How can a person achieve the success he desires by relying on himself? Whether he is one of the owners of industries, one of the nation's notables, or even one of the businessmen, young and old. How does a person seize opportunities and gain activity and courage? How does he seek, obtain, and use money?
How does a person teach himself? Rather, how does he navigate politeness and kindness?
This book is about all of the above, and it is one of the first books in the world that paved the way for thousands of books after that in a direction called "human development." The book was an overwhelming success in its language and in all the languages ​​it was translated into. Its editions were sold out one after the other, and its publishers were numerous.
Self-reliance is the root of true success in every place and time. This is what this historical book attempts to prove and teach us.

يعقوب صروف
أديب عُثماني لبناني ..
ولد في قرية الحدث بلبنان، بعثه والده إلى مدرسة الأميركان في عبيه ثم إلى الكلية السورية البروتستانتية (لاحقاً الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت) فنال شهادتها عام 1870م. وبعد ذلك تولى رئاسة وإدارة مدرستي الأميركان في صيدا وطرابلس. وفي سنة 1876 أنشأ مجلة المقتطف في بيروت ومعه الأديب فارس نمر وظلّت تصدر مدة تسع سنوات تقريبا ثم نقلت بعدها إلى القاهرة سنة 1888 وظل يديرها ويشرف على ما يكتب فيها إلى آخر حياته