Book Trials

Every book stands trial.

Not worshipped. Tested against reality — charges, defense, and a verdict.

Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill · 1937 · on trial

Charges

  • Survivorship bias
  • Magical thinking
  • Unverifiable claims

Defense

  • Agency creation
  • Psychological activation
  • Identity reprogramming
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The Verdict
Historically unreliable. Psychologically useful.
Ideas That Did Not Survive
  • Positive thinking alone
  • Desire without action
  • Motivation as a system