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The most helpful favourable review
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
As you think, you shall become...
The Magic of Thinking Big is the first book I ever read to do with aiming high, organising your life and living purposefully, and it is a testemant to the quality of the book that my copy is now an incomprehensible mess of highlighted passages, scribbled notes and scrawled realisations. I have read and re-read it many times and have committed it's principles to memory...
Published on 16 April 2005 by Jason Theodorou
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6 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Boring waste of time
This book is simply boring ! Got nothing from this book and can't see why it has got such a good reviews. I purchased based on the rating and was so disappointed - basically says think big, almost no case studies or interesting facts, says nothing of any interest and it a total bore - do not buy !
Published 13 months ago by Mrs. A. Still
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
As you think, you shall become..., 16 April 2005
The Magic of Thinking Big is the first book I ever read to do with aiming high, organising your life and living purposefully, and it is a testemant to the quality of the book that my copy is now an incomprehensible mess of highlighted passages, scribbled notes and scrawled realisations. I have read and re-read it many times and have committed it's principles to memory. Cliched as it is, I can say this book has changed my life immeasurably.THINKING BIG is clearly descended from the famous THINK AND GROW RICH, the book in which Napoleon Hill interviewed men of fortune to discover what common traits had sealed their success. In THINKING BIG, David Schwartz undertakes the same project and arrives at 10 chapters of widely-applicable 'success principles'. Each chapter focuses on a different principle -'Attitude', 'Environment', explained in the typical format of the genre, with a wealth of illustrative stories and examples, often about salesmen. Each chapter contains a dozen ideas which have proven invaluable, and Schwartz summarises each chapter helpfully with an action plan. The flaw of THINKING BIG is a common one of all 'development' books, in that it has dated considerably, and overuses made up terminology. A reader must be prepared to stomach terms such as 'excusitis' and 'Mr. Skid Row'. They may also find some of Schwartz's values questionable. Whilst it is a sound assertion that associating with the same group all the time will restrict your horizons, ideas such as 'make friends with lots of people in different jobs' can result in an entirely superficial social life. As with all books like this, you must read with a keen eye, as some of Schwartz's advice is a 'quick fix' which will be of no use without genuine inner progress (ie - 'walk faster'). That said, THINKING BIG contains more useful distinctions and ideas than most books combined, and it's continued popularity is justified. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a change in their lives, as it is in a different league to the kind of junk which fills out the pitiful 'self-help' sections of most bookstores. To anyone already engaged in a study of success, I would recommend this as great motivation, although many of it's ideas are to be found elsewhere (THINK AND GROW RICH covers much of the same ground). If anything, THE MAGIC OF THINKING BIG is the most accessible book of it's kind, and the ideal precursor to books such as THINK AND GROW RICH and UNLIMITED POWER, which expand on the ideas which Schwartz describes.
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
This a book that certainly does make a difference., 10 May 2001
By A Customer
No matter what your state of mind is, no matter how many inhibitions are ruling your life or how on top of the world you feel, this book will take you places you never imagined to get close to before. With its incomparable logic it is clear and simple and therefore easy read. It is a book very difficult to put away once you started reading it. For me it has been a true eye opener, so I recommend everybody to read it, learn and act accordingly. You will be surprised of the consequences. The theories presented are supported by a variety of case studies picturing situations that most of us can relate to in some way. It helps you overcome a perhaps disturbing excusitis, it teaches you to dream again, to rethink what you truly are, to realize what to do about your environment, to get to terms with your attitudes, your fellow men and your action habits. It also creates guidelines of how to turn defeat into victory and thereby it helps you grow tremendously. Do you want to be a quitter or a success? Read the book and you have no doubt. But only you can decide to what extent you want to change. This is a book on fundamental decisions that can actually improve your life dramatically.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
Gave me the kick up the backside I needed..., 26 Nov 2003
Having lost my job I was feeling a little sorry for myself to say the least, that was until a friend recommended this book. I know this has been said so many times about this type of book, but it really did change my life. I could easily have slipped into a downward spiral of self pity and despair, but after reading this book I know that I can do anything. I cannot recommend this book enough, READ IT and you will understand why.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Sets the standard, 21 Oct 2003
"Sow a thought and you reap an action. Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny."The Magic of Thinking Big sets the standard by which all other 'self-help' books should be measured. This classic will help you break through the excuses that have held you back from personal success, build your confidence, destroy fear through action, and overcome obstacles to turn defeat into victory. The dollar figures and some of the words in this book are dated, but the principles are not. This book is a self-administered training program. It contains far too much substance to be a quick read. Each of the 13 chapters deserves to be read, re-read, digested and applied over time. One chapter per week will allow you to read it four times per year. Extreme? Perhaps, but if any book is worth such an exercise, this is one. Try it and see. Start to sow big thoughts...and reap a big destiny!(...)
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
Part of your Solution ?, 22 Aug 2003
By A Customer
Until reading this, I had never considered reading a 'motivational' or 'self help' book, especially as most of them are of the American Genre of 'hot coal walkers'. However, with some time on my hands and a slightly dented confidence after losing my job, I read this book eleven years ago and was very impressed. Of course, in the end its just a book, not the Holy Grail for all life's problems, but it is a useful tool for helping you to examine exactly how you behave, why you behave like you do, what you are about and how this knowledge effects your attitude, life choices and future success in whatever you do.
None of these books will 'change your life' without real effort on your part, and certainly not all of what these authors have to say is without room for criticism, but this book of simple and practical 'life truths' certainly motivated me and gave me another perspective on things. Looking back, the book did change my life's direction in subtle but very important ways and helped to give me the confidence to do what I wanted to do. Of course, succeeding at it still takes courage, knowledge, effort, persistence and a bit of luck!
Another book I'd thoroughly recommend is Stephen Covey's 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'. This is much more a philosophical mishmash of 'common sense' things that most of us never actually implement! If you are looking for some quick fix solution to help your sales technique or bank balance, there are other books that are better suited to your needs. But if you are trying to clarify what you really want and how best to achieve it (whilst remaining a balanced and pleasant individual) then these two books are worth reading, and reading again.
Definitely worth investing a few quid and some time.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
This is an inspirational read, 28 Mar 2004
I first read this book nearly 10 years ago and its a very motivational and insprational book written in a straighforward style. I keep it by my bedside and read it when I feel the need for some motivational kick start therapy. It works.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
A life changer. Read, re-read, but most importantly ...act!, 26 Nov 2001
By A Customer
I read this 13 years ago for the first time, since then I have bought numerous copies for both friends and aquaintances. Mr Schwartz keeps it simple and to the point. What you think is what you are and what you will be - buy it, read it and practice, you will not be disapointed!All the best Paul
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Upbeat ode to confidence and a positive attitude, 9 Oct 2007
David J. Schwartz wrote this book nearly 50 years ago, but its principles are as fresh as the latest positive thinking seminar. Attitude, says the author, determines whether people embrace opportunities in life, and how they handle difficulties and challenges. He teaches that professional and personal success is rooted in self-confidence, conviction and optimism. Schwartz's advice and recommendations hold up, though you may wonder what planet you're on when he refers to $65 weekly salaries and $1,200 down payments on homes. Life obviously has changed dramatically in the past half-century and, considering the vast number of self-help books on the market, Schwartz's ideas hardly seem revolutionary, though they may have been at the time. We believe this classic retains its valuable foundation: A basic, useable approach to pursuing a happy, purposeful life.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
This book will change your life, 11 May 2001
Schwartz's book is one of the all time classics of self-help/self motivation. It has been in print for over 40 years and the principles it contains are still valid today. Buy it - it will change your life completely.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
change your life for ever, 6 May 2001
This is th single most amazing book i have ever read in my entire life. I am not the same person anymore. This book is the bible of self development. Every person in the world should read it and it should be part of the school curriculam.After you read this bok, pass it on to friends and family, they will be for ever grateful.
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