Is The Science Of Being Great Worth Reading For Self-Improvement?

2026-03-24 05:55:43
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4 Answers

Ian
Ian
Contributor Firefighter
I loaned my copy to a friend who’s big into stoicism, and their reaction surprised me. They called it 'Emerson meets a pep talk'—which tracks! Wattles blends transcendentalist vibes with punchy directives. Chapter 3’s breakdown of 'the power of purpose' is gold, though the repetitive structure might irk some. If you’ve read 'The Magic of Thinking Big,' this feels like its grittier ancestor. Worth it for the historical context alone, but skip if you’re allergic to earnest, pre-psychology era optimism.
2026-03-26 05:47:07
5
Gideon
Gideon
Bibliophile Photographer
You know that feeling when a book just clicks? For me, 'The Science of Being Great' did that during a slump. Wattles’ core idea—that greatness stems from relentless focus, not innate talent—flipped my perspective. I’d been obsessing over shortcuts, but his bluntness ('The weak wait for opportunities; the strong create them') shook me awake. It’s not about flashy tactics; it’s about cultivating an unshakable mindset. Pair this with 'Psycho-Cybernetics' for a knockout combo on reshaping self-image.
2026-03-27 21:01:21
18
Andrew
Andrew
Honest Reviewer Translator
Three takeaways stuck with me: 1) Wattles treats self-doubt like a math problem—solvable through logic. 2) His 'no excuses' tone borders on harsh, but that’s the point. 3) The book’s brevity (under 150 pages) means zero fluff. Perfect for commute reads if you’re tired of fluffy modern advice. Just don’t expect TED Talk smoothness—this is more like a stubborn uncle’s life lecture.
2026-03-28 05:30:21
15
Priscilla
Priscilla
Bibliophile Student
Wallace D. Wattles' 'The Science of Being Great' has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I finally cracked it open last month. At first, I was skeptical—another early 20th-century self-help book? But there’s a raw, almost rebellious energy to Wattles’ writing that feels refreshingly direct. He doesn’t dance around vague affirmations; he hammers home the idea that greatness is a practice, not an accident. The book’s insistence on aligning thought with action reminded me of modern cognitive-behavioral techniques, just wrapped in old-school phrasing.

That said, some parts haven’t aged gracefully. The language can feel overly rigid, and his focus on 'the Certain Way' might frustrate readers who prefer concrete steps. But if you’re into philosophical groundwork—like how James Allen’s 'As a Man Thinketh' explores mental discipline—this complements it well. I ended up dog-earing chapters on persistence, which cut deeper than I expected.
2026-03-28 12:19:24
18
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