Florence Scovel Shinn was a woman ahead of her time. To many, she is considered to be among the likes of James Allen, Wallace D. Wattles and Napoleon Hill. She had the ability to explain her success principles and how they work in an entertaining and easy-to-read style. She can be considered one of last century's most popular success teachers. Florence Scovel Shinn was born on September 24, 1871, in Camden, New Jersey to Alden Cortland Scovel and Emily Hopkinson. She had an older sister and a younger brother. She was educated at Friends Central School in Philadelphia. She later studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1889 to 1897. While there, she met Everett Shinn, a painter of impressionistic canvases and realistic murals. They married shortly after Florence graduated from the art academy. The Shinns moved to New York where both pursued their separate careers, Everett in the theatre while Florence did illustrations for children's literature in magazines and books. In 1925, Florence decided to publish her first book 'The Game of Life and How to Play It'. After unsuccessfully finding a publisher for her work, she published it herself. Her second book, 'Your Word is Your Wand' followed in 1928 and her final book 'The Secret Door to Success' was published in 1940 shortly before her death on October 17, 1940. A fourth book, 'The Power of the Spoken Word' is a compendium of her notes, gathered by one of her students and published posthumously in 1945.
