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One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life
From the millions-strong audiences of Oprah and The Secret to the mass-media ministries of evangelical figures like Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes, to the motivational bestsellers and New Age seminars to the twelve-step programs and support groups of the recovery movement and to the rise of positive psychology and stress-reduction therapies, this idea--to think positively--is metaphysics morphed into mass belief. This is the biography of that belief.
No one has yet written a serious and broad-ranging treatment and history of the positive-thinking movement. Until now. For all its influence across popular culture, religion, politics, and medicine, this psycho-spiritual movement remains a maligned and misunderstood force in modern life. Its roots are unseen and its long-range impact is unacknowledged. It is often considered a cotton-candy theology for New Agers and self-help junkies. In response, One Simple Idea corrects several historical misconceptions about the positive-thinking movement and introduces us to a number of colorful and dramatic personalities, including Napoleon Hill and Norman Vincent Peale, whose books and influence have touched the lives of tens of millions across the world.
No one has yet written a serious and broad-ranging treatment and history of the positive-thinking movement. Until now. For all its influence across popular culture, religion, politics, and medicine, this psycho-spiritual movement remains a maligned and misunderstood force in modern life. Its roots are unseen and its long-range impact is unacknowledged. It is often considered a cotton-candy theology for New Agers and self-help junkies. In response, One Simple Idea corrects several historical misconceptions about the positive-thinking movement and introduces us to a number of colorful and dramatic personalities, including Napoleon Hill and Norman Vincent Peale, whose books and influence have touched the lives of tens of millions across the world.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
56 people are currently reading
1147 people want to read
About the author
Mitch Horowitz
258books204followersMITCH HOROWITZ is the editor-in-chief of Tarcher/Penguin and the author OCCULT AMERICA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOW MYSTICISM SHAPED OUR NATION (Bantam, Sept '09), which has been called "a fascinating book" by Ken Burns and "extraordinary" by Deepak Chopra. Visit him online at
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 2, 2014
This book fits in fairly well with my interest in the self-help phenomenon. Although with my melancholy and cynicism I tend more to the anti-self-help camp (as in Barbara Ehrenreich’s
Bright-Sided
and
Promise Land
by Jessica Lamb-Shapiro), I still appreciated Horowitz’s more straightforward history of positive thinking / New Thought in America � what he calls “our national creed.� As a believer, his basic assumption is that positive thinking is beneficial, or at least worth considering � even though he admits “I sometimes disdain [it] for its lack of moral rigor, its inconsistencies, and its intellectual laxity.�
The most noteworthy sections, for me, discuss Ronald Reagan’s gung-ho acceptance of New Thought and the rise of the “prosperity gospel� (a doctrine of personal, especially financial, success) in Evangelical churches. “It is today estimated that of America’s twelve largest churches, three are prosperity-oriented: Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston; T.D. Jakes’s Potter’s House in Dallas; and Tommy Barnett’s Phoenix First in Arizona.� It is intriguing to watch Horowitz trace the possible origins of the prosperity gospel to Frances Lord, an English suffragette whose 1888 book Christian Science Healing sought to free readers from poverty: “God is not poor; I cannot be poor� was one of the affirmations in her six-day program.
The book’s downfall � and the reason why I ended up skimming after 40-some pages � is that it mostly amounts to potted biographies of a series of obscure, eccentric American figures. In a few cases the information is interesting (Mary Baker Eddy, Phineas P. Quimby and AA founder Bill Wilson), but I quickly wearied of the format. Lamb-Shapiro’s is much the more engaging book about America’s positive thinking and self-help industry.
I was delighted to win a copy in a ŷ First Reads giveaway.
The most noteworthy sections, for me, discuss Ronald Reagan’s gung-ho acceptance of New Thought and the rise of the “prosperity gospel� (a doctrine of personal, especially financial, success) in Evangelical churches. “It is today estimated that of America’s twelve largest churches, three are prosperity-oriented: Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston; T.D. Jakes’s Potter’s House in Dallas; and Tommy Barnett’s Phoenix First in Arizona.� It is intriguing to watch Horowitz trace the possible origins of the prosperity gospel to Frances Lord, an English suffragette whose 1888 book Christian Science Healing sought to free readers from poverty: “God is not poor; I cannot be poor� was one of the affirmations in her six-day program.
The book’s downfall � and the reason why I ended up skimming after 40-some pages � is that it mostly amounts to potted biographies of a series of obscure, eccentric American figures. In a few cases the information is interesting (Mary Baker Eddy, Phineas P. Quimby and AA founder Bill Wilson), but I quickly wearied of the format. Lamb-Shapiro’s is much the more engaging book about America’s positive thinking and self-help industry.
I was delighted to win a copy in a ŷ First Reads giveaway.
February 9, 2014
I've always thought of myself as a positive kind of person. I wake up and look forward to a new day and the things that will come of it. Am I a millionaire? No, I am not. Am I in perfect physical shape and health? No I am not. Do I run a business and direct hundreds or thousands of people? No I do not. So according to ONE SIMPLE IDEA I not not engaging in positive thought or "New Thought" or at least I'm not doing it properly. But I'm happy and I can deal with what problems come my way. So, according to this "Positive Thinking" mentality, I'm a failure. And so are just about everyone else on the planet.
If you were to ask one of the few happy, successful "positive thinking" people about you if it was just the thinking that got them where they are and hard work, drive, determination, mentoring of others, lucky breaks which their other attributes probably caused, even their ruthlessness, had nothing to do with it. I'm so sick of happy, smiling people smirking at those around them and saying it is obvious those pitiful wrecks of people just weren't thinking hard enough.
The cult of positive thinking being the guide to happiness can't be proven. Why do so many rich, successful, powerful people do such stupid stuff? Why do they get caught stealing, lying, cheating on their families and friends, or even suicide? Must be bad thoughts doing it and if only they had kept a positive attitude and said "I do believe in me" all the time, they wouldn't have gotten that way.
It's only too bad that we can't measure a persons "Positive Thoughts" so as to tell if it was that or all the positive traits the individual displayed that got them to their pinnacle of happiness. But there is no such device so, just like any snake oil salesman will tell you, there's a sucker born every minute.
I do believe in fairies! I do believe in faeries! I do believe in faeries! And yet I don't see Tink flying around.
If you were to ask one of the few happy, successful "positive thinking" people about you if it was just the thinking that got them where they are and hard work, drive, determination, mentoring of others, lucky breaks which their other attributes probably caused, even their ruthlessness, had nothing to do with it. I'm so sick of happy, smiling people smirking at those around them and saying it is obvious those pitiful wrecks of people just weren't thinking hard enough.
The cult of positive thinking being the guide to happiness can't be proven. Why do so many rich, successful, powerful people do such stupid stuff? Why do they get caught stealing, lying, cheating on their families and friends, or even suicide? Must be bad thoughts doing it and if only they had kept a positive attitude and said "I do believe in me" all the time, they wouldn't have gotten that way.
It's only too bad that we can't measure a persons "Positive Thoughts" so as to tell if it was that or all the positive traits the individual displayed that got them to their pinnacle of happiness. But there is no such device so, just like any snake oil salesman will tell you, there's a sucker born every minute.
I do believe in fairies! I do believe in faeries! I do believe in faeries! And yet I don't see Tink flying around.
June 5, 2015
I truly enjoyed this very well researched book. I won this book on First-Read and I am so glad that I read it, as it connected a lot of dots that I have been thinking about in my own mind for a long time. It has seemed to me that many spiritual movements, books, etc. have simply repackaged the idea of using "positive thinking" over and over. Now that I have read Mitch Horowitz's book with a biography of Positive Thinking since the 1700, I see that this repackaging is far more extensive than I thought and has made its way into politics, philosophy, medicine, business, and even my own field of psychology.
The new school of thought "Positive Psychology" is growing leaps and bounds and I think has taken this "One Simple Idea" even further as an application. I can see how positive thinking has encourage my own writing and work to explore to find a new model of viewing humanity with multiple brains--uniting body-mind by trusting our inner nature as positive beings and discovering the key to developing intuition is through the positive thinking about who we are that leads us to trust our gut feelings.
My thought is that the repackaging of this "one simple idea" will be continued for each new generation until humanity totally embraces it in application. And then, of course, a new "One Simple Idea" will emerge for us to play with.
Martha Love,
author of
The new school of thought "Positive Psychology" is growing leaps and bounds and I think has taken this "One Simple Idea" even further as an application. I can see how positive thinking has encourage my own writing and work to explore to find a new model of viewing humanity with multiple brains--uniting body-mind by trusting our inner nature as positive beings and discovering the key to developing intuition is through the positive thinking about who we are that leads us to trust our gut feelings.
My thought is that the repackaging of this "one simple idea" will be continued for each new generation until humanity totally embraces it in application. And then, of course, a new "One Simple Idea" will emerge for us to play with.
Martha Love,
author of
December 31, 2013
I got really excited when the publisher contacted me to review this book--and I was not disappointed. This book is a well-researched, well-organized, and well-written exploration of positive thinking from it's roots in Christian Science to its modern-day impact on everything--medicine, politics, religion, business, self-help, and more. Horowitz even delves into quantum physics and the placebo effect, something my curious mind greatly appreciated.
Most importantly, Horowitz answers the million-dollar question: Does it work? For me, this was the most interesting part of the book. It is worth the purchase price just for the last chapter alone, although I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. It is truly a fascinating read, which I highly recommend.
Most importantly, Horowitz answers the million-dollar question: Does it work? For me, this was the most interesting part of the book. It is worth the purchase price just for the last chapter alone, although I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. It is truly a fascinating read, which I highly recommend.
January 13, 2014
Arthur Goldwag wrote an excellent review of Horowitz's new book on RewireMe.com:
In his new book One Simple Idea, How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life (Crown Publishing Group), Mitch Horowitz tells the fascinating story of the “loosely knit band of psychical researchers and religious philosophers, mental-healers and hypnotists, Mesmerists and Spiritualists, Unitarians and Transcendentalists, suffragists and free-love advocates, black liberationists and Christian socialists, animal-rights activists and Biblical communists, occultists and Freemasons, artists and freethinkers� who came together in the nineteenth century to create New Thought and Christian Science, two closely related movements that turned on the power of what William James would later term the “mind cure� or what we commonly refer to today as the power of positive thinking.
For thousands of years, mystics had proposed that what we perceive as reality is in fact a projection of our own minds and ego desires—that true reality abides beyond time, space, and the flesh. But if those mystics sought to transcend the world, this new breed of modern thinkers offered a kind of applied idealism that promised to transform the world instead. If “thoughts are things,� as Prentice Mulford wrote in the 1890s, a “substance as much as the acids, oxides, and all other chemicals,� then they can be used to turn disease into health, poverty into wealth, and addiction into mastery. Just as industrialism had harnessed the powers of electricity and magnetism, the invisible powers of mind were a new kind of technology that was just waiting to be tapped.
But in 1948 any number of thinkers, preachers, counselors, and authors were telling real people that they too could think their lives wonderful. Norman Vincent Peale’s first bestseller, A Guide to Confident Living, came out that same year, paving the way for his mega-selling The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952.And tapped they were, in theory, practice, and even pop culture. If you went to the movies in 1948, for example, you might have seen a Heckle and Jeckle short titled The Power of Thought between the newsreel and the feature. “You know, I’ve been lying here thinking,� one talking magpie says to the other as it begins. “We cartoon characters can have a wonderful life if we only take advantage of it. We can do anything we can think of.� With a snap of his pinions, he transforms himself into a mouse and then into a puppy. Then the two go for a swim in their bathtub, which magically elongates itself to accommodate them, smashing through the wall of their apartment building and extending far out above the street.
Heckle and Jeckle’s uncanny powers were specific to cartoons, a universe where the laws of physics don’t apply. But in 1948 any number of thinkers, preachers, counselors, and authors were telling real people that they too could think their lives wonderful. Norman Vincent Peale’s first bestseller, A Guide to Confident Living, came out that same year, paving the way for his mega-selling The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952.
The idea has even more currency today, as can be seen in the phenomenal success of Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, prosperity preachers like Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar, and motivational gurus like Anthony Robbins.
Think positive is practically the American creed, Horowitz writes. “It forms the foundation of business motivation, self-help, and therapeutic spirituality,� and it is arguably the philosophy that had the deepest influence on Ronald Reagan, who imbibed it first from his mother, then from the chiropractor and spiritualist B.J. Palmer, who owned the first radio station where he worked, and later from some of Hollywood’s most influential astrologers and occultists.
Recent developments in quantum physics, neuroscience, and the systematic study of placebo effects in medicine provide objective reasons to believe that thoughts can and do exert concrete influences on the physical world.Horowitz, author of the critically acclaimed Occult America (Bantam) and the vice president and editor in chief at Tarcher/Penguin (the division of Penguin books dedicated to metaphysical literature), has an encyclopedic knowledge of a vast library of metaphysical and motivational literature.
Where positive thinking falls short, he recognizes, is in its ethical shallowness and its narcissism. Everything doesn’t happen for a recognizable purpose: Even the righteous suffer, and for reasons that remain unfathomable. “New Thought’s pioneers,� Horowitz writes, “never pondered the potential limitation, or disadvantages, of man’s place in creation.� Like the false comforters in the Book of Job, too many of its apostles were too quick to blame victims for their own suffering, either because they failed to think rightly or because they were paying a karmic price for bad acts they committed in previous lives. Such arguments, he writes, are not just presumptuous; they deny the mystery that is at the heart of religion. “Man is neither all-seeing nor all-knowing; and his creative faculties, whatever their nature, cannot surpass his point of perspective.� On the other hand, recent developments in quantum physics, neuroscience, and the systematic study of placebo effects in medicine provide objective reasons to believe that thoughts can and do exert concrete influences on the physical world.
Horowitz’s verdict? New Thought may only be “a little bit true”—but it is true enough to potentially change everything. “Acting with deep practical intent,� he concludes, the pioneers of positive thinking “probed the possibilities and capacities of our psyches earlier than any scientists, theologians, or psychologists of the modern industrialized age. The founders of New Thought and affirmative thinking created a fresh means of viewing life, one that was rough and incomplete, rough with mistakes and dead ends, but also filled with possibility and practical application.�
“Mind power� is too influential an idea to simply dismiss it out of hand, as so many otherwise open-minded people do. One Simple Idea fills a need for a serious-minded history of this neglected aspect of the American ethos, while casting an intriguing look forward at its yet unrealized potential.
If you've read this far and would like to read Goldwag's interview with Horowitz, go to:
In his new book One Simple Idea, How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life (Crown Publishing Group), Mitch Horowitz tells the fascinating story of the “loosely knit band of psychical researchers and religious philosophers, mental-healers and hypnotists, Mesmerists and Spiritualists, Unitarians and Transcendentalists, suffragists and free-love advocates, black liberationists and Christian socialists, animal-rights activists and Biblical communists, occultists and Freemasons, artists and freethinkers� who came together in the nineteenth century to create New Thought and Christian Science, two closely related movements that turned on the power of what William James would later term the “mind cure� or what we commonly refer to today as the power of positive thinking.
For thousands of years, mystics had proposed that what we perceive as reality is in fact a projection of our own minds and ego desires—that true reality abides beyond time, space, and the flesh. But if those mystics sought to transcend the world, this new breed of modern thinkers offered a kind of applied idealism that promised to transform the world instead. If “thoughts are things,� as Prentice Mulford wrote in the 1890s, a “substance as much as the acids, oxides, and all other chemicals,� then they can be used to turn disease into health, poverty into wealth, and addiction into mastery. Just as industrialism had harnessed the powers of electricity and magnetism, the invisible powers of mind were a new kind of technology that was just waiting to be tapped.
But in 1948 any number of thinkers, preachers, counselors, and authors were telling real people that they too could think their lives wonderful. Norman Vincent Peale’s first bestseller, A Guide to Confident Living, came out that same year, paving the way for his mega-selling The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952.And tapped they were, in theory, practice, and even pop culture. If you went to the movies in 1948, for example, you might have seen a Heckle and Jeckle short titled The Power of Thought between the newsreel and the feature. “You know, I’ve been lying here thinking,� one talking magpie says to the other as it begins. “We cartoon characters can have a wonderful life if we only take advantage of it. We can do anything we can think of.� With a snap of his pinions, he transforms himself into a mouse and then into a puppy. Then the two go for a swim in their bathtub, which magically elongates itself to accommodate them, smashing through the wall of their apartment building and extending far out above the street.
Heckle and Jeckle’s uncanny powers were specific to cartoons, a universe where the laws of physics don’t apply. But in 1948 any number of thinkers, preachers, counselors, and authors were telling real people that they too could think their lives wonderful. Norman Vincent Peale’s first bestseller, A Guide to Confident Living, came out that same year, paving the way for his mega-selling The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952.
The idea has even more currency today, as can be seen in the phenomenal success of Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, prosperity preachers like Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar, and motivational gurus like Anthony Robbins.
Think positive is practically the American creed, Horowitz writes. “It forms the foundation of business motivation, self-help, and therapeutic spirituality,� and it is arguably the philosophy that had the deepest influence on Ronald Reagan, who imbibed it first from his mother, then from the chiropractor and spiritualist B.J. Palmer, who owned the first radio station where he worked, and later from some of Hollywood’s most influential astrologers and occultists.
Recent developments in quantum physics, neuroscience, and the systematic study of placebo effects in medicine provide objective reasons to believe that thoughts can and do exert concrete influences on the physical world.Horowitz, author of the critically acclaimed Occult America (Bantam) and the vice president and editor in chief at Tarcher/Penguin (the division of Penguin books dedicated to metaphysical literature), has an encyclopedic knowledge of a vast library of metaphysical and motivational literature.
Where positive thinking falls short, he recognizes, is in its ethical shallowness and its narcissism. Everything doesn’t happen for a recognizable purpose: Even the righteous suffer, and for reasons that remain unfathomable. “New Thought’s pioneers,� Horowitz writes, “never pondered the potential limitation, or disadvantages, of man’s place in creation.� Like the false comforters in the Book of Job, too many of its apostles were too quick to blame victims for their own suffering, either because they failed to think rightly or because they were paying a karmic price for bad acts they committed in previous lives. Such arguments, he writes, are not just presumptuous; they deny the mystery that is at the heart of religion. “Man is neither all-seeing nor all-knowing; and his creative faculties, whatever their nature, cannot surpass his point of perspective.� On the other hand, recent developments in quantum physics, neuroscience, and the systematic study of placebo effects in medicine provide objective reasons to believe that thoughts can and do exert concrete influences on the physical world.
Horowitz’s verdict? New Thought may only be “a little bit true”—but it is true enough to potentially change everything. “Acting with deep practical intent,� he concludes, the pioneers of positive thinking “probed the possibilities and capacities of our psyches earlier than any scientists, theologians, or psychologists of the modern industrialized age. The founders of New Thought and affirmative thinking created a fresh means of viewing life, one that was rough and incomplete, rough with mistakes and dead ends, but also filled with possibility and practical application.�
“Mind power� is too influential an idea to simply dismiss it out of hand, as so many otherwise open-minded people do. One Simple Idea fills a need for a serious-minded history of this neglected aspect of the American ethos, while casting an intriguing look forward at its yet unrealized potential.
If you've read this far and would like to read Goldwag's interview with Horowitz, go to:
March 1, 2014
I've been waiting a long time for a book like this, a cultural/social history of the New Thought/positive thinking movement that's written by somebody who's engaged with the subject and passionate about it. A few other histories of positive thinking I've tried were either dry academic dissertation-like books that I couldn't connect with or else smugly sarcastic and curmudgeonly works that assumed the subject was to be dismissed on the face of it probably due to the writers' own unexamined worldview. But though Mitch Horowitz is engaged with the topic and obviously sees merit in the ideas, he also is not uncritical of the positive thinking movement, particularly of the Law of Attraction dogma. Another appealing part of this book is the biographical information on perhaps lesser-known figures like Vernon Howard and Neville. If you've ever been drawn to the New Thought movement but felt put off by some of the embarrassing attitudes of some of the writers or by the Law of Attraction dogma which in its simplistic and absolutist form states "we create our own reality," you should find this book a valuable and exciting read.
January 13, 2014
I started off liking this book (I requested an e-galley from NetGalley because of an interesting excerpt I read on a blog) - as an interesting history of the positive thought movement. The middle third got a bit muddled, with a series of short biographies of major players, and then a chapter about Reagan that was probably relevant but I didn't feel the relevance was made clear. The last third of the book, evaluating the efficacy of positive thought, was again interesting, but riddled with anecdotes and platitudes. I was fairly happy to be done in the end.
June 28, 2017
Very well written by a real expert in this field. Traces the history of positive thinking from Ben Franklin in Paris and even before, right up to the current over the top evangelism for bogus, in his opinion, Law of Attraction. Enjoyable to read, loaded with surprising facts (where the optimists creed originated, the importance of the lecture circuit, what's happening now with mass media, etc etc). I recommend this book to understand the spiritual not religious world and how it very much affects corporate America today.
January 5, 2019
Audiobook, so I feel like this is cheating, but I'm getting better at paying attention to them. Great book for anyone interested in the history of esoteric religion... it's more involved in our past then you know, if this is an area you haven't studied.
October 26, 2019
If you've ever wondered where the "positive thinking" craze, or movement, of today comes from then this is the book for you. Mitch Horowitz is the preeminent historian of the positive thinking movement and its earlier manifestations, most especially the 19th century New Thought movement (though Mitch is always able to connect some of its ideas to those of antiquity). If you read this book you will notice the influence of New Thought/positive thinking everywhere, and, as such, this book will change your life at least a little, and for the better.
November 8, 2014
This was a great book! I loved it. I thought this was a great history of the positive thinking movement. It starts in the late 1800’s and follows the different ideas through to the present day. I recognized many of the people and authors Mitch talked about. I was introduced to many more throughout the book. As you continue through the book you see the philosophy change a bit here and there. Positive thinking has been offered as a means for physical healing and for spiritual growth. It is also been a tool to lift one out of poverty or achieve some kind of social change. Then there is the group of people whose main concern is financial gain. I thought Mitch did a great job in explaining the differences between all the ideas through the different time periods. Upon arriving at the last chapter, I really felt that Mitch did his research. I would be comfortable calling him an expert in the subject. The entire book seemed to be written from the viewpoint of an impartial observer. The last chapter was no different The last chapter in the book is called “Does it work? � I myself believe in the power of positive thinking. To read a book on the subject written by someone I felt was very knowledgeable , I became a bit nervous coming to the chapter that was now going to tell me if it works or not. For the person who believes in positive thinking and the laws of attraction, faith is an important part of it, if not the most important part.
It turns out I was nervous for nothing. The last chapter wrapped things up nice. Mitch lays it all out for you. He doesn’t really tell you if it works. You weigh the evidence out and decide for yourself. I received a copy of this book for free from the goodreads giveaway.
It turns out I was nervous for nothing. The last chapter wrapped things up nice. Mitch lays it all out for you. He doesn’t really tell you if it works. You weigh the evidence out and decide for yourself. I received a copy of this book for free from the goodreads giveaway.
April 1, 2014
This was a well researched book. I enjoyed how it showed the emergence of the self help movement, and the evolution of it. I never really thought about the ties to the religion, especially the Christian Scientists. The book examined the pioneers and leaders in this field. I was very disappointed reading the anecdote about Napoleon Hill Maybe shocked is more appropriate. My image of him is really tarnished. I was interested to read the about the philosophical, political and business aspects of positive thinking. The medical implications of the power of the mind in the usage of placebos, role in overcoming addictions, and substitution in OCD is intriguing. I think the field of neuroplasticity is fascinating. I love the idea that thoughts are forces. The Mind and Brain by Jeffrey M. Schwartz is a must read. One
Simple Idea is comprehensive, informative, inspirational and food for thought. The book referenced the age old philosophies regarding the transformative power of the mind, and that "we become what we think about". "Yes, positive thinking does work-but it works in a variety of different forces: accidental, biological, natural, and psychological. We live under the accidents of fortune, illness, forces of nature, traumas of the past, and on the waves of relationships with others, who may possess conflicting needs and aims. These are lawful facts of life. But the mind also wields a shade of influence -it is an influence we don't fully understand, but one that is accorded steadily greater credibility by generations of study in medicine, psychology, biology, and the physical sciences. Historically, the powers of attitude, observation, and outlook become ever greater seeming, never more proscribed." This book is thought provoking, and a great conversation starter.
Simple Idea is comprehensive, informative, inspirational and food for thought. The book referenced the age old philosophies regarding the transformative power of the mind, and that "we become what we think about". "Yes, positive thinking does work-but it works in a variety of different forces: accidental, biological, natural, and psychological. We live under the accidents of fortune, illness, forces of nature, traumas of the past, and on the waves of relationships with others, who may possess conflicting needs and aims. These are lawful facts of life. But the mind also wields a shade of influence -it is an influence we don't fully understand, but one that is accorded steadily greater credibility by generations of study in medicine, psychology, biology, and the physical sciences. Historically, the powers of attitude, observation, and outlook become ever greater seeming, never more proscribed." This book is thought provoking, and a great conversation starter.
January 25, 2014
"One Simple Idea" relates the history of the positive-thinking movement, beginning with the ancient Greek philosophies of the mind to today's mega-chuch prosperity pastors and self-help best-sellers. Author Mitch Horowitz takes an easy to read approach that reminded me of an undergraduate thesis project, relaying each step in the history of the movement, from Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalists to Christian Science and New Thought to New Age spiritualism.
While easy to read and interesting, I found myself disappointed that "One Simple Idea" did not cover more great thinkers and/or world leaders who used positive thinking to achieve their goals and truly "change the world", as the subtitle of the book alludes to. The book does cover Ronald Reagan and his journey from the Great Depression to the presidency and his use of positive thinking and his vision of American exceptionalism, a departure from previous presidents such as John F. Kennedy. However, I would have preferred a chapter focusing on leaders such as Reagan and their use of positive thinking. The final chapter contains an analysis of the major schools of positive thinking and considerations as to whether positive thinking actually works.
I appreciated the author's even-handed approach and personal anecdotes, even though at times I found the narrative a bit lacking. I would recommend "One Simple Idea" to students of positive psychology and spiritual movements, as well to all those interested in American psychological and religious history.
Many thanks to ŷ First Reads and Crown Publishing for my free copy!
While easy to read and interesting, I found myself disappointed that "One Simple Idea" did not cover more great thinkers and/or world leaders who used positive thinking to achieve their goals and truly "change the world", as the subtitle of the book alludes to. The book does cover Ronald Reagan and his journey from the Great Depression to the presidency and his use of positive thinking and his vision of American exceptionalism, a departure from previous presidents such as John F. Kennedy. However, I would have preferred a chapter focusing on leaders such as Reagan and their use of positive thinking. The final chapter contains an analysis of the major schools of positive thinking and considerations as to whether positive thinking actually works.
I appreciated the author's even-handed approach and personal anecdotes, even though at times I found the narrative a bit lacking. I would recommend "One Simple Idea" to students of positive psychology and spiritual movements, as well to all those interested in American psychological and religious history.
Many thanks to ŷ First Reads and Crown Publishing for my free copy!
February 7, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book from a ŷ First Reads giveaway.
One Simple Idea is mostly a history lesson on the positive thinking movement in America. The first chapter is a good intro into the authors quest for truth in positive thinking. The middles chapters cover the history of the wide range of the pioneers of positive thinking. In the final chapter, the author sums up his view of the “One Big Idea�.
The first chapter primes you well for wanting to learn more about the positive thinking movement. While there were many interesting things in the history lessons of the middle chapters, it seemed as if it was almost too much. Don’t get me wrong, the author definitely did his homework to present as much information as he did. If you like history and detail, you would be well served here, but for me, I’m not sure I will even remember a lot of the people in the chapters. The final chapter (Does it Work?) was, for me, my favorite.
There are many books that cover positive thinking, But I think why I enjoyed this book is because the author tried to bring an objective viewpoint to the positive thinking movement. While at times, I was tempted to skip some of the history to get to the end, I’m glad I didn’t because it helped me to understand the different philosophies of the movement.
One Simple Idea is mostly a history lesson on the positive thinking movement in America. The first chapter is a good intro into the authors quest for truth in positive thinking. The middles chapters cover the history of the wide range of the pioneers of positive thinking. In the final chapter, the author sums up his view of the “One Big Idea�.
The first chapter primes you well for wanting to learn more about the positive thinking movement. While there were many interesting things in the history lessons of the middle chapters, it seemed as if it was almost too much. Don’t get me wrong, the author definitely did his homework to present as much information as he did. If you like history and detail, you would be well served here, but for me, I’m not sure I will even remember a lot of the people in the chapters. The final chapter (Does it Work?) was, for me, my favorite.
There are many books that cover positive thinking, But I think why I enjoyed this book is because the author tried to bring an objective viewpoint to the positive thinking movement. While at times, I was tempted to skip some of the history to get to the end, I’m glad I didn’t because it helped me to understand the different philosophies of the movement.
March 4, 2014
I enjoy learning about history, and I thought to read about the history of "positive thinking" would be interesting. It was.
The book takes you from the time that positive thinking was used as an alternative to medical practices though the 21st century where much of the focus is on how you can be a success in your life. In between you get to learn about people who are fascinating, as well as people who are not. It describes how it evolved into an alternative, along with the corresponding results, both positive and negative.
For me, the book started out slowly. I enjoy history, but the first 4 chapters (111 pages) were difficult to get into. Surrounding noise easily distracted me during these pages, and I had to re-read them numerous times. Yet, when I started chapter 5, I found myself able to easily immerse myself into the book, and did not have to re-read pages.
If you like history, you may like this book. If you are interested in the background of self-help books, classes, and studies, you should like this book. I did not find it to be a great book, but it was not terrible either. If I could have, I would have rated it 2 1/2 stars, mostly because I had such a hard time getting into it.
The book takes you from the time that positive thinking was used as an alternative to medical practices though the 21st century where much of the focus is on how you can be a success in your life. In between you get to learn about people who are fascinating, as well as people who are not. It describes how it evolved into an alternative, along with the corresponding results, both positive and negative.
For me, the book started out slowly. I enjoy history, but the first 4 chapters (111 pages) were difficult to get into. Surrounding noise easily distracted me during these pages, and I had to re-read them numerous times. Yet, when I started chapter 5, I found myself able to easily immerse myself into the book, and did not have to re-read pages.
If you like history, you may like this book. If you are interested in the background of self-help books, classes, and studies, you should like this book. I did not find it to be a great book, but it was not terrible either. If I could have, I would have rated it 2 1/2 stars, mostly because I had such a hard time getting into it.
January 2, 2016
In incredible history of one simple idea that lead to so much. The author starts w/ Christian Science leading to the New Thought movement and then traces its influence into Self-help, spiritual healing, psychology, Alcoholics Anonymous, prosperity gospel, Ronald Reagan, Robert Schuller, Norman Vincent Peale, Earl Nightingale, Psychocybernetics, Erich Fromm, Viktor E. Frankl. the Law of Attraction, the Secret, the return of tithing, Faith Ministries, Creflo Dollar, and much more.
Christianity has never wanted for corrupting influences -- but the idea that through belief and practice you can become financially better off seems to have very much corrupted many of the ideas I understood about christianity -- yet this was a market driven change -- It needed to respond to the practical needs that believers were finding elsewhere.
In the end the author believes there are four schools of positive thinking:
1. The Magical Thinking or Divine Thought School
2. The Conditioning or Reprogramming School
3. The Conversion School
4. The Meaning-Based School
We find bits and pieces in various places everywhere -- This is a good example how taking something from a master / teacher and just changing it in a little way, you end up with something completely different.
Christianity has never wanted for corrupting influences -- but the idea that through belief and practice you can become financially better off seems to have very much corrupted many of the ideas I understood about christianity -- yet this was a market driven change -- It needed to respond to the practical needs that believers were finding elsewhere.
In the end the author believes there are four schools of positive thinking:
1. The Magical Thinking or Divine Thought School
2. The Conditioning or Reprogramming School
3. The Conversion School
4. The Meaning-Based School
We find bits and pieces in various places everywhere -- This is a good example how taking something from a master / teacher and just changing it in a little way, you end up with something completely different.
December 28, 2013
I receive a free copy of One Simply Idea through a ŷ Giveaway.
In one word, this book is fascinating. The book is well written and researched, too. The history of positive thinking is also the history of American life for the last 150 years. Reading this book, you’ll see the connection between the growth of Christian Science in relation and response to horrific medical practices, the movement from positive thinking for health to positive thinking for wealth, and how it fits in and shapes the belief that we can create the world around us.
The author also addresses the weakness of positive thought, its lack of ethical vigor. The final chapter is about the present: strengths, weakness, and the future. This part isn’t as strong as the rest, but it does its job to wrap up the story.
If you are interested in the way positive thinking has impacted religion, medicine, business, self-help, quantum physics, and even politics (Reagan’s morning in America), you will find something of interest in this book.
In one word, this book is fascinating. The book is well written and researched, too. The history of positive thinking is also the history of American life for the last 150 years. Reading this book, you’ll see the connection between the growth of Christian Science in relation and response to horrific medical practices, the movement from positive thinking for health to positive thinking for wealth, and how it fits in and shapes the belief that we can create the world around us.
The author also addresses the weakness of positive thought, its lack of ethical vigor. The final chapter is about the present: strengths, weakness, and the future. This part isn’t as strong as the rest, but it does its job to wrap up the story.
If you are interested in the way positive thinking has impacted religion, medicine, business, self-help, quantum physics, and even politics (Reagan’s morning in America), you will find something of interest in this book.
August 9, 2016
This sometimes tedious book--(reporting details about people's lives wasn't always relevant and sometimes smacked of gossip)--was most valuable to me in the historical context Horowitz created for many of the authors and books I'd already read re' New Thought philosophy. It also was helpful in distinguishing New Thought from, say, Christian Science. Didn't learn anything new about New Thought or the role of positive thinking in metaphysics, and I enjoyed a chuckle in the last chapter when various scientific studies were mentioned that "seem to support" truths that had been asserted for thousands of years in various spiritual texts. I highly recommend this book--especially to those enthusiastic re' the Law of Attraction, under two conditions: no scanning and no fair using quotes out of context.
December 16, 2014
Read as last 2014 book for cultural narratives book club. An intriguing historical account of the rise & influence of New Thought/Positive Thinking in American culture. Horowitz traces Positive Thought from its origins in the philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg and Ralph Waldo Emerson, development in Christian Science, and popularization in religious, business, & politics with Norman Vincent Peale, Dale Carnegie, Anthony Robbins, Ronald Reagan. Horowitz provides not only a critique, but an advocating argument for some of the concepts in New Thought--with some fascinating developments in the area of mind science and quantum physics.
Overall, a book well worth reading. My only complaint would be that Horowitz doesn't really answer the fundamental objections to Positive Thought in the areas of the existence of evil/suffering and ethics.
Overall, a book well worth reading. My only complaint would be that Horowitz doesn't really answer the fundamental objections to Positive Thought in the areas of the existence of evil/suffering and ethics.
February 17, 2014
I received a pre-publication copy of this book as a ŷ give-away. Mitch Horowitz researches the history of the positive thinking movement as it evolved from the New Thought movement to the present. He is sympathetic to the idea that positive thinking can affect real change but not uncritical towards the excesses of some of the leaders or blind to the weaknesses in logic they hold. I found especially interesting how a school of thought that began with many women practitioners interested in healing and the suffrage and labor movements in the eighteenth century devolved into the individualistic prosperity gospel of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He does a good job researching primary sources and writing an interesting account. I recommend this book to adherents of New Age ideas and positive thinking as well as skeptics who are interested in the history of ideas.
February 17, 2014
I won this book on ŷ. I am only giving it 4 stars because it took me so long to read it. I had to put it down and digest phrases and ideas frequently. It is not my usual type of book but I enjoyed it. I will read it again in a few months because I believe the ideas warrant another follow up of thought. I am also planning on loaning it to my mother-in-law who I think will like it.
It was fairly easy to read but yes, deep in it's context- especially the later third of the book.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of history since the main part of the book deals with that.
As I said it took me some time to read but I found I enjoyed it a great deal and felt I learned something in the process. I think it was very well written for the layman.
It was fairly easy to read but yes, deep in it's context- especially the later third of the book.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of history since the main part of the book deals with that.
As I said it took me some time to read but I found I enjoyed it a great deal and felt I learned something in the process. I think it was very well written for the layman.
August 3, 2014
Thorough and well-researched, nicely written, my only complaint was one of execution. I expected a common conceptual thread to emerge throughout the book (to aid in my understanding of these various metaphysical philosophies), but it never did for me. It provided a good history of the individuals who influenced these thoughts, but in the end I don't feel I really got a cohesive understanding of the "idea" behind all these philosophies. Besides some facts (names, dates etc), I didn't end the book feeling like I understood the philosophical ideas. Probably a better book for someone who already understands the philosophy and is looking for a historical account. I received a copy from ŷ giveaways.
March 26, 2014
He's done it again. Mitch Horowitz has delivered an incredible evenhanded look at positive thinking since its humble beginnings to its present manifestations. He talks about all of the successes and shortcomings of the various thought movements. He's careful to not leave any stone unturned. He exposes whenever positive thinking was used in a manipulative or perhaps blindsided way, and talks about the tremendous potential the movement still holds for us today if we handle it rightly. The book caps off with some very encouraging things happening in the field of Quantum mechanics and it's implications for the human mind. Definitely a good read. I also recommend his first book "Occult America."
February 11, 2014
A thorough history of how we got to the "positive" thinking state that we have today. Our country was settled by folks with a sterner mentality and our culture has changed from that time. From early adherents, through the Christian Science movement to all those TV ministers telling us to think positive and we can do anything. Horowitz is careful about his quotes and he has an excellent section of notes for his sources.
He is an excellent writer and details things that clearly make his points. I do not like history books in general but this one is well worth the read. What next? A good read for history and sociological folks. I received a review copy of this book from ŷ.
He is an excellent writer and details things that clearly make his points. I do not like history books in general but this one is well worth the read. What next? A good read for history and sociological folks. I received a review copy of this book from ŷ.
August 6, 2016
This is a surprisingly good history of the Positive Thought movement that ultimately gave us Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carnegie, not to mention figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Wayne Dyer. The history begins in the 1800s with Mary Baker Eddy and shows the development of thoughts that lead to their contemporary development which includes a lengthy discussion of understanding President Ronald Reagan.
I wouldn't say this was an academic book, though it does cite sources. It is an easy and pleasant read for someone interested in how the phenomenon of self-help books and prosperity theology came to be.
I wouldn't say this was an academic book, though it does cite sources. It is an easy and pleasant read for someone interested in how the phenomenon of self-help books and prosperity theology came to be.
April 30, 2018
For readers interested in New Thought or Science of Mind, this book is a great read. It feels like Mitch Horowitz has gotten to know all our favorite characters and unearthed some new ones in minor roles. He spills the dirt on people previously held in dizzyingly high esteem or perhaps given major benefits of the doubt since we knew nothing really about them except their names. I didn't want the book to end but, of course, it does. ONE SIMPLE IDEA leaves us with the bemused conclusion that our beloved movement was always carried on by real people, both flawed and glorious.
April 8, 2016
While I'm sure this is a very needed book, listening on audio to the history of the positive thinking movement and the various conflicts with mainstream protestant theologies and thus the splintered positive thinking religions, ie Mary Baker Eddy just wasn't a great idea. Perhaps this is more of a research support read than an informative general public read.
May 8, 2015
This book is comprehensive - to a fault. It is so dense with facts that you need a shovel to dig through it.
July 11, 2017
Interesting overview of New Thought and it's propagation throughout history, in politics, medicine, business, AA, motivational speakers in business and our current belief systems.
March 12, 2020
One Simple Idea is an exploration into the history of “Positive Thinking� (or “New Thought�) and it’s pervasive entry into American Culture. Horowitz creates a balanced narrative that is both sympathetic and critical of the positive thinking movement. It’s a fascinating book, whether you are a “positive vibes� person or an utter cynic that thinks it’s utter BS.
Most of the book is an engaging chronicle of the power players, their philosophy, and movements that culminate in many “New Age� and motivational practices today. From Christian Science, to “prosperity gospel,� to Reagan and his adherence to New Thought, Horowitz lays out the foundation that created the soil for books and mentalities like The Secret. Whether you love or hate the philosophies, Horowitz does a great job fashioning an account of who influenced who and the different religious/occult ideas that impacted what we regularly see now in motivational speakers and the self-help world.
He ends his account by considering critiques made concerning the Positive Thinking movement, such as how these philosophies poorly handle large atrocities or fail to to account for human suffering because of an adherence to one universal law that operates over the mind (ie, the law of attraction). He treats these critiques thoroughly, never dismissing the critique or the idea itself.
There’s a thin edge Horowitz walks in this book that is super enjoyable and I wish more books that cover ideas had this element to them. He wrestles with certain theories and practices without disregarding them outright or fully buying in.
This isn’t a how-to manual on positive thinking (though if that is what you are looking for, he discusses hundreds of works that could keep you busy), but a look into a movement that is in many ways inherent now within the American mindset. As a frequent reader of self-help style books, I really enjoyed seeing where certain elements of thought came from. If the history of ideas is your thing, you’ll enjoy this book, even if you aren’t a fan of the ideas that are expressed.
Most of the book is an engaging chronicle of the power players, their philosophy, and movements that culminate in many “New Age� and motivational practices today. From Christian Science, to “prosperity gospel,� to Reagan and his adherence to New Thought, Horowitz lays out the foundation that created the soil for books and mentalities like The Secret. Whether you love or hate the philosophies, Horowitz does a great job fashioning an account of who influenced who and the different religious/occult ideas that impacted what we regularly see now in motivational speakers and the self-help world.
He ends his account by considering critiques made concerning the Positive Thinking movement, such as how these philosophies poorly handle large atrocities or fail to to account for human suffering because of an adherence to one universal law that operates over the mind (ie, the law of attraction). He treats these critiques thoroughly, never dismissing the critique or the idea itself.
There’s a thin edge Horowitz walks in this book that is super enjoyable and I wish more books that cover ideas had this element to them. He wrestles with certain theories and practices without disregarding them outright or fully buying in.
This isn’t a how-to manual on positive thinking (though if that is what you are looking for, he discusses hundreds of works that could keep you busy), but a look into a movement that is in many ways inherent now within the American mindset. As a frequent reader of self-help style books, I really enjoyed seeing where certain elements of thought came from. If the history of ideas is your thing, you’ll enjoy this book, even if you aren’t a fan of the ideas that are expressed.
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