The Strangest Secret, The Secret of the Ages and How To Get Anything You Want: Three Classic Success Books

What are these three classic success books?

They come from the New Thought tradition, the early twentieth-century movement that taught that your thinking shapes your circumstances. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is the best known, and these three sit beside it: a 1956 recording that helped launch motivational audio, a 1926 book on the practical psychology of abundance, and a 1923 lecture series that became one of the most popular courses of its day.

Russell Brunson’s Secrets of Success builds its membership and challenges around works like these, and each of the three has an easy way in. If you want the full tour of that library, see our Secrets of Success review, and for Hill’s book start with the Think and Grow Rich guide.

What is The Strangest Secret?

The Strangest Secret is a spoken-word recording by Earl Nightingale, recorded and released in 1956. It sold more than a million copies and became the first spoken-word recording to earn a Gold Record. Nightingale had been inspired by Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich in 1949, and in 1960 he co-founded the Nightingale-Conant Corporation with Lloyd Conant, the company that went on to publish motivational audio programs.

Its core message is simple and memorable: we become what we think about. Nightingale argues that a clear goal, held in mind every day, is what separates people who move forward from people who drift. The recording is about half an hour long, easy to replay, and has been reissued in many formats since.

What does The Strangest Secret teach?

• Choose a goal. Decide what you want more than anything else and write it on a card.
• Keep it in front of you. Read the card often, so the goal stays at the front of your mind.
• Think about what you want, not what you fear. Where your attention goes, your actions follow.
• Take action every day. A clear aim only matters if you move toward it daily.
• Give it time. Nightingale’s approach is a daily practice, not a one-time decision.

Many people turn this into a simple thirty-day practice: write the card, read it each day and note one action. It pairs well with a morning routine, and our morning routine guide shows how to build one in seven steps.

How can you listen to more Earl Nightingale?

The Strangest Secret is widely available as a recording and as a book. If you want more of Nightingale, the Secrets of Success Book Box membership includes access to Nightingale Conant’s audiobook library, which the membership describes as thousands of previously unreleased Earl Nightingale recordings.

The membership begins with a free 30-day trial, where you pay $37.95 shipping for three physical books, including Think and Grow Rich. After the trial it is $97 a month, and you can cancel anytime.

What is The Secret of the Ages?

The Secret of the Ages is Robert Collier’s 1926 book, which sold more than 300,000 copies during his lifetime. Collier was born in St. Louis in 1885 and died in 1950. The book focuses on the practical psychology of abundance, desire, faith, visualization, confident action and personal development, and it has influenced generations of success writers. Rhonda Byrne has credited Collier as an influence on The Secret, and the film’s release in 2006 revived interest in his work.

If you prefer to learn it live, Russell Brunson hosts The Secret of the Ages Masterclass, a free three-day challenge with Joe Vitale, Eileen Wilder and Annie Grace. It teaches Collier’s “Power of Thought” method and the “Mental Attitude” secret, and Russell shares principles from the rare book sets he collected.

What is How To Get Anything You Want?

How To Get Anything You Want is a lecture series by Elsie Lincoln Benedict, first published in 1923 as seven lessons, with Ralph Paine Benedict. Elsie Lincoln Benedict (1885–1970) was one of the best-known lecturers of her day and the founder of Brainology, a course on scientific mind training. Her message was practical: define what you want, believe you can have it and take the steps.

Russell Brunson offers a complete hardcover compilation of all 14 books in the series, more than 300 pages, at $19.95 plus shipping (reduced from $97) while copies last, and the page says it includes books 8 through 14 that are not in the editions sold elsewhere. He also leads a free three-day challenge, 60 minutes a day, with Joe Vitale, Eileen Wilder and Annie Grace.

How do the three classics compare?

Which classic should you start with?

If you want a short, powerful idea you can absorb in an afternoon, start with The Strangest Secret. If you like the language of visualization and faith, choose The Secret of the Ages. If you want a step-by-step course you can work through, pick How To Get Anything You Want. All three agree on the main point, so you cannot choose wrong, and the two free challenges let you sample before you pay for anything.

Our verdict on these classic success books

Each of these classics has lasted because its central idea is easy to practice: pick a clear goal, keep it in mind and act on it daily. Start with the free challenge that matches the book that appeals to you, or take the Book Box trial if you would like the library and printed books in your hands. Choose one idea, practice it for thirty days and see how it changes your days.