This collection of four books by metaphysical writer and teacher Florence Scovel Shinn explores the power of thought and word to change your life. When we harness this power, we can create the life of our wildest dreams. But if we succumb to dark thoughts and negative self-talk, we can create a life of failure and despondence. Before her life as a writer and teacher, Florence Scovel Shinn was a successful artist and illustrator in New York City. She illustrated fictional stories in Harper's magazine, as well as popular novels like Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, a wildly popular novel in 1902. Later in life, she began to teach and write on the subject of metaphysics - the reality outside of the human senses. Her primary area of interest was the idea that we can manifest prosperity and happiness through our thoughts and words. In her teaching and writing, her approachable style made these concepts accessible and easy to understand, free from the academic jargon that other New Thought writers relied on. She included many stories to illustrate the efficacy of her ideas, as well as affirmations and practices that the student could use to bring these ideas into their own lives. The Complete Works of Florence Scovel Shinn, includes four books originally published between 1925 and 1945, after her death. The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925) is Shinn's first book. This foundational work proposes that we can use the power of positive thought to bring success, better health, and prosperity into our lives. What we imagine and project into the world is what we will receive back from it. The work lays its foundation in Christianity, including many quotes and passages from the Bible to support its premise. "Whatsoever a man seweth, that shall he also reap," is the basic tenet of her philosophy. The book also includes many examples of the power of thought and deed on the people in her life, showing that they were able to manifest what they believed - for positive or negative.
Shinn's second work, Your Word is Your Wand (1928), is a companion piece to Game of Life. This book of affirmations includes statements on the subject of prosperity, happiness, love, forgiveness, and more that readers can repeat to bring these gifts into their lives. Try, "Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of abundance forever," to open yourself to prosperity. To work on forgiveness, Shinn suggests, "I forgive everyone and everyone forgives me. The gates swing open for my good." The third book in the series is The Secret Door to Success (1940). Shinn hosted talks and lectures in New York City, where she taught metaphysics to her students. Published the year of her death, The Secret Door is a collection of her talks where she expounds further on the power of thought, speech, and manifestation. She incorporated lessons from the pop culture of her time, using films like The Wizard of Oz and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to illustrate her lessons and draw useful parallels. The final work in the collection, The Power of the Spoken Word, was published posthumously in 1945. This book is a collection of Shinn's notes and memoranda, found after her death. This work focuses specifically on the power of speech as a tool to direct our thoughts, which will then lead to the desired outcome if we use it properly. The Complete Works of Florence Scovel Shinn is a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone who is interested in New Thought, the Law of Attraction, or the power of manifestation.