James Allen
British self-help writer
James Allen (1864-1912) was a British writer best known for As A Man Thinketh, a classic of self-help about how thought shapes character.
2 summaries 20 min of listening
Born 1864 in Leicester, England, United Kingdom Died 1912
About James Allen
James Allen was born in Leicester, England, in 1864. When he was 15, his father, a businessman, was robbed and murdered, and he left school to work in British manufacturing firms to help support the family. He later became an executive secretary for a large company. At 38, inspired by the writings of Leo Tolstoy, Allen retired from work. He moved with his wife, Lily, and their daughter, Nohra, to a small cottage in Ilfracombe, Devon, to live simply and reflect. He spent nine years writing there, producing 19 works, and also edited and published a magazine called "The Light of Reason". His best-known book, As A Man Thinketh, is now seen as a self-help classic. Its central idea is that noble thoughts shape a noble person, while low thoughts lead to misery. After he died in 1912, his wife kept the magazine going under the title "The Epoch".