Is there an actual science to getting rich?
Over 100 years ago author Wallace D. Wattles proposed that there was a sort of scientific, or prescribed way, to become wealthy. His book The Science of Getting Rich (published in 1910) has become an essential source text for modern self-help books. It was the inspiration for The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, and many other self-help best-sellers on wealth. And it’s no wonder as Wattles’ book rings with a contemporary resonance.
Now MYB Publishing has released an updated edition of the book that removes the gender-specific language and adds comments, analyses, worksheets, and notes around the historical context of certain passages. The new version The Science of Getting Rich (Annotated): MYB Special Universal Edition also guarantees wealth and happiness to those who follow the precise steps laid out in this book.
As we brace for recession, the idea of manifesting wealth by targeted thought holds undeniable appeal. The central premise that the world and all within it might be influenced by one’s will on ‘thinking stuff from which all things are made’ cuts across, with American brio, any discussion of systemic inequalities.
Wattles’ thesis on luxe life makes bold claims, for his time and for the casual reader. The writing style brims with confidence that might prove irresistible, irritate or provoke deeper thought on what ‘rich’ might mean.
Wattles posits that we all have the right to wealth, though it isn’t always clear if this is the mere absence of want, or a demonstrable, Gatsby-esque abundance. For some, the absence of want may be enough. And for many people, just being able to say “I have enough” might give the feeling of wealth indeed.
Though it can’t quite back up its statements with evidence (no longitudinal studies, or double-blind trials to be found), The Science of Getting Rich offers hope that background and education need not be a barrier to achievement. It also exhorts those seeking wealth to let go of fatalism, to nourish mind, body and spirit in pursuit of a full life, as neglecting any of these can impoverish us. Wattles also makes the case for corporate social responsibility as a route to individual wealth.
As well as providing historical context, this edition grants insight into the mores of its author, his society and into ours, today.