Born in Illinois in 1860, Wallace D Wattles was the son of a gardener and had very little education. Despite his limited schooling, Wattles' book The Science of Getting Rich has been read around the world since its publication in 1910. Wattles believed in the importance of generating wealth and was certain he knew the very steps one had to take to acquire riches. The New Thought movement greatly influenced Wattles who was a follower of the spiritually focused philosophy which encouraged people to recognize the power of the universe to heal and help them through their good, correct thinking. More than a century after its publication, The Science of Getting Rich remains a popular financial success book that many still turn to today.