PROFITING BY FAILURE 883It took Hill twenty-nine seconds to accept Carnegie's proposal. Carnegie
told him afterward that had it taken him more than sixty seconds to make
the decision he would have withdrawn the offer, for "a man who cannot reach
a decision promptly, once he has all the necessary facts, cannot be depended
upon to carry through any decision he may make. II
It was through Napoleon Hill's unwavering dedication that this book and
his others were eventually written. Hill's conversations with Andrew Carnegie
during their first meeting would later also become the basis forThink and
Grow Rich.On the back of an envelope I outlined the fifteen points out of
which this lecture would be built, and I later worked these points into
a lecture that was literally built from the temporary defeats described
in the seven turning points of my life. The material out of which my
knowledge was gathered is nothing more nor less than the knowledge
that was forced upon me through experiences that have undoubtedly
been considered by some to be failures.
This course is but the sum total of what I have gathered through
these "failures:' If the information in the course proves to be of value
to you, as I hope it will, you may give credit to the "failures" described
in this lesson.
Perhaps you will want to know what material, monetary benefits
I have gained from these turning points. All right, I'll tell you. To
begin with, the estimated income from the sale of this course is all
that I need, despite the fact that I have insisted my publishers apply
the Ford philosophy and sell the course at a price that is within the
reach of all who want it.
In addition to the income from the sale of the course, I am at this
time engaged in writing a series of illustrated editorials that is to be
syndicated and published in newspapers across the country. These
editorials are based on the same fifteen principles of achievement as
outlined in this course.