British · 1864–1912
James Allen (1864-1912) was a British writer born in Leicester, England. He worked as a private secretary after his father was murdered during a robbery in America, which left the family in poverty. In 1902 he left business to write full time and settled in Ilfracombe, Devon, where he lived quietly with his wife Lily. He wrote nineteen books and edited a magazine, The Light of Reason, later renamed The Epoch. His best-known work, As a Man Thinketh (1903), is a short essay arguing that thoughts shape character and circumstances. The title comes from the Book of Proverbs. Other works include The Path of Prosperity, The Way of Peace, Above Life's Turmoil and The Eight Pillars of Prosperity. His writing is plain, devotional and aimed at ordinary readers. Allen is regarded as an early figure in the self-help movement, and As a Man Thinketh has remained in print for over a century, influencing later motivational authors.