James Allen (1864-1912) pioneered the self-help genre. From humble beginnings, he rose to prominence as an author where he could pursue his spiritual and social philosophies. His mother was illiterate, and his father was believed to have been murdered during a robbery, so James Allen left school at ...

James Allen (1864-1912) pioneered the self-help genre. From humble beginnings, he rose to prominence as an author where he could pursue his spiritual and social philosophies. His mother was illiterate, and his father was believed to have been murdered during a robbery, so James Allen left school at the age of fifteen to seek employment. In 1893, he moved to London, met his future wife and began publishing a magazine called The Light of Reason, which eventually changed its name to The Epoch. He is best known for his short book As a Man Thinketh.