Acres of Diamonds (Unabridged‪)‬

Russell Conwell (1843-1925) was a man of many parts - lawyer, Baptist minister, traveler, Civil War veteran, and philanthropist - but is best remembered today for his celebrated lecture, Acres of Diamonds, which was published in book form in 1890. Conwell's basic premise in this work is very simple: A person's fortune can be found in his own backyard. According to Conwell, the rich and successful become so by discovering the needs of society at large and devising methods to satisfy those needs, using resources that are immediately at hand. Personal greatness, in Conwell's view, is demonstrated by its effects rather than its appearance.

Like Wallace D. Wattles, Conwell emphasized the necessity and praiseworthiness of becoming wealthy - an approach that has made his message very attractive to practitioners and mentors in the extensive self-help industry of today.