The poor man with rich spirit is in all ways superior to the rich man with a poor spirit."
From promoting thrift while criticizing materialism to asserting the importance of character, morality, hard work, and perseverance in achieving success, Samuel Smile's Self-Help instils in its readers, a desire to succeed.
A precursor of self-help literature, it identifies the capacity for self-improvement, especially in the working class, and draws upon the success stories of the inspiring and self-made millionaires. Self-Help has been called ' the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism.' This masterpiece became an instant bestseller, and continues to inspire and ignite its readers."