Book Bearings
The Magic of Thinking Big
- 270 pages · about 5 hours
- First published 1900
- 38 editions
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1 About this book
The Magic of Thinking Big, first published in 1959, is a self-help book by David J. Schwartz, a professor of marketing at Georgia State University. Its argument is that success depends less on talent or intelligence than on the size of a person's thinking: belief, attitude and the habit of acting. Thirteen chapters cover believing you can succeed, giving up excuses, building confidence and overcoming fear, thinking creatively, managing your surroundings, getting along with people, forming the habit of action, learning from defeat, setting goals and thinking like a leader.
- Motivation (Psychology)
- Inspiration
- Personal growth
- Psychology
- Success
- Success in business
- Personal development
- Attitudes
2 What to expect
A self-help classic from 1959 on confidence and ambition, written by a marketing professor. Its message is that belief and attitude matter more than talent, and each chapter turns that into a short list of habits: drop excuses, act in spite of fear, set goals, treat people well. The tone is brisk and encouraging, and the examples come from mid-century American sales and office life, so it shows its age in places.
Good for readers who want: motivation, building confidence, and classic self-help.
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