Other editions of book As a Man Thinketh: Create the Life You Want, A Hampton Roads Collection

James Allen’s literary essay and book “As a Man Thinketh” was originally published in 1903. The novel is written in terms of responsibility assumption, which is a doctrine that any person has complete responsibility for the events that happen to them. Every situation you are in is because of your choice, no other outside factors. Allen’s novel takes this thought and acts as a guide for an individual to lead a more full and happy life, by using the power of thought to change one’s life through a better attitude. Allen is quoted saying “The price of the book is only one shilling, and it can be carried in the pocket” and that it is “A book that will help you help yourself”.

Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master.

"All that we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result of our own thoughts." A classic work in the truest sense, few books have been so widely read as "As a Man Thinketh", have stood the test of time so well, and have had such an immense impact on generations of readers. The reason for this is that it conveys such a simple, yet profound message: You are what you think. The book covers topics such as thought and character, effect of thought on circumstances, effect of thought on health and the body, thought and purpose, the thought-factor in achievement, visions and ideals, and serenity.

This little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that- "They themselves are makers of themselves." by virtue of the thoughts, which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master-weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happiness. This edition contains an essay called "James Allen: A prophet Of Meditation".

As a Man Thinketh (version 2) THOUGHT AND CHARACTER The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," not only embraces the whole of a man's being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called "spontaneous" and "unpremeditated" as to those, which are deliberately executed. Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry. "Thought in the mind hath made us, What we are By thought was wrought and built. If a man's mind Hath evil thoughts, pain comes on him as comes The wheel the ox behind.... ..If one endure In purity of thought, joy follows him As his own shadow--sure." Man is a growth by law, and not a creation by artifice, and cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favour or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with Godlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harbouring of grovelling thoughts.

Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely, though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body and lays it open to the entrance of disease, while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will sooner shatter the nervous system.

As a Man Thinketh& is James Allen's third book, first published in 1903. In it, he details how man is the creator and shaper of his destiny by the thoughts which he thinks. He rises and falls in exact accordance with the character of the thoughts which he entertains. His environment is the result of what he has thought and done in the past, and his circumstances in the future are being shaped and built by his present desires, aspirations, thoughts and actions. He therefore who chooses and pursues a particular line of thought, consciously builds his own destiny.Part of the New Thought Movement, Allen reveals the secrets to having the most fulfilling existence possible, and it&;s easier than any of us could have imagined. The title for the essay comes from the Bible: &;As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,&; Proverbs, chapter 23, verse 7. In more than a century, As A Man Thinketh has become an inspirational classic, selling millions of copies worldwide and bringing faith, inspiration, and self healing to all who have encountered it. In this new edition o;As A Man Thinketh, readers will be enthralled by James Allen&;s thoughts and direction to take charge of their own destiny, as it has for over 100 years.