The Science of Getting Rich
A practical New Thought guide to prosperity through thought and action.
Read or download free
This book is in the public domain. Download the ebook, or read it online at the source library.
About the book
Published in 1910, The Science of Getting Rich is a compact, businesslike manual that sets out what its author calls a "certain way" of thinking and acting to attract wealth. Wattles argues that prosperity follows definite principles as reliably as any physical science: hold a clear mental image of what you want, feel deep gratitude, act purposefully in your present circumstances, and give more in "use value" than you take in cash. He is deliberately plainspoken, telling readers he is offering a practical method rather than a philosophy to be debated.
The book is short and direct, structured as a series of brief chapters that build a single coherent programme. That simplicity has helped it stay in print and circulation for well over a century.
About the author
Wallace Delois Wattles (1860–1911) was an American writer associated with the New Thought movement. After years of financial struggle he turned to writing about success and personal power, producing a small number of books before his death in 1911. The Science of Getting Rich is his most famous and influential work.
Why it still matters
This book is one of the direct ancestors of the modern prosperity and "law of attraction" genre; it was openly cited as an inspiration for Rhonda Byrne's bestselling The Secret. Whether you read it as a period document of American optimism or as a practical exercise in focus and gratitude, it remains a foundational text — and, as a public-domain work, one anyone can study for free.