Florence Scovel Shinn was an American artist and book illustrator by trade but she is probably best remembered for her inspirational works of self-empowerment. Shinn's writings are classic examples of the New Thought movement, a philosophical movement which developed near the end of the 19th century which asserted that the power of God is in all things and that by correctly focusing one's mind one can both heal oneself and attract success. Shinn began self publishing her works in 1925 with the introduction of "The Game of Life and How to Play It", in which she argues that the application of certain laws of metaphysics holds the keys to both success and ruin. Shinn's philosophy can be summed up by the following statement from that work: "The invisible forces are ever working for man who is always 'pulling the strings' himself, though he does not know it. Owing to the vibratory power of words, whatever man voices, he begins to attract." "The Game of Life and How to Play It", "Your Word Is Your Wand", "The Secret Door to Success" and "The Power of the Spoken Word" are collected together in this volume.
