Based on a lecture that pastor Conwell delivered thousands of times, this 1921 bestseller has taught generations that the fortunes we seek are often in our own backyards-if we are willing and able to recognize them. Toward the end of his life, Russell H. Conwell (1843-1925) observed, "I am astonished that so many people should care to hear this story over again. The tale he shares in this book, concerning a wealthy Persian named Ali Hafed, demonstrates that almost everything we may seek elsewhere is already in our lives and available to us.