From Poverty to Power

From Poverty to Power is a book by James Allen, first published in 1901, that sets out a moral and practical programme for moving from adverse circumstances to prosperity and inner peace through right thinking and right living.

Allen frames poverty not simply as a material condition but as a state of mind to be transformed by disciplined thought, moral effort, and steady character-building. The work combines practical advice, ethical reflection, and spiritual aspiration, treating the causes of poverty, the habit of right thinking, the necessity of self-control, and the cultivation of useful industry and service.

Its tone is moral and exhortative rather than technical, aimed at readers seeking both outward improvement and inward mastery. Across the twentieth century it helped shape later personal-development writing and the broader self-help tradition.