A Lifetime of Riches chronicles the roller coaster life of one of the pioneers of success programs. Born of modest circumstances Napoleon Hill rose to become one of the greatest promoters of personal and material success. His rise to fame didn't come easy. In fact he would fail many times but would get right up again for another try.
His tenaciousness, vision and audacity to try new ideas are the hallmarks of a personality that wouldn't accept defeat. Authors Michael Ritt and Kirk Landers provide the reader with a view of a man who had both his faults and weaknesses. Hill is obsessed with his mission for success and unfortunately placed everything else (including his wife and children) as third or fourth place. He paid for that mistake but still was able to bounce back in his later life.
I certainly enjoyed this book for its realistic portrayal of Hill (he was both saint and sinner) in both his good times and bad times. From his life the reader can learn it is never to late to start over regardless of age ( this was true of Hill and his father), financial setbacks or other impediments. Hill's life sets the standard for success even if it appears to allude you in time it will come.
A Lifetime of Riches is a good book to get some idea of Hill's life but it is not very detailed. Much of its information comes from Hill's unpublished "autobiography". Absent are any interviews or insight from those who worked with him. Very little is mentioned about his estrangement with his father and brothers or his importance in history as part of the motivational industry that is now a thriving industry. Perhaps someday more details will be given but for now enjoy this work of one of life's greatest motivators.
Through this book I have come to learn Hill is human too, he had to learn some of his lessons the hard way. While the book lacks the brilliant motivational style of Hills own writing, we must remember that it is a biography. I question that Napoleon Hill could have been quite as honest about his life and some of its tragedies if he had written the book himself.
A Lifetime Of Riches provides good insight to the life of the man who has been such an inspiration to so many people, myself included. It offers a chronological view of the life of Hill. Granted, some of the detail of Hill's actual formulation of the success philosophy is missing. Still, the book reminds us that we strive for progress not perfection. If we fall down we must get back up.
My thanks to Mr Ritt, Mr Landers, and The Napoleon Hill Foundation for giving me the opportunity to have a greater understanding of Napoleon Hill.