Acres of Diamonds
Acres of Diamonds, written by Russell H. Conwell in the early 20th century, is a motivational work based on a lecture he delivered over 6,000 times. The book emphasizes the idea that individuals can find wealth and success in their immediate surroundings rather than seeking it elsewhere, illustrated through the story of Ali Hafed, a Persian farmer who abandons his land only to discover it was rich in diamonds. Conwell argues against the notion that poverty is noble, asserting that it is a duty to use one's gifts to earn wealth, which can be used for good. The work encourages readers to recognize and invest in the opportunities available to them.
Editions
X-Ray
“Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“Begin where you are and what you are.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“Abraham Lincoln's principle for greatness can be adopted by nearly all. This was his rule: Whatsoever he had to do at all, he put his whole mind into it and held it all there until that was all done.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“It is easy to raise a laugh, but dangerous, for it is the greatest test of an orator's control of his audience to be able to land them again on the solid earth of sober thinking.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“True greatness is often unrecognized.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“You cannot trust a man with your money who cannot take care of his own.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“Do you ever see a man who struts around altogether too large to notice an ordinary working mechanic? Do you think he is great? He is nothing but a puffed-up balloon, held down by his big feet. There is no greatness there.””
— Russell H. Conwell
“It was chartered in 1888, at which time its numbers had reached almost six hundred, and it has ever since had a constant flood of applicants. "It has demonstrated," as Dr. Conwell puts it, "that those who work for a living have time for study." And he, though he does not himself add this, has given the opportunity. He feels especial pride in the features by which lectures and recitations are held at practically any hour which best suits the convenience of the students. If any ten students join in a request for any hour from nine in the morning to ten at night a class is arranged for them, to meet that request! This involves the necessity for a much larger number of professors and teachers than would otherwise be necessary, but that is deemed a slight consideration in comparison with the immense good done by meeting the needs of workers. Also President Conwell”
— Russell H. Conwell
“If the great men in America took our offices, we would change to an empire in the next ten years.””
— Russell H. Conwell
