The Science Of Getting Rich — Book Summary & Review

In The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Delois Wattles builds a repeatable model: you form an inner “thought” that aligns with a larger, orderly universe, then act as if your desired outcome is already real. Early on, Wattles insists wealth is not primarily a contest of willpower or a scramble for advantage; it’s the result of living in agreement with “right” principles—noncompetitive, constructive, and emotionally steady. His central move is to treat imagination like a tool for organizing behavior: you visualize the specific result, cultivate the feeling of certainty, and then take practical steps that match that belief. One concrete example is his emphasis on working in a way that serves need rather than fighting rivals—he frames the market as a field where cooperation with reality beats manipulation.

A later, more controversial section argues that scarcity-mindedness creates scarcity, while faith and calm expectation create conditions where money can flow. Wattles is blunt about the emotional side: if you’re anxious, resentful, and constantly negotiating with fear, your actions will mirror that mental state. Even if you “do” the right things externally, the internal vibration will sabotage consistency. He also repeatedly returns to the idea that “getting rich” is a lawful process, not a lottery—meaning you should stop begging the universe for exceptions and start behaving like the rules are already in effect.

Wattles does not provide modern budgeting templates, interviews, or case studies with measurable outcomes; it’s philosophy plus instruction, not a data-driven business system. If you want spreadsheets, metrics, and step-by-step marketing experiments, Wattles will frustrate you. If you can tolerate the book’s airy metaphysics, you may find his emotional discipline and noncompetitive framing surprisingly useful.