Audiobook · read by volunteers
Power of Concentration
William Walker Atkinson (1862–1932)
Read by Audio Andrea · 11 chapters · 4 h 13
About the book
Do you find it hard to keep your mind on one thing? This little book, written in the early twentieth century, argues that concentration is not a gift but a skill, and that anyone can train it. It is arranged as a course of twenty lessons that describe how attention works, how it is lost, and what a person can do each day to strengthen it. The author offers simple exercises, advice on habits and plenty of encouragement, and he links focus to success in work, study and daily life. The style is direct and practical, and the advice is presented in plain terms. Anyone interested in the history of self-improvement will enjoy hearing how these ideas were first set out, and some of the suggestions still sound surprisingly useful today.
Introduction
William Walker Atkinson, born in 1862 and died in 1932, was an American lawyer, businessman and writer who became one of the most prolific authors of the New Thought movement. He published dozens of books on mental power, personal development and practical philosophy, often under pseudonyms. This book was issued under the name Theron Q. Dumont, one of several identities he used, and it first appeared in 1918.
New Thought was a popular movement in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. Its writers believed that attitude and mental habits could shape health, work and happiness, and they spoke in a straightforward style meant for ordinary readers. Atkinson’s manuals sold widely and helped popularise the genre of self-help that is so familiar today. Reading them now, you can see the roots of many ideas about attention, willpower and practice that remain part of modern advice.
This recording has eleven sections, including an introduction and the lessons grouped in pairs, and it lasts about four hours. It is read by a single LibriVox volunteer. Whether you want to try the exercises or simply understand how people thought about the mind a century ago, you will find a clear, brisk and thoroughly period-flavoured guide.
The lessons are short and practical, and they can be listened to one at a time, perhaps at the start of the day. Some of the language belongs to its period, but the central message, that attention can be trained by regular practice, will be familiar to anyone who has tried meditation or study routines.
Public domain
William Walker Atkinson died in 1932: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text