Book excerpt: Oliver Napoleon Hill was an American self-help author. He is best known for his book Think and Grow Rich (1937), which is among the best-selling self-help books of all time. Hill's works insisted that fervid expectations are essential to improving one's life. Most of his books were promoted as expounding principles to achieve "success". Think and Grow Rich is a book released in 1937 and promoted as a personal development and self-improvement book. He claimed to be inspired by a suggestion from business magnate and later-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. However there is no evidence that the two ever met. The book is considered a classic in the personal development genre and has been widely influential in shaping the way people think about success and wealth. The Law of Success in 16 Lessons is an edited version of Napoleon Hill’s first manuscript, which was reworked under the advisement of several contributors. This version was initially published in 1928 as a multi-volume correspondence course. Later editions consolidated the material into a single hardcover book. The Law of Success: In Sixteen Lessons The Magic Ladder to Success Think and Grow Rich How to Sell Your Way Through Life The Master-Key to Riches Grow Rich!: With Peace of Mind