•Title: The Science Of Getting Rich
•Sub-title: Using Vision, Purpose, Faith,
and Gratitude To Build Wealth, Success,
and Happiness
•Author: Wallace Wattles
•Publisher: Dickson Keanaghan, LLC
•Publication Date: 2010
•ISBN: 978-1-933230-11-5
•Book’s Website
From The Foreword
Ideas and Concepts Merge In My Own Mind
I grew up having thoughts and feelings for just about every idea and concept in Wattles’ book. But it took several years as a businessman, and as a family man, to finally bring them all together in my own mind. Only then did I realize that I had been, since my early teens, using vision, purpose, faith, and gratitude, to help me build wealth, success, and happiness.
By the time I was 19, I already believed that in order for me to be a good Christian, I needed to be a good capitalist. And in order to be a good capitalist, I needed to be a good Christian. And in order to be a good family man, I needed to be a good Christian and a good capitalist. But as a young teenager, struggling to help my mother come up with the money to pay our home’s mortgage and utilities, these were not ideas and concepts that I could easily grasp. It was difficult to see the ‘big picture’ when bills needed to be paid before we could eat.
Looking Back At My Family Life
But now, looking back at my family life, I have since come to realize that my mother, with almost no formal education, no career skills, no money, and three small children to feed, inherently understood many of the basic concepts in this book. My mother was not as eloquent as Wattles, and she didn’t have much of an opportunity to put Wattles’ principles into practice. But me and my brothers were inadvertently living and learning Wattles’ concepts every day – through the actions of our mother.
She taught us that even in the worst of times, that by sticking to our single-minded vision to grow and thrive, that we will survive; and acting every day with a purpose to achieve our goals, that our faith in each other and in our dream of creating a successful life will help us succeed; and our gratitude to God for keeping us healthy so that we could keep working and studying, we would eventually be successful. And eventually, we were.
The Science Of Getting Rich
Looking Back At My Business Education
Today, looking back at my formal education, it seems unfortunate that even after many years of public school, and many years getting three degrees at three different colleges, not once – not once – were Wattles’ ideas ever discussed in school. Four years of business school and the concept of being a ‘good capitalist’ was never discussed. I’m sure that those two words were never mentioned in the same sentence during my entire time in college.
So, when I discovered The Science of Getting Rich by Wattles, I was amazed and relieved that I had finally found someone that was willing to openly discuss and share the same ideas and concepts that I was struggling to understand as a young man. Someone that was willing to apply the ideas and concepts of being a good capitalist and a good Christian to his own life and business. I couldn’t believe that this simple little book was not mandatory reading in my MBA program.
Maybe his message was considered too simple and unsophisticated. Well, Wattles’ message might be a simple one, but it is an important one. His message has endured for the last one-hundred years – and it will endure for the next hundred. And it is a message that every American, and everyone that wants to live the American dream, needs to understand.
There is No Big ‘Secret’
Wattles’ message was an important one for me. And it is one that can help you change and improve your life too. But I’m here to tell you that there is no big ‘secret’ hidden in this book. Wattles’ book does not contain any great earth-shattering, life-changing secret. Everything in this book you already know about or have already thought about at one time or another. What it does do is bring together and discuss several ideas and concepts about achieving and living a balanced and successful life.
It presents it to you in a little book, in a structured and easy-to-understand format. Maybe you haven’t been able to bring all of these ideas and concepts together in your own head. Maybe you didn’t know how to apply these ideas and concepts to your life, business, and career. This book will help you see and understand these ideas and concepts – and shows you how they can apply to your life, business, and career.
Increasing Life Theme
Wattles uses short, interesting statements to show you how these principles can and should apply to your life. Chapter 5, titled “Increasing Life” is probably my favorite chapter in the book. Here is a quote from that chapter that sums up the theme of the entire book: “What God wants is that you should make the most of yourself, for yourself, and for others; and you can help others more by making the most of yourself than in any other way. You can make the most of yourself only by getting rich; so it is right and praiseworthy that you should give your first and best thought to the work of acquiring wealth.”
Creative Vs. Competitive Theme
Another recurring theme throughout his book is about becoming rich and successful on the creative (creating wealth) plain, not on the competitive (me vs. you) plain: “You are to become a creator, not a competitor; you are going to get what you want, but in such a way that when you get it every other man will have more than he has now.” Wattles’ statements are practical, insightful, and inspirational all at the same time.
Build a Rich and Balanced Life, Business, and Career
This book might change and improve your life, or it might not. Changing and improving your life is completely up to you, and you alone. It doesn’t matter if you grew up learning and using these principles or not. You are here now, with this book in your hands. When reading Wattles’ book, you’ll need to look past all the media hype that has grown around his book.
Look past all the get-rich-quick schemes, books, and programs you can see and buy on the internet that involve this book. You won’t magically become financially wealthy after reading this book. This book is not about magic. It’s about making smart choices and understanding what success is all about – and about where success comes from and how to create it for yourself.
Read It Carefully
Just sit down and read the book with an open mind. If you want to build a successful business and career that is in sync with a balanced and happy life, you’ll need to read it several times – and then read it several more times again. Once you get past some of the confusing and old-style terminologies, you’ll begin to see and understand Wattles’ message.
You don’t need to an American, believe in God, or religion or Christianity to understand Wattles’ message – or to benefit from his message. You just need an open mind and a desire for personal fulfillment and advancement. Please read it carefully. It’ll be worth your time and effort.
Conclusion
After reading and internalizing Wattles’ concepts in this book, you too should have a better idea of what it takes to begin formulating a life, business, and career – using vision, purpose, faith, and gratitude – to build wealth, success, and happiness. This book is here to help you take that first step toward the happy and successful life that you owe to yourself and to your family. It is now up to you and you alone.
