How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie
Like Schwartz, Carnegie writes in a warm, anecdote-driven style with clear principles. It expands on the people skills that The Magic of Thinking Big treats as essential to getting ahead.
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Magic Of Thinking Big
Business
★★★★★4.5 (25)
A short, upbeat 1959 classic that makes a simple case: the size of your thinking sets the size of your results, and small daily actions build the confidence to match.
What It's About
The Magic of Thinking Big, first published in 1959 by David J. Schwartz, rests on one stubborn claim: most people limit their achievements mainly by how small they allow themselves to think. Schwartz argues that enlarging your belief about what is possible changes which goals you pursue and how seriously you pursue them. The book is short and direct rather than research-driven. Its voice is warm, confident, and sermon-like, carried along by anecdotes, examples, and plenty of pointed rules of thumb.
The reading experience is mostly encouragement with a practical edge. A large share of the book deals with habits of mind: dropping excuses, facing fear instead of waiting for it to pass, and choosing environments and people who expect more of you. The advice is meant to be tried immediately, through small actions that gradually build self-confidence, rather than through extended theory. Chapters are brief and fairly self-contained, so you can dip in without reading in strict order.
Expect a book from another era. Its examples, idiom, and assumptions reflect mid-century American business culture, and the tone can feel like a pep talk at times. It works best as a motivational primer that you test against your own life, keeping the useful habits and setting aside the sweeping promises.
Read this if you…
- want a short, upbeat book to kick-start a stalled goal or a more ambitious plan
- are drawn to classic self-help and want to see where many modern motivational ideas came from
- tend to talk yourself out of trying and would benefit from concrete, repeated nudges toward action
Skip it if you…
- want evidence-based psychology or rigorous research on how goals and motivation actually work
- find an unrelenting pep-talk tone grating or prefer nuanced, skeptical treatments of success
Key Ideas
- 1
Belief shapes the goals you dare to pursue
Schwartz's central idea is that people often fail before they start, because they quietly decide a goal is out of reach. He treats thinking big as a deliberate choice: you widen the range of what you consider possible, then let that wider range guide which opportunities you notice and which efforts you commit to. The argument is less about wishing and more about removing a self-imposed ceiling on ambition.
- 2
Excuses are a habit you can unlearn
A recurring theme is that excuses feel reasonable in the moment but steadily keep ambition small. Schwartz urges readers to notice the reasons they give for not trying, to examine them honestly, and to replace them with a plan. The advice is blunt and repetitive by design, meant to make you catch yourself mid-excuse and redirect your attention toward the next concrete step.
- 3
Confidence is built through action, not waiting
Schwartz presents self-confidence as something you develop rather than something you have to feel first. Taking modest, manageable steps produces evidence that you can handle more, and that evidence in turn makes bigger steps easier. This practical emphasis on action over mood is one of the book's more durable contributions, and it is the part most likely to be useful to someone stuck in hesitation.
- 4
Environment and the people around you
The book pays attention to the social setting of ambition. Schwartz suggests that the people you spend time with, and the expectations they carry, influence how big you think. He encourages readers to seek out those who encourage growth and to be wary of those who consistently shrink your goals. The point is practical and easy to apply, even if the examples feel dated.
Limitations
The book's biggest weakness is its evidence. Schwartz relies largely on anecdotes and personal observation, and the claims about attitude driving results are stated more firmly than the material supports. Modern research on positive thinking is mixed, and some findings suggest that overly rosy self-talk can sometimes reduce effort. The examples, language, and assumptions about success and work reflect the late 1950s, and the book says little about structural barriers such as money, discrimination, or access to opportunity. Readers should treat it as motivation, not a complete account of achievement.
Questions Readers Ask
- Is The Magic of Thinking Big still worth reading?
- Yes, if you want a short, straightforward motivational book and are willing to read it critically. Its core advice about excuses, action, and confidence remains practical. Just don't expect current research or a sophisticated account of why some people succeed and others don't. Treat it as a useful starting point rather than a complete guide.
- How does it compare to Think and Grow Rich?
- Both are classic success books promising that the right mindset unlocks results. Schwartz's book is generally gentler and more focused on everyday habits like taking action and overcoming fear, while Think and Grow Rich leans more heavily on wealth-building and a mystical framing. Readers who want practical encouragement often find Schwartz easier to apply day to day.
What Creators Say About Magic Of Thinking Big
Reviews from readers on YouTube. Their opinions are their own.
- Published
- 1987
- ISBN
- 9780671646783
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Business
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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Books Like Magic Of Thinking Big
View all →Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill
The foundational success book Schwartz's generation built on. Its focus on definite goals, persistence and belief echoes the big-thinking message, though in a more inspirational register.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Norman Vincent Peale
A mid-century companion to Schwartz's book, full of practical techniques for overcoming self-doubt and worry. Readers who liked the confidence-building chapters will find a similar encouraging voice.
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Where Schwartz tells you to act and think bigger, Clear shows how to make new behaviours stick through small, systematic changes. A modern, highly practical follow-up for action-oriented readers.