Charles F. Haanel was an amazing author. Here are his 5 best books of all time!
Interested in improving your life?
Then you’ll hear about Charles F. Haanel sooner or later.
Charles F. Haanel was called the ‘father of personal development’ and he taught millions of Americans to achieve anything you want in life by the power of thinking.
In other words, success has nothing to do with your education, background or skills…
This same idea later inspired the writer of one the best-selling personal development books of all time – Think, and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
But how should you get to know Charles F. Haanel if you’ve only just discovered him?
There are so many reprints and posthumous collections that it’s hard to know where to start.
So in this blogpost, I’m going to walk you through the 5 best Charles F. Haanel books of all time plus a number of cool resources you’re going to love!
By the end you’ll know exactly which book to read first!
5 Best Charles F. Haanel Books of All Time
1. The Master Key System (1912)
2. The New Psychology (1920)
3. Mental Chemistry (1922)
4. A Book About You (1927)
5. The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi (1937)
4 More Resources Written by Charles F. Haanel
The Master Key (1916)
The Master Key Psychological Chart (1916)
The Garden of Eden and the Sex Problem (1925)
Astrological Playing Cards (1933)
Final Thoughts: Which is the Best Charles F. Haanel book?
5 Best Charles F. Haanel Books of All Time
Charles F. Haanel wrote personal development books from 1912 (aged 46) until the late 1930s.
So which one is the best?
Most people only know of his earliest and most successful book, The Master Key System.
But Charles F. Haanel wrote four books after The Master Key System and you might be interested to start with these.
Find an overview of all 5 books below!
1. The Master Key System (1912)
Charles F. Haanel did not write The Master Key System as a ‘book’.
Originally, it was a 24-week course.
Subscribers paid to receive a new chapter each week and sent back their responses to questions for correction.
There was also homework to do!
You had to practice a meditation exercise for 7 days until you received the next chapter and exercise.
Exercises included:
- Sitting still
- Visualizing a pleasant place
- Focusing on the object of your desire
Around 1919 The Master Key System was finally printed as a full book and that’s the form we know it by today!
It’s up to you whether you decide to do the exercises or not…
But this book is Charles F. Haanel’s most famous and one most people refer to as helping them achieve success, improve their thinking or change their life.
(If you’ve ever read The Secret by Rhonda Byrne she got her ideas from Charles F. Haanel!)
Read this work first if you’re interested in any of the following:
- You want to learn powerful visualization techniques
- You want to understand how your ‘mental attitude’ creates your reality
- You want to concentrate better
- You’re interested in the spiritual side of attaining wealth
- You want to go to the source of Charles F. Haanel’s teachings
Key Quote from The Master Key System
“The attitude of mind necessarily depends upon what we think. Therefore, the secret of all power, all achievement and all possession depends upon our method of thinking.”
2. The New Psychology (1920)
The New Psychology was written after The Master Key System started to become successful.
It’s less practical and more theoretical.
If you’re interested in practicing visualization and meditation techniques to reach your goals in life then you’re better off reading The Master Key System.
But if you’re interested in the science and understanding behind it, read The New Psychology.
The book’s aim is to establish Charles F. Haanel’s ideas as an actual science.
He takes examples and applications from the worlds of:
- Psychology
- Natural laws
- Spirituality
- Physiology
- Economics
- Industry
- Electromagnetism
- Therapeutics
- Biochemistry
- Suggestion
- Psycho-analysis
- Philosophy
- Science
- Religion
And so much more!
The book is perfect for anyone who wants to cement the ideas of The Master Key System and connect principles of science to principles of personal development and wealth creation.
Key Quote from The New Psychology
“It is clear, therefore, that thoughts of abundance will respond only to similar thoughts; the wealth of the individual is seen to be what he inherently is. Affluence within is found to be the secret of attraction for affluence without. The ability to produce is found to be the real source of wealth of the individual. It is for this reason that he who has his heart in his work is certain to meet with unbounded success. He will give and continually give, and the more he gives the more he will receive.”
3. Mental Chemistry (1922)
Mental Chemistry takes the wide-ranging theories from The New Psychology and makes them intensely focused.
Charles F. Haanel wrote Mental Chemistry to provide a ‘formula’ for success.
Some of the applications he shares include:
- How to remove sickness and pain from your life through thinking
- How to quit smoking forever
- How you can create your own luck, fate, chance and destiny
- How you can become a part of the top creative and business minds in the world
- How to complete change your circumstances in life
Mental Chemistry is a great read for anyone fascinated by Charles F. Haanel’s ideas and wants further practical methods to improve their lives.
Key Quote from Mental Chemistry
“You can think the thoughts of every sage, every artist, every financier, every captain of industry who ever existed, for thoughts never die.”
4. A Book About You (1927)
Ever wondered why things happen to you?
A Book About You is often called the ‘operator’s manual’ for your life.
If you’re interested in astrology and star signs but always found it too hard to understand… then you’ll love this book.
You’ll learn things like:
- How vibrations from the universe reach you
- How the vibrations of different planets have a tangible effect on your life and personality
- How to understand people better than ever
- How to recognize the influence of the planets manifesting in your circumstances
- How to use free will to achieve true freedom and prosperity
Key Quote from A Book About You
“There is that within you by which you may transcend environment and heredity… Would you rather have the most complete information possible concerning the tools with which you must out the destiny which is yours? Will the one who knows nothing of the dangers and pitfalls which lie before him have a better opportunity than the one who has a map with each of these dangers carefully charted?”
5. The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi (1937)
The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi is Charles F. Haanel at his most spiritual.
Unlike Haanel's other works which focus on personal success principles, The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi goes into yogic practices and techniques for achieving spiritual growth.
If you’re interested in understanding ancient wisdom through the lens of science this will be an amazing read.
Readers with a fascination for yogic philosophy, meditation, concentration and visualization will find this book a treasure chest of methods to unlock their potential and manifest their desires.
It’s also the last book Charles F. Haanel ever wrote!
Key Quote from The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi
“The finer forces of nature may be dormant in you, but if so they are awaiting the call. The door is there—the lock is awaiting the key. The key is that knowledge you possess that will open the combination lock of the Cosmic Safe Deposit in which are stored many kinds of treasure. You by knowledge are to become the dweller in a mansion of your own choice where Peace and Happiness prevail.”
4 More Resources Written by Charles F. Haanel
Charles F. Haanel was a genius marketer long before he became a writer of personal development books.
And he used marketing tactics to sell all of his books.
We know of this through the pamphlets that are harder to find but are short reads with the intention of selling a new reader on a book or correspondence course.
For example, Charles F. Haanel mailed over 1 million pamphlets called The Master Key by the mid 1920s.
The pamphlets are both creative, inventive and fascinating for a lover of Charles F. Haanel’s philosophy.
Here’s a quick overview!
The Master Key (1916)
The Master Key was marketed in newspapers and journals of the New Thought movement.
It was a short pamphlet that teased the main themes in The Master Key System.
But if you can find a copy they’re fascinating for the ‘Appreciations’ or testimonials it contains from ordinary lawyers, teachers, clerks, mechanics, housewives and ministers.
These readers talk of The Master Key helping them:
- Improve health
- Increase vigor
- Gain wealth
- Build Courage
- Destroy fear
- Remove anxiety
- Reduce worry
- Free themselves from physical, mental and environmental distress
The Master Key Psychological Chart (1916)
This pamphlet asked readers to assess the brain power they were using in their daily lives.
You had to give a % for how much you were realizing the full potential of your:
- Mental Product
- Health
- Time Efficiency
- Creative Power
- Concentration
Charles F. Haanel knew most people were lacking in one of these areas.
And he marketed The Master Key System as the solution to solve any one of these issues in your life!
It’s a fascinating pamphlet on how Charles F. Haanel recognized the greatest problems faced by millions across America – and how he intended to solve them through his writings.
The Garden of Eden and the Sex Problem (1925)
Haanel’s sixth book Social Science has been lost to history.
But we know it existed from the pamphlet Charles F. Haanel used to market the book to new readers.
The book was supposed to support happy marriages and healthy growth in children.
But it did so through a redefinition of the symbols involved in The Garden of Eden story from the Book of Genesis in the bible:
- The ‘garden’ represents the human body
- The ‘trees’ represent the various organs of the body
- The ‘Tree of Life’ represents the reproductive organs
- The ‘serpent’ represents lust, error and death
- The ‘pains of birth’ suffered by Eve represent the pain we go through to gain wisdom in life
And so much more!
This pamphlet is a great read to see Charles F. Haanel’s beliefs on sex, marriage, long life, happiness and the principal ‘duty’ of the human race.
Astrological Playing Cards (1933)
This unique set of playing cards were copyrighted by Charles F. Haanel in 1933.
They’re a unique deck with a unique use.
Writings which accompany the set tell people how to use the cards to predict things like:
- Your children’s success or rebelliousness
- Anxiety and happiness in relationships
- Success or failure in investments
And much more!
It’s not clear whether these cards were used to sell one of Charles F. Haanel’s books, as a supplementary resource or as a totally separate product.
Either way, they’re an amazing accompaniment to A Book About You.
Final Thoughts: Which is the Best Charles F. Haanel book?
This is not the full list of Charles F. Haanel’s books.
That’s because so many variations of The Master Key System have been published as well as posthumous collections released by different publishing houses.
But the most important question is…
Which is the best Charles F. Haanel book for you to start reading right now?
Most people begin with The Master Key System.
It’s Charles F. Haanel’s most famous work and it’s where the core themes of thought, visualization, concentration, personal development and the law of attraction are discussed.
If you’re not sure where to start, start there.
Then when you become obsessed with finding out all you can about the amazing Charles F. Haanel then come back to this blogpost to pick your next reading materials!
Want The Master Key System!?!👇👇👇
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Here’s how to get it!
- Step 1 → Log into secretsofsuccess.com
- Step 2 → Click on “Library”
- Step 3 → Click on Charles F. Haanel
- Step 4 → Click on The Master Key System
- Step 5 → Click “Yes, Use 1 Credit”
- Step 6 → Learn the secrets of success!! 🤯
Talk soon,
Russell Brunson
P.S. Not a Secrets of Success member yet? I'd love to send you your FREE Secrets of Success Kit that includes a copy of "Think and Grow Rich" and two UNPUBLISHED books from Napoleon Hill. After joining, follow the steps above to find The Master-Key System inside your members area.
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