Have you ever noticed that when you feel sad and depressed, you don’t get anything done? Going through the same phase and after weeks of null productivity, this book has proven to be the best motivator for many people.
Going through “tough times” is valid, but sticking through them is a choice we make. This is one of the things you will read in almost all the self-help books (which is true, no doubt), and I firmly believe in it too. But The Power of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale was a different experience for me as a reader- which needs to be shared!
So, welcome to “The Power Of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale’s Book Review.” The book is totally worth your time- I’m telling you (I am not even a FAN of self-help books and I Loved It! Why? I mean look at how the book is written- the language, the examples! Some of you may not resonate with me but MOST of you will!
So, let me ask you to put away your negative feelings for a while and read further because… well, just read further but put your sad thoughts away for a while if you are unhappy.
General Overview of “The Power Of Positive Thinking” By Norman Vincent Peale
Author
Norman Vincent Peale
“Great lives are not easily created.”
One such example of this proverb is the author’s life in “The Power Of Positive Thinking”; Norman Vincent Peale.
Norman Vincent Peale was an American minister (not the one who goes to the senate) born in Ohio in the late 19th century(May 31, 1898). He is both best and worst known for his popularization of positive thinking in human behavior, more specifically through his book The Power Of Positive Thinking.
He was criticized by both the communities- the church and the psychiatric community, for he had no professional degree to prove his claims (but the book worked!)
Norman Vincent Peale was not only a successful author (however, in controversies), he was also the host for one of the most successful radio shows called “The Art Of Living,” which ran for 54 years once started in 1935, late he switched to television once the technology came into markets.
Norman Vincent Peale was a close friend of President Richard Nixon and his family and also had his feet in the white house a few times for dinner and gathering.
Peale led an entire life of 95 years and left the world when a stroke took him with it on December 24, 1993.
General Overview: The Power Of Positive Thinking
The book, The Power Of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale, is one of the most successful and criticized books ever published in 1952. The book was on New York Times bestseller for 186 weeks straight, and the book yet has sold a total of 5 million copies and still counting, says the publisher Simon And Schuster.
However, there has been a lot of drama over the statistics of the book- over the number of languages it has been translated into and the number of books it has sold, and the number to be said and speculated between 15 and 50 and 2 to 20 million for translation and language respectively.
The Power Of Positive Thinking: Book Summary
The power of positive thoughts is always talked about and told in so many books like the power of your subconscious mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy, Think and Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill, The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, and so many more books we still have to read because we consider reading books a waste of time (is it really?)
Needless to say, The Power Of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale is one such self-help book, which is very, very obvious from the title specifically.
The Power Of Positive Thinking has a total of 17 chapters, each about bettering yourself. The book is written to tell you that you do not need to feel defeated by anything. You can have peace of mind, ever-flowing positive energy, and can proliferate good vibes.
The author firmly believes that it is a pity to the human race that they let themselves feel insufficient by the tiny challenges posed by life. These challenges also are an inevitable part of life. One must learn to face these fears rather than let the fears dictate them.
The book also talks about the power of prayers and creating your own happiness, having a specific chapter for both aforementioned subjects.
The author wants people to use the power of visualization when needing to succeed, the power of self-belief, and of course, positive thinking.
What To Learn From The Book?
A book is a bundle of knowledge, and reading it has so many benefits. This is why every successful person asks you to develop a habit of reading, which unfortunately so many people don’t know.
Anyway, like all the other self-help and motivational books, this book is also the epitome of knowledge. A few things and lessons which left an imprint on me are-
- The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week, and you will be surprised.
- Stand up to an obstacle. Just stand up to it, that’s all, and don’t give way under it, and it will finally break. You will break it. Something has to break, and it won’t be you. It will be the obstacle.
- YOU DO NOT need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit.
- We are beginning to comprehend an essential truth hitherto neglected. Our emotional condition primarily determines our physical condition, and our thought life profoundly regulates our emotional life.
My Thoughts On The Power Of Positive Thinking
The power of thinking positively had superficial tales to which I did not relate to that much, but of course, the lessons the anecdotes carried were like an eye-opener for me.
If you apply the techniques and do beyond reading the text mentioned in the book, you will see tremendous changes in your attitude towards life. The book draws emphasis on the religious techniques for tackling life’s problems.
But the biblical references should not be mistaken that the book is religious. Laws of spirituality are explained & biblical reference is given to support the statements and references provided in the book.
Ratings For “The Power Of Positive Thinking”
The Power Of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale deserves a 4/5 stars from me.
Book Recommendation- Who should And Should Not Read The Power Of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale
First of all, YES, I WOULD RECOMMEND THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING TO EVERYONE EXCEPT– the ones who do not prefer to read the books with biblical references. The author was a minister, so a lot of stuff has come down into the book from there.
You should read this book if you are constantly working on yourself and developing a positive outlook towards things or life in broader terms. Remember, it is always small steps in life that create a big difference. This book can be life-changing but for those who look beyond those printed blocks and pages.
