Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) Born into poverty, in Rural Virgina, Oliver Napoleon Hill is today regarded as one of the trailblazers of authoring self-help books. His writings were influenced by the New Thought movement that held that 'Infinite Intelligence' or the supreme God is universal, eternal, and everlasting, and that all people are spiritual beings. His works have influenced people to alter their lives drastically by following the "Philosophy of Achievement", the major principles of which Hill identified as democracy, freedom, capitalism, and harmony. Hill's interview with the industrialist and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, in 1908, proved to be a major turning point in his life. Through Carnegie's advice and guidance, Hill moved on to interview many wealthy and successful people of his time whom he acknowledged in The Law of Success (1928), his multi-volume book. Hill's works have continued to influence people and subsequently led to new age, self-help books, such as Rhonda Byrne's The Secret.