Before there was The Secret, there was As a Man Thinketh. For more than a century, James Allen's landmark 1903 essay on the power of thought has inspired people in all walks of life. Allen endeavored to write with simple clarity, to make his teachings universally accessible. He examines the ways in which thought shapes behavior, and through it, our relationships with others and with the world around us. Chapter by chapter, Allen explores the long-term effect of focused, positive thought in every area of life, and on identity itself. "Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force: he who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations; he who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers." -James Allen