As a Man Thinketh

Allen, James, 1864-1912Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 45K words
Chapters: 5

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.As a Man Thinketh by James AllenAuthor: Allen, James, 1864-1912,Language: English, Class: BF: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Psychology, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Release Date: Oct 1, 2003

Editor's review

This is a short but widely circulated essay-like work built around the core proposition that thought shapes life, discussing in concise, forceful paragraphs the relationship between mind and character, and between mind and circumstance. Its strength lies not in rigorous argument but in concision of expression: almost every paragraph can stand alone as an aphorism, making it a collection of maxims suitable for repeated savoring in spare moments. As a public-domain e-book it is easy to obtain and is often used as short English reading material. A caveat: this is exhortatory writing focused on inspiration and self-reflection; it offers no psychological experimental evidence or step-by-step instructions, and readers should not treat it as a rigorous self-help manual. The best approach is slow reading with annotation—note down the sentences that move you and revisit them after a while to see whether your understanding has changed.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners who want short English materials for daily reading practice
Readers who enjoy aphoristic writing and are willing to savor and reflect repeatedly
People in a low period or at a crossroads who need gentle reminders and a sense of direction
General readers curious about the style of early inspirational writing

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic psychological theory or empirical research support
People who need concrete action steps and staged practice plans
Readers who dislike an exhortatory tone and prefer cool analysis

Reading tips

Read a short section each day, then write one or two sentences of your own understanding before continuing.
Keep a pen handy, mark passages that resonate, and review them together at the end of the month.
You may read a Chinese translation first for the gist, then read the English original to feel the rhythm of the language.
After finishing, pick one idea and write a reflection connected to your own recent experience.

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

Is this book a work of psychology?

It is not a strict work of psychology but an exhortatory essay. It discusses the relationship between thought and character, and between thought and circumstance, aiming to inspire self-reflection; the language is concise but lacks experimental evidence and systematic theory. Readers can treat it as a starting point for thought; if scientific grounding is needed, they should consult psychology books for comparison.

It is so short—is it worth reading seriously?

Brevity does not mean lightness. The book's value lies in its concision; many paragraphs can be taken out and pondered repeatedly. It is best not to finish it in one sitting but to read a short section each day with annotations and revisit it after some time, when new insights often emerge. A quick read-through tends to leave only a vague impression.

Is the English original hard to read, and what level is it suitable for?

The sentences in the original are short and the vocabulary is somewhat formal but not obscure; high-school-level English with a dictionary is enough. It is often used as short English reading material. If you worry about misreading, you can first read a Chinese translation for the gist, then return to the original to appreciate its rhythm and wording.

How should I put the ideas into practice after reading?

A practical approach is to pick the idea that resonates most, write a reflection connected to a specific recent experience, and observe the link between thought and action. Do not aim for immediate change; it works better as a tool for regular self-reflection—look back after some time and check whether your understanding has changed.

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About the author

Allen, James, 1864-1912 Author · British · 1864–1912

James Allen (1864–1912) was a British writer and one of the representative figures of the New Thought movement. He published relatively little in his lifetime; two of his works are held in this collection, the best known being As a Man Thinketh and The Way of Peace. His writing centers on the relationship between thought and character, inner cultivation and one's circumstances in life. His style is concise and restrained, with an exhortatory and introspective tone, and he sets out in plain language how the mind shapes personal life. Public information about his biography is limited, and readers and scholars chiefly know him through these works. As a Man Thinketh is brief, yet its simple language and clear purpose have given it a wide readership; it is often regarded as a popular text of the New Thought movement addressed to ordinary readers, and it has had some influence on later inspirational and self-cultivation writing.