An Iron Will

Marden, Orison Swett, 1848-1924Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 85K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.An Iron Will by Abner Bayley and Orison Swett MardenAuthor: Marden, Orison Swett, 1848-1924,Language: English, Class: BF: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Psychology, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Release Date: Aug 11, 2004

Editor's review

This is a work by Orison Swett Marden, classified under psychology and psychoanalysis within philosophy, psychology, and religion, with a theme centered on cultivating and exercising willpower. Marden was one of the representative figures of late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century American inspirational and self-improvement writing; his style leans toward direct exhortation and illustrative argument, emphasizing the influence of personal character and will on one's circumstances. The book is short with a focused thesis, suitable as an introductory read on willpower and easy to excerpt for aphoristic passages for self-reflection or writing material. Note that such early inspirational works carry distinctive period discourse; some claims, judged by today's psychological standards, are rather experiential, so readers should take the motivational framework rather than rigorous scientific conclusions. As a free public-domain eBook, it is better suited as a specimen for understanding early self-improvement writing; reading it against modern psychology books yields better results.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to understand the tradition of early inspirational and self-improvement writing
People who need short motivational material for daily self-reflection
Those interested in willpower who are willing to read against modern psychology
English learners who prefer argumentative short pieces and want to build expression

Not a good fit for

Psychology readers expecting rigorous experimental evidence and scientific methods
Readers who dislike exhortative, preachy prose
Readers who need systematic training programs and step-by-step instructions

Reading tips

Read in short chapter segments, and after each section write down one practical question for self-reflection.
Read against contemporary books on willpower or habit formation to identify similarities and differences.
Excerpt aphoristic sentences from the book as material for writing or speeches.
While reading, note the period discourse and avoid treating experiential claims as scientific conclusions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is this book mainly about?

According to the information, the book is titled An Iron Will, by Marden, and classified under psychology and philosophy. Judging from the title and classification, the theme centers on the role and cultivation of willpower, belonging to early inspirational and self-improvement writing. The specific chapter contents are not detailed in the information; readers may regard it as a short collection of essays on willpower.

Who is the author Marden?

The information shows the author is Orison Swett Marden, 1848–1924, an American writer whose works are classified under philosophy, psychology, and religion. He was one of the representative authors in the field of inspirational writing from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The information provides no further biographical details; readers are advised to consult reliable sources separately.

Are the book's views still applicable today?

This book belongs to early inspirational writing, with arguments based largely on experience and exhortation and marked by period discourse. The parts emphasizing persistence and self-discipline still have motivational value, but they should not be taken as rigorous psychological conclusions. Readers are advised to take the motivational framework and compare it with modern psychological research to form their own judgment rather than accepting everything wholesale.

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About the author

Marden, Orison Swett, 1848-1924 Author

Orison Swett Marden (1848–1924) was an American inspirational writer active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though details of his life are limited in publicly available sources. Nine of his works are included here, among them Pushing to the Front, The Victorious Attitude, An Iron Will, Ambition and Success, and How to Succeed. These books generally center on willpower, ambition, the path to success, and a positive attitude, using examples from people's lives and aphoristic encouragement to offer ordinary readers guidance in self-improvement. Marden's writing stresses the role of character and perseverance in personal growth; his motivational works circulated widely in the English-speaking world and have influenced later success literature and self-cultivation reading.