 books.
One of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life (besides getting a library card) was to take notes on every single book I read, which I’ve done faithfully ever since I started counting the number of books.
So here on Medium (and on Patreon) I’m going to keep sharing my notes and summaries, because it would be a damn shame to keep everything I’ve learned and wondered at from more than 1,000 books all to myself.
Below are my best notes from the book As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen, which was just the 8th book I’ve read on my way to 1,000!
Published in 1903, As a Man Thinketh is one of the most popular self-help books of all time, and it’s one that I try to re-read every single year. The benefits to my calmness, self-assurance, and boldness are worth it.
In the book, James Allen poetically likens our minds to a garden, where the thoughts that grow are exactly like the ones that are planted. But: it’s not “positive thinking” or “wish-fulfillment.” Simply put, our life is what our thoughts make it, and when we think uplifting thoughts, we lift ourselves up.
Quotation marks indicate direct quotes, and anything not in quotes are my own words.
