To become rich, you have to make a conscious effort and follow certain natural laws. These are the central themes of Wallace Wattles’ book, The Science of Getting Rich.
First published in 1910, Wallace Wattles’ book, at a glance, delves into how anyone can build material wealth. It is a manual on how to get rich irrespective of race, family, economy or nation. To be precise, the author claims that getting rich is not by accident – it is a choice and not the work of chance.
Like Mathematics and Algebra, Wallace states that riches have a formula. The formula involves an age-long, tested and proven process, which philosophers and theologians have laboured to establish.
He writes that all human beings have the right to become rich, establishing that desiring to be rich is legitimate and commendable, and soothes the human soul’s longing for a grander existence.
Man is created to grow emotionally and physiologically. The author writes that we exist in a body, possess a mind, and have a soul – all of which seek a balance.
He mentioned the loathsome consequences of living for the body by denying the mind and soul, whereas ‘real life means the complete pursuit of what enhances an existence. Precisely, one of the key elements for building wealth is a healthy, sound and motivated man or woman. Of course, no one can render a greater service to God and humanity without first making the most of himself or herself.
Wallace emphasised the role of effective relationship management. This is how he puts it: ‘getting rich involves the necessity of dealing with men, and being where there are people to deal with’. He further said becoming wealthy involves acting and behaving in a ‘certain way’.
For Wallace, everyone can get what he or she wants by following the procedures. These procedures involve the engagement of the faculty of the mind through positive thought based on faith.
He states that Nature is ‘an inexhaustible storehouse’ for those who choose to place a demand on it. But that pursuit must spring from positive thought because acquiring wealth begins with a focused mind.
However, the author goes metaphysical, asserting that there is a force that Nature puts at the disposal of anyone striving for success, to ensure that he succeeds, however long it takes.
The book switches into full gear from chapter five. Wallace moves on to gratitude. For him, the grateful person will never fail to get what he wants. He connects thought to power, and that power is creative. Through gratitude, the human mind is fixed upon the best, and it tends to become the best because ‘the creative power within us makes us into the image of that which we give our attention.’
In addition, Wallace opposes the unfounded belief in a mere spiritual exercise. For him, the answers to our prayers don’t come while praying alone. It is while working that faith becomes more effective and potent to produce its object.
The last five chapters, subtitled ‘How to Get What You Want’, are a fitting summary of the science of amassing riches. Wallace introduces the ‘would-be rich people’ to the acts of courting riches. The first act is poise. According to the author, poise is peace and power combined, which automatically leads to faith. Faith in this sense lies in ‘believing something which cannot be proved’. And that comes through awareness of the power that controls possibility.
‘Power consciousness is what you feel when you know you can do a thing, ’ continues Wallace.
To buttress that, there is no limit to what a man or woman who dares to try can achieve. The author warns that anyone who is aspiring to riches can accomplish that only by doing perfectly all that can be done now, putting aside things that cannot be done now.
He goes further to write that ‘the doing of one thing to perfection invariably provides us with the equipment for doing the next larger thing’. To get rich, Wallace adds that: ‘Every transaction and relation of today, whether it be business, domestic or social, must be made a stepping stone to what you want in the future; and to accomplish this, you must put into each more than enough life to fill it.’
In the last chapter, Wallace admonishes readers to ‘avoid the competitive spirit’ and to use whatever is available today to achieve whatever is desired for the future.
In summary, the message of ‘The Science of Getting Rich’ is that everyone can get rich if they follow certain laws, which start from consciously tapping into the power of the mind through continuous positive thought and faith.
‘The Science of Getting Rich’ is simple but progressively engaging, by not making one act or attitude the sole requirement to get rich. The author’s language is simple. Every opening sentence captures the chapter, making the book appear well-structured.
Although the book shares interesting insights, the only shortcoming is the sparse reference to true-life examples that readers can relate to.
