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Acres of Diamonds is an essay by Russell Herman Conwell, an American minister, lawyer, and writer. Conwell got the idea for this famous work during a trip to the Middle East. It started as a speech he gave to his former Civil War comrades, and he eventually delivered it across the U.S. and around the world over 6,000 times.
The essay's main message is that people don't need to search far for success, wealth, or purpose; often, the resources they need are right where they are. Conwell illustrates this with a story about a man who sold his land to search for diamonds, only for the new owner to find a rich diamond mine on the property. Conwell encourages people to "dig in their own backyard."
Conwell's earnings from this speech helped him establish Temple University and support various civic projects. After his death, the proceeds from the essay went to support a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. The work has since become a classic in New Thought literature.
Über den Autor / die Autorin
Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 - December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, author, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphia, as the Pastor of The Baptist Temple, and for his inspirational lecture, "Acres of Diamonds". He was born in South Worthington, Massachusetts.The son of Massachusetts farmers, Conwell left home to attend the Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy and later Yale University. In 1862, before graduating from Yale, he enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Conwell desired to enlist in the war effort shortly after its outbreak in 1861, but could not initially gain the approval of his father, Martin Conwell. His abolitionist father ultimately changed his mind, allowing Conwell to enlist in Company "F" of the 27th Massachusetts Volunteers, better known as the "Mountain Boys".¿ Conwell and the Mountain Boys served in North Carolina and first engaged the opposition at Kinston, North Carolina.¿ There Conwell gained a reputation for self-sacrifice.
