Book Summary: The Science of Getting Rich . by Wallace D. Wattles

An Introduction to the Author

Wallace D. Wattles was a late 19th-century American writer whose work helped shape the modern self-help and prosperity literature movement. Coming from modest beginnings and navigating personal and financial setbacks, Wattles developed a distinctive voice grounded in optimism, spiritual realism, and practicality. His writing style is direct and economical—more manifesto than meditation—designed for action rather than contemplation. Although his insights predate contemporary neuroscience or psychology, his understanding of mindset, vibrational thinking, and intention feels strikingly modern. Wattles also explored themes of health and healing in his other writings, emphasizing the power of thought to affect physical well-being. While not widely known during his lifetime, his posthumous influence has been profound, echoing through the works of Rhonda Byrne (The Secret), Bob Proctor, and Napoleon Hill.

The Story of the Book

The Science of Getting Rich is not a narrative in the traditional sense; it unfolds like a step-by-step spiritual formula rather than a story. Its structure is linear and instructional, with each chapter building logically on the last. Though there are no personal anecdotes or dramatic turning points, the book presents a philosophical and spiritual journey: from the reader’s current state of lack or limitation to an empowered realization that wealth is a natural, divine right. The “question that heals” is unspoken but ever-present: What if your thoughts alone could shape your financial and personal destiny? Wattles offers a radical premise—riches are not a matter of luck or talent but of universal law, accessible to anyone who thinks and acts in a “certain way.”

A Summary of the Book

At its core, The Science of Getting Rich argues that the universe is governed by a formless substance—a kind of intelligent energy—that responds to thought. When a person holds a clear, unwavering image of what they desire, and pairs it with faith and purposeful action, the universe begins to mold circumstances accordingly. This is not wishful thinking, but an applied science, Wattles insists. He challenges readers to see getting rich not as greed, but as the fullest expression of life. Wealth allows individuals to grow, contribute, and live nobly.

Key themes include:

• Mental causation: Thought is the root of material reality.
• Gratitude as magnetism: Thankfulness amplifies creative energy.
• Non-competitive wealth: True riches come from creation, not competition.
• Spiritual alignment: Prosperity is the natural result of living in harmony with universal laws.

While not overtly about emotional healing or alternative medicine, the book offers a spiritual diagnosis of poverty: a symptom of disconnection from divine intelligence.

The Objectives of the Book

Wattles wrote this book to provide a clear, spiritual, and practical method for acquiring wealth. His deeper goal is to free people from the mental slavery of scarcity and competition. He wants readers to see getting rich as a moral obligation—because only through wealth can we fully express ourselves, help others, and fulfill our potential. The transformation he seeks to spark is inward and outward: a shift from passivity to intention, from limitation to abundance, from fragmented effort to aligned, consistent action.

The Target Audience

This book is for spiritual seekers, ambitious dreamers, and practical mystics. It’s ideal for readers who:

• Feel stuck financially but believe in a deeper order to life.
• Are drawn to the law of attraction, New Thought, or metaphysical Christianity.
• Appreciate authors like Rhonda Byrne, Neville Goddard, Charles Fillmore, or Florence Scovel Shinn.
• Want wealth not just for luxury, but as a means of self-actualization.

It speaks most powerfully to those emotionally ready to take responsibility for their lives and spiritually open to seeing wealth as divine flow.

Excerpts from the Book

• “There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made... A thought, in this substance, produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.”
• “You must get rid of the thought of competition. You are to create, not to compete for what is already created.”
• “By thought, the thing you want is brought to you. By action, you receive it.”
• “Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come.”

Each quote captures the book’s tone: earnest, confident, and infused with spiritual clarity.

Your Perspective on the Book

The Science of Getting Rich is deceptively simple, almost stark in its structure, but profound in its implications. It’s not weighed down by theory or doctrine—it’s a spiritual manual in disguise. While skeptics may dismiss it as naive or overly idealistic, those who read it with openness and apply its principles often report real shifts in mindset and circumstance. It’s not a magic wand, but it is a blueprint for aligning thought, emotion, and action with a larger creative force. Readers expecting quick tricks may be disappointed. But those ready for a disciplined, faith-driven approach will find it revolutionary. It is both a spiritual awakening and a call to practical courage.