Self-help ✦ Penny’s Take
The Secret of Success
William Walker Atkinson · 2013
60/100
👎 Skip It
Atkinson's 1907 text helped lay the groundwork for the entire self-help genre, and its emphasis on character and persistence still resonates in outline. But the New Thought metaphysical framework — the idea that the mind creates reality — will conflict with some readers' faith commitments, and the hortatory prose feels remote by modern standards. Worth it as a piece of intellectual history; less useful as practical guidance.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: New Thought metaphysical philosophy (potential faith conflict). We still scored it 60; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
📚 Buy the book ↗📱 Read on Kindle ↗🎧 Listen on Audible ↗ affiliate links · support the site, never the verdict
As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety62
Substance / usefulness66
Craft & writing62
Originality72
Evidence & accuracy85
Hype vs delivers76
Age-fit28
👁 Human-eye gut-check63
Penny’s verdict60
Cross-pollinate