Tel un homme pense

James Allen (28 November 1864 - 24 January 1912) was a British philosophical writer known for his inspirational books and poetry and as a pioneer of the self-help movement. His best known work, As a Man Thinketh, has been mass-produced since its publication in 1903. It has been a source of inspiration to motivational and self-help authors.Born in Leicester, England, into a working-class family, Allen was the elder of two brothers. His mother could neither read nor write. His father, William, was a factory knitter. In 1879, following a downturn in the textile trade of central England, Allen's father travelled alone to America to find work and establish a new home for the family. Within two days of arriving his father was pronounced dead at New York City Hospital, believed to be a case of robbery and murder. At age fifteen, with the family now facing economic disaster, Allen was forced to leave school and find work.

Tel un homme pense est le plus célèbre des livres de James Allen. L'auteur en donnait lui-même la description suivante : " (...) traite du pouvoir de la pensée, et particulièrement de l'utilisation et l'application de la pensée pour d'heureuses issues. J'ai essayé de rendre le livre simple pour qu'on puisse aisément le prendre en main, suivre son enseignement et mettre en pratique les méthodes qu'il conseille. Il montre comment, dans le monde propre de sa pensée, chaque homme détient la clé de sa condition, bonne ou mauvaise, et qu'ainsi, par un travail patient et intelligent sur ses pensées, il peut remodeler sa vie et transformer ses circonstances. C'est un livre qui vous aidera à vous aider vous-même."