Preface for "Keys to Success in the 21st Century"
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Date Published: April 27, 2025
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- The Preface by Peter E. Greulich to B. C. Forbes' "Keys to Success in the 21st Century"
Why republish this twentieth-century work?
In 1917, B. C. Forbes founded Forbes Magazine with the following lifelong goal and desire:
“The moving motive in establishing Forbes Magazine, in 1917, was an ardent desire to promulgate humaneness in business, then woefully lacking. … I would pass on contented if I could conscientiously feel that we have rendered at least a little service to our day and generation, that we have done something towards bequeathing a better world for my four sons and an increasing number of grandchildren.”
In 1926, he wrote in the “Introduction to Keys to Success” that he hoped this work would be “helpful in molding the characters and correctly directing the careers of many of our ambitious young men and women.”
This original work has been edited for brevity and clarity and is presented here by Peter E. Greulich with the same goals—to provide a reference point for a new twenty-first century, youthful generation. Peter E. Greulich, in republishing this work, has the same hopes and desires as B. C. Forbes—the same motivating force: To deliver a foundation upon which to communicate with each other. A foundation that is not based on conflict, misdirection and anger, but founded on the qualities presented in this book: self-reliance, self-respect, self-education, self-denial, politeness, friendship, cheerfulness, ideals, enthusiasm, personality and yes, hard work.
These concepts are just a sample of the thirty topics discussed within this book. This is a primer for parent and child, instructor and student, or business, political and religious leaders with their ambitious followers.
Instead of banning books, we should consider taking a more proactive approach and promote books that highlight positive traits and individuals of character—like this work by B. C. Forbes.
This editor has at times, shortened and restructured the content within these articles. As an example, many times Mr. Forbes begins an article—such as Self-Reliance, by defining the individual key to success; with “Self-Education” though, he waited until the seventh page of an eight page article to define the topic. This editor opens this article with this “defining” sentence and reduced the content significantly.
These changes are highlighted here only to inform the reader that modifications have been made. It is not a critique on the style of writing utilized in the original articles. It is this editor’s belief that if B. C. Forbes would have had access to a drag-and-drop capability in 1917, he would have been quite active himself in making such changes so easily performed today, but only possible then by moving carved wooden/metal letters in a printing press, or crumpling up a piece of paper and rewriting everything over, and over, and over again in ink.
This author has also added an Appendix: “Those Who ‘Wrote This Book’ ” which has a picture and one-page highlight of some of the individuals Mr. Forbes interviewed for this work.
For our children and grandchildren, I have given of my best in the hope—same as many of the industrialists included in these articles, of helping others rise to new levels of “success” as properly defined by B. C. Forbes over a century ago.
In this vein, I humbly submit anew:
B. C. Forbes’ “Keys to Success in the 21st Century.”
In 1917, B. C. Forbes founded Forbes Magazine with the following lifelong goal and desire:
“The moving motive in establishing Forbes Magazine, in 1917, was an ardent desire to promulgate humaneness in business, then woefully lacking. … I would pass on contented if I could conscientiously feel that we have rendered at least a little service to our day and generation, that we have done something towards bequeathing a better world for my four sons and an increasing number of grandchildren.”
In 1926, he wrote in the “Introduction to Keys to Success” that he hoped this work would be “helpful in molding the characters and correctly directing the careers of many of our ambitious young men and women.”
This original work has been edited for brevity and clarity and is presented here by Peter E. Greulich with the same goals—to provide a reference point for a new twenty-first century, youthful generation. Peter E. Greulich, in republishing this work, has the same hopes and desires as B. C. Forbes—the same motivating force: To deliver a foundation upon which to communicate with each other. A foundation that is not based on conflict, misdirection and anger, but founded on the qualities presented in this book: self-reliance, self-respect, self-education, self-denial, politeness, friendship, cheerfulness, ideals, enthusiasm, personality and yes, hard work.
These concepts are just a sample of the thirty topics discussed within this book. This is a primer for parent and child, instructor and student, or business, political and religious leaders with their ambitious followers.
Instead of banning books, we should consider taking a more proactive approach and promote books that highlight positive traits and individuals of character—like this work by B. C. Forbes.
This editor has at times, shortened and restructured the content within these articles. As an example, many times Mr. Forbes begins an article—such as Self-Reliance, by defining the individual key to success; with “Self-Education” though, he waited until the seventh page of an eight page article to define the topic. This editor opens this article with this “defining” sentence and reduced the content significantly.
These changes are highlighted here only to inform the reader that modifications have been made. It is not a critique on the style of writing utilized in the original articles. It is this editor’s belief that if B. C. Forbes would have had access to a drag-and-drop capability in 1917, he would have been quite active himself in making such changes so easily performed today, but only possible then by moving carved wooden/metal letters in a printing press, or crumpling up a piece of paper and rewriting everything over, and over, and over again in ink.
This author has also added an Appendix: “Those Who ‘Wrote This Book’ ” which has a picture and one-page highlight of some of the individuals Mr. Forbes interviewed for this work.
For our children and grandchildren, I have given of my best in the hope—same as many of the industrialists included in these articles, of helping others rise to new levels of “success” as properly defined by B. C. Forbes over a century ago.
In this vein, I humbly submit anew:
B. C. Forbes’ “Keys to Success in the 21st Century.”
Peter E. Greulich, Preface to "Keys to Success in the 21st Century"
