The Master Key System

by Charles F. Haanel

The Master Key is being offered to the globe in order to enable people to access the vast Cosmic Intelligence and draw from it the things that align with their personal goals and desires. The Master Key instruction has been released as a 24-lesson Correspondence Course, with one lesson per week for a total of 24 weeks. The reader, who will now receive all 24 sections at once, is cautioned against trying to read the book like a novel and instead to approach it as a study guide, carefully studying each section and returning to it once a week before moving on to the next. If not, the reader's time and money will be squandered and the later sections will likely be misinterpreted. When used as directed, "The Master Key" will help the reader develop into a stronger, more positive person and give them the capacity to appreciate the wonder and beauty of life as well as the strength to accomplish any admirable goal.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Business

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Charles Francis Haanel was a noted American New Thought author and a businessman. He is best known for his contributions to the New Thought Movement through his book The Master Key System.

Hannel's book The Master Key System, was published in 1912, when he was 46 years old. It is written in the form of a course in New Thought, mental development, financial success, and personal health. The book was heavily promoted in the pages of Elizabeth Towne's New Thought magazine The Nautilus. By 1933 it had sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. Haanel practiced the financial principles he preached and was a self made success who owned several major companies. According to Stevens, writing in 1909, "He was president of the Continental Commercial Company, president of the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company, and president of the Mexico Gold & Silver Mining Company."

The original Master Key System contained 24 parts or modules of study. The allegedly "lost" chapters of the Master Key System, chapters 25-28, which are found in some editions, are not original, but have been copied from the chapters 11-14 of A book about You. Among the key points of Haanel's system are what he refers to as the laws of concentration, attraction, and harmonious thinking and action. Unique to the Master Key System is a set of exercises that accompany each chapter, and which are systematically building upon each other — they are what makes the Master Key System a system.

In addition to the Master Key System, Haanel wrote several other books including Mental Chemistry, published in 1922, The New Psychology, published in 1924, A Book about You, published in 1927, and The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi, co-authored with Victor Simon Perera and published in 1937.

In 1919, Napoleon Hill wrote Haanel a letter thanking him for The Master Key System.[8] In the letter Hill stated, "My present success and the success which has followed my work as President of the Napoleon Hill Institute is due largely to the principles laid down in The Master-Key System."

Haanel was quoted in the best-selling self-help book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, published in 2007.

Reviews

[Kerri Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, together with Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now', has really made me feel as though I now have a complete understanding of where I fit in the grand scheme of things and how I can best live a happy life. That's one hell of a statement to make! And it's not to say that I will be terribly successful at so living, but these two authors have given me the knowledge needed; it's up to me to now put it into practice.
Charles F Haanel, writing in the early 1900s, was so utterly convinced of his message that his book is very inspiring. He tells us with complete conviction that we are not separate from the power and the creative energy that gave birth to all that is; we are a part of it. He implores us to recognize this so that we can realize that our lives are truly under our control by virtue of the thoughts we have and the feelings that they generate. This is exactly what Tolle says also, only Haanel is interested in using this knowledge to mould our lives to get what we want in a material sense. Tolle stops short of that, limiting his teaching to how we will achieve peace in life by fully accepting what is. Such total acceptance does, however, dovetail with Haanel's message because, if one is fighting and hating what is actually going on at any given time, you are sending out the energy for more of the same (the law of attraction). We are beings whose link with the creative energy that gave birth to the world is our thoughts. Haanel goes into great detail about how to train our minds so that we will think only constructive thoughts that lead to positive feelings that will lead to favorable outcomes in our lives. He uses the concepts of visualisations and affirmations, and here was I thinking that those were modern ideas! Haanel, who belonged to the American Scientic League, claims that his message is empirically proven and, certainly, his book is the most logical take on this subject that I have ever read. That is why I found it so encouraging. Highly recommended for anyone needing to go a little further in their search for answers to the meaning of life and all that stuff.
P.S. I stopped short of giving it 5 stars because Haanel does repeat himself a lot. I didn't mind that personally as I need all the encouragement I can get at this point in my life, but it can get tedious.

[Desiree Finkbeiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Realize that we are not a body with a spirit, but a spirit with a body."
I've read over a hundred books and many articles on the subject of mental/spiritual sciences, and this has to be one of the most complete discourses, touching on virtually every aspect of thought-creation and workings of the Law of Attraction. Haanel outlines some very helpful and detailed exercises to help the student craft their own personal-power to live an intentional life. The heavily guarded secrets of the initiated appear within the text, affording anyone the same tools used by the spiritually and temporally wealthy of the world.
Those who do the thinking in the world create and rule the world around them. Furthermore, people who unconsciously use the power of thought-creation are creating their own situations just as those who are aware of the process. Those ignorant of the power of their own thoughts often seek to blame others for conditions brought about of their own creation; thus the importance of studying mental science.
It's no wonder that after reading this book, Bill Gates dropped out of college and followed his dream via the methods outlined in this book. See what happens when one man understands the power of thought? One can literally change the world.
Because so much is outlined in this text, I will not cover every aspect here in this review. But I can say that this book now sits in my personal top 5 of BEST BOOKS EVER. Anyone seeking for a greater understanding of intentional living, ought to have this book in regular reading.

[Michel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think a lot of New Thought followers need to be honest with themselves and admit that this book is not that hot. I've tried to get through this one at three different points in my life. Sure, it's a "classic," but it's full of repetitive lists. It doesn't offer any tangible modes of action, and drones on - and ON - I say this aside from the antiquated language and the fact that it's supposed to be read in a chapter-per-week format. I wonder how many people feel obligated to finish because of its association with "The Secret" movement. Stop feeling guilty. Put the book down / exit out of that pdf. There are better options out there. Don't waste your time. Meditate instead.

[Sonja Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not advised to read The Master Key in four days or less but if time is all you have, then why not, with the intention of underlining and highlighting and revisiting time and again.

An intriguing read, this book gets the reader thinking, which is the point actually. The author offers 24 in-depth lessons on how to create one's world within. The idea is that we are responsible with our thoughts for creating the world without. With understanding and knowledge of this 'truth' we are masters of our own destination.

The Master Key is not a feel good self-help book to delve in and out of at will but rather a text book for living life. Brilliant in that it combines science, philosophy and religion to conclude that truth is absolute and anyone, religious or not, can come to understand this and benefit immensely for her understanding. It is a timeless read!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book after reading 'The Secret'. The best way I can describe this book is to say that 'The Secret' could serve as a back-flap summary of its contents. The profound concepts introduced in 'The Secret' are defined, explored, and put into action in this book (even though it was written much, much earlier). The workings of the mind are simply amazing and the messages of this book are timeless.

[Ranjeeth R · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has just one point - Universe listens to our Subconscious mind, we have to BELIEVE and anything is possible. The same thing is repeated in all the 300 odd pages in the book.
Worst part is the bullet point representation. Every chapter has 20-25 bullet points. The author has written as if it is the ultimate truth and people have to believe it blindly. Like a gospel or something.
The intellectual discussion in the book is too shallow. May be it was a great book when it was written. It is definitely useless in the current scenario with so many other self help books doing a much better job in terms of information and ease of reading, capturing readers attention.
This is one of the WORST books I have read.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1912, this book was a little difficult to get into. The language and style of writing is antiquated, it's written from the perspective of a male dominated world, and at first glance it seems choppy and repetitive. But keep reading. By the middle of the book, I was hooked. This appears to be one of the first "self-help" books published. Its advice is simple, honest and progressive taking into account the era it was written. Haanel's wisdom is still useful today. And I must admit, by the time I finished the last chapter, I had gained insight into several life questions that had been on my mind. Worth the read if you are looking for direction and clarity.

[Kadena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book requires careful study and analysis. You will learn how to release all fear and stand in your power as a child of God. If you read it two or three times, you will uncover numerous tols for overcoming adversity and achieving success in every area of your life.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a nutshell: What you think trickles into your subconscious and will manifest itself in your life be it good or bad, so one needs to be careful of what thoughts they entertain. It's a bit difficult reading the first couple of chapters, but once you get into his writing style it's much easier reading. I don't agree with some of his theology, but I do agree with the power of intent, focus, concentration, and thought.

[Aymen Achour Gabsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book that made me understand the movie "the matrix", the author explains how our "external" world is but a reflection of our "internal" world, it's one of the first books that promoted the "new thought/ new age" era, i think it was written in 1912 so the style is a little hard to understand. But i did like it. It is said that napoleon hill (the author of think and grow rich) read it before becoming rich so he might have been influenced by this book.

[Monipops🍭 · Rating 3 out of 5]

That disappointingly took me 3 months to get through (a new low even for me). I listened to the audiobook version as I felt it would be more digestible and good to consume self help whilst walking and commuting.

I discovered the book through the references of “The Secret” and felt the concept would be good to learn in depth. Personally, I found the content quite dry and I’m not sure if it was due to the way the book was written or due to my non-fiction slump.

It was interesting to see the history behind the laws of manifesting especially as this book was written so long ago and served as a key source for compiling The Secret. My gripes are it was repetitive at times, sometimes went off on a tangent, and the style of writing was quite complex (which may have just been a reflection of the writing at the time in 1912.

I’m glad I gave it a go but it’s a VERY generous 3-star review for me.

[Lisa V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this book this summer, for it is referenced many times in "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. Now, some people may thing The Secret is a lot of hooey (especially because, due to its popularity, it has been the subject of much scrutiny and criticism) - but that's okay, the Truth is the Truth regardless of what "other people" think or the source where you find it.

Charles Haanel's Master Key System is actually a series of 24 weekly lessons that will teach you - through the power of thought and the ability to master your own thoughts - to understand who you are and why, and your connection to the Universal Mind. AND your connection to every living thing in the Universe, including the trees and the ocean, and others - AND how to apply that knowledge in the most useful way possible to attain spiritual wealth, and thereby create everything you could possibly "want" or "need" from what we know within the material world.

Okay, yes it's deep. But I'm a deep kinda gal - as anyone who knows me will attest. But there is absolutely more to see than the eye can behold in its limited physical form...

I also recommend "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron; and "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, which I will discuss separately.

[Simon Parent · Rating 1 out of 5]

An endless flow of jumbled, repetitive, shit. Baseless assertions after baseless assertions. Permeated with a belief in God, the Spiritual,yet he's so horny for money, constantly talking about it. Each of his claims are so wrong, on so many levels, it would take hours to explain why, yet he inserts kernels of common sense or reference well researched facts, to legitimize this heap of vomit. If you have never read a book, you may find this interesting.

[Fraser Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. It may be over a century old, but the principles and systems it sets out still pertain to modern living. Very action orientated, not so much a book but an instruction manual. Encourages you to follow the steps it lays out, as opposed to reading all at once. The focus is on training your imagination and connecting with your inner world in a way which encourages and nurtures consistent, external action. Would recommend.

[Cordell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was young and my life has never been the same since.

[Aaron Hollman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worthless new-age hippie loving 'The Secret' crap.

[Sambasivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shirt book. Written more than 90 years back. Talks about the Hindu philosophy of mastering the thought and then mastering the physical and mental faculties. This will help you attract the Universe. Requires consistent and diligent practice (sadhana).

Worth trying out the advice given herein.

[Drew Shealy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic reminder to control your thoughts. Not just reactions and responses, but also intentional, proactive concentration on desired outcomes: visualization and affirmation. It’s restated that thoughts are creative powers, and thus a focus on positive/ negative thoughts yield positive/ negative outcomes. I appreciate this point — especially on eliminating negativity.

The chapters (lessons) kick off with summary intros and close with a practical exercise. However, it gets repetitive in the last 8-10 lessons (good to ingrain the point, but not necessary), and the whole thing is written in a manner blended between academic and religious. If you can deal with this style, the first two thirds is an encouraged read.

[LibroReview · Rating 2 out of 5]

The elaborated written review.

📚Rating - 1.75/5


📚The Master Key System is a book about how to apply the law of attraction in your daily life in order to attract abundance of health, wealth, fame, basically a good life. It also gives you the science behind the law of attraction, tells you about the solar plexus, some techniques such as visualisation, idealisation, affirmation etc.


The title of the book does not go with the content of the book. When we read such a title, we expect something big that can be termed as the Master Key but no such content was there in the book. There are many other books on this topic that have the same content presented in a better way. With a better structure, better layout, better language. Except for a few things like the solar plexus, the book does not have something different to offer.


The language of the book is complicated. I had to read some lines twice or thrice in order to understand what it wants to express. Although, the content is given in points instead of paragraphs which is one nice thing.


However, while I was reading the book, I got really bored. I did not feel like completing the book. I did it because I had to review it. It did not provide me with anything that I did not know and I have read many other books on this exact topic and they have offered way more knowledge than this piece of writing.


I'm not recommending this book to read.

However, if any of you have different views, I would love to see from those different perceptives.


Follow @libroreview on instagram for video reviews of this and many other books.

[Nex Juice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a lot better than most of the books in The Prosperity Bible, but it was longer than it needed to be and it focused far too much on Christianity, God and spirituality in general. Outside of those topics, I found myself in agreement more often than not. It's important to get extremely clear on what your goals, dreams and desires are. Remind yourself of them every single day and often as possible. Replace negative thought patterns with positive ones and you will find happiness and harmony in life.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the source materials for Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, this is one of the historical references that identifies the Law Of Attraction by name. First published in 1912, it is a difficult read by today's standards because of language and format.

Set up as 24 weekly lessons complete with exercises, I found the exercises interesting but struggled dealing with the presentation format.

[Lillie Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I recommend this course for anyone and everyone looking to make changes in their life by way of positive thinking and/or the laws of attraction.

Free e-Book
http://takingcare.ws/masterkey.html

[Lauraley Dilgard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so involved with this book I actually read it as I went for my daily morning walks. Positive thinking when applied it works! I found a $20.00 bill while reading about how to make money, lol.

[Sachin Sparker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want true Metaphysics and understand the Laws of universe , This is for you.
really amazing book and by this I got deep understanding of working of universe.
Thanks to Hannel.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that influenced so many that came after it. Written in 1912, it is way ahead of its time.

[David Fitzgibbon · Rating 1 out of 5]

unreadable nonsense

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book based on a recommendation and its high rating. I should have read the book description as this isn't my type of genre - Law of Attraction. At least I got through "The Secret" (to see what the hype was about). But I didn't finish this book. It's mostly a list of statements, like "mentally concentrate on the object of your desire" and "the subconscious mind is part of the universal mind."

[Abbas A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can i say? By the end of the 11th part i was already thinking in a different, more positive way and changed my perspective on life. This book explains everything that Rhonda Byrne’s works didn’t (i like them, i myself own two of them, they were my introduction to the world of LoA and positive mindset, but this book made me understand everything better). Absolutely stunning!

[Selma Šljuka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knjigu citati u apsolutnom miru sa velikim razumijevanjem. Sjajna ali "teska"

[Felix Delong · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on Law of Attraction I have seen.