The author is considered a great thinker, so I feel a little uneasy about my review. I will be painfully honest –I have a problem in that I seem to always look at the negative side of situations. I find myself ready to “fix” instead of feeling at ease. I encountered this book to help me change that habit. What I found was that every paragraph in this book seemed to have the same message. The message is “we as people are a product of our thoughts.” I knew that the core of the book was that a positive attitude leads to a better life.

Unfortunately the book did not inspire me at all. As a matter of fact, I found myself looking to myself for the help I needed. If I (my thinking) am part of the problem how can looking into me be the answer? Let me add the fact that I am a Christian. I was looking for something to help me look beyond myself and to a loving Creator for assistance. I simply found an uninspired early “New Age”-message book. Based on my experience I cannot recommend it.

If you're ever wondering where a lot of the 'hidden' knowledge alluded to in such new self-help phenomenons as 'The Secret' come from, part of your answer may come in this tiny, century old book. As may be surmised from such a statement, people who enjoy books/films such as The Secret will probably find this an inspiring read- and a quick one, at that, while the rest of us will be left to pick out key bits of wisdom from the author's overly simplified picture of the world. That's not to say this isn't a worthwhile read. There is something pure in being able to see where a lot of today's ideas come from, and indeed, there are things that can be learned from 'As a Man Thinketh'. Allen's strong emphasis on the power of positive thinking is never as cloying here as it tends to be in more modern works. In fact, with his simple prose, he makes a plausible case for not letting negativity guide your thought processes.

Still, there's a little too much 'thinking' and a little too little doing in 'As a Man Thinketh'. Perhaps if it had been followed by a supplemental volume called 'So Shall He Doeth' it would have been a better developed work.

As a Man Thinketh was written in good simple English while maintaining the thought provoking flourish that well written English can often produce. While on vacation, I came across this book in a friend’s library. It was a second edition and it belonged to their grandparents. I began reading to subdue a bit of boredom, but soon found As a Man Thinketh to be extremely useful in motivating my pervasively negative thought pattern. It helped me to realize that all the potential I am searching for is already within me. It is up to me to encourage the best out of me by thinking only things, which encourage the desired outcome. As a Man Thinketh will provide readers with the tools needed to realize the potential of their life through the actions of conscious and subconscious thoughts. Everyone should read this book at least once in his/her life. Its made a huge difference in the way I approach day to day activities.