Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance

"Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance" by Samuel Smiles is a motivational treatise, likely written in the late 19th century. The book explores the value of self-reliance, perseverance, and individual effort in achieving personal and societal progress. It emphasizes the importance of working diligently towards one’s goals and learning from the struggles and achievements of notable figures who have succeeded through their own efforts. The opening of the book sets the stage for a discussion on the spirit of self-help, outlining the impact of individual actions on national progress. Smiles shares anecdotes of various historical figures from humble beginnings, detailing how their perseverance and commitment to personal growth contributed to their success. He argues that real growth comes from self-effort rather than reliance on external sources and stresses that good examples of conduct can inspire others towards improvement. Smiles’ introduction encourages readers to embody the values of hard work, integrity, and resilience as a means to elevate not only themselves but their communities. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Samuel Smiles was a British author and government reformer. Although he campaigned on a Chartist platform, he promoted the idea that more progress would come from new attitudes than from new laws. His primary work, Self-Help (1859), promoted thrift and claimed that poverty was caused largely by irresponsible habits, while also attacking materialism and laissez-faire government. It has been called "the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism" and had lasting effects on British political thought.