The Power of Positive Thinking
The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living is a 1952 self-help book by American minister Norman Vincent Peale. It provides anecdotal "case histories" of positive thinking using a biblical approach, and practical instructions which were designed to help the reader achieve a permanent and optimistic attitude. These techniques usually involved affirmations and visualizations. Peale claimed that such techniques would give the reader a higher satisfaction and quality of life. The book was negatively reviewed by scholars and health experts, but was popular among the general public and has sold well.[1]
For the EP by Nomeansno, see The Power of Positive Thinking (EP).Author
English
1952
United States
248.4
BV4908.5
Publication[edit]
The Power of Positive Thinking was published in October 1952 and continues to be Peale's most widely read work. It was on the New York Times' bestsellers list for 186 weeks, 48 of which were spent in the No. 1 non-fiction spot.[4] The book sold more than 5 million copies worldwide[5] — 2.5 million from 1952 to 1956[6] — and was eventually translated into over 40 languages.[7] Other books published by Peale around 1952 include The Art of Real Happiness, published in 1950, and Inspiring Messages for Daily Living, published in 1955.[8] The Power of Positive Thinking appeared at a time when Christian church attendance was drastically increasing, national views of spirituality, individuality, and religion were shifting, and the Cold War was a growing concern for many Americans.[6] These factors, as well as Peale's growing popularity as a motivational public figure and the book's clear prose, propelled The Power of Positive Thinking into a self-help book still popular today.
Reception[edit]
Criticisms[edit]
Peale's work came under criticism from various mental health experts, theologians, and academics. One general criticism of Peale's book was the lack of verified sources. The Power of Positive Thinking includes many personal anecdotes that the reader has no way of validating. The book includes stories about “a business executive”,[5] “a man, an alcoholic”,[5] “a famous trapeze artist”,[5] “a friend of [Peale’s], a midwestern businessman”,[5] and other unnamed individuals which cannot be verified from the information Peale presents with each anecdote.