James Allen was born on 28 November 1864 in Leicester, England. In 1989, he began working as a writer for the magazine The Herald of the Golden Age. His first book, From Poverty to Power, was written and published in 1901. The following year, Allen started a spiritual magazine titled The Light of Reason. It was later renamed The Epoch. All These Things Added (1903) was his second book.As a Man Thinketh, his third book, was published in 1903. This book is one of his most famous and bestselling works. He published numerous works among which are: Out from the Heart (1904), The Mastery of Destiny (1909), From Passion to Peace (1910), Light on Life’ s Difficulties (1912), The Shining Gateway (1915), and The Divine Companion (1919).
Allen died on 24 January 1912, aged forty-seven. He is considered as one of the founding fathers of modern inspirational thought.