This is one of the original self help books, and has influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of people directly and no doubt many more by association, including the founder of the famous Japanese manufacturer Toyota whose copy of this book is on display in their museum. Extolling the values of hard work, honesty and thrift and showing the value of learning from your mistakes this book uses examples from the lives of historical figures. As the Industrial Revolution was in full swing at the time of writing the great figures are often industrialists and inventors, but the values described are just as relevant today as then. This book is worth reading purely as a self help book for those interested in bettering themselves, but it is also a product of its time and shines light on the values of Victorian Britain and the concerns of the working people of that time. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.