One hundred years after Napoleon Hill began working on his enduring best seller, "Think and Grow Rich," a new version modeled on that self-help classic is meant to offer a message of hope and inspiration to millions of people who may have had setbacks during this latest economic crisis.

"Three Feet From Gold: Turn Your Obstacles into Opportunities," by Sharon Lechter and Greg Reid, is a modern adaptation of Mr. Hill's work. The book's central message is to set high goals and never give up, because you could be close to the greatest success of your life.

"This book is perfect for anyone going through a transition, or has a goal they've not reached yet or is feeling lost or disenfranchised by the current economic downturn," Mrs. Lechter said.

As co-author of the wildly successful "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book series, Mrs. Lechter said instead of concentrating entirely on money as the Rich Dad books are known for, this one encourages readers to find their own path to success and the money will follow.

Mrs. Lechter now works with the Napoleon Hill Foundation, based in Hammond, Ind., to develop materials to teach Mr. Hill's principles to families, women and young people.

The storyline of the new book traces the journey of a young entrepreneur searching for the key to success. Along the way, he meets several people who have made their mark in business and give him advice to help him fulfill his own dreams.

Mrs. Lechter and Mr. Reid interviewed more than 35 business leaders whose true stories were incorporated into the fictional plot, including Nascar president Mike Helton, Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, and Dave Liniger, chairman and co-founder of Re/Max Realty.

"We interviewed them not about their success stories, but how they faced their most difficult times," Mrs. Lechter said. "It's their stories that people relate to today because if they had given up, we wouldn't have Velcro, UPS Stores, Chick-fil-A restaurants, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Re/Max Realty and on and on.

"It's their stories of perseverance and never giving up that will help people who are feeling discouraged and depressed today," she said.

Although Napoleon Hill's book was not published until 1937, he was chosen to undertake the project in 1908 after meeting industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie refused to pay Mr. Hill for the research and writing, but instead agreed to open doors for him to interview captains of industry and record their words of wisdom concerning financial success and personal achievement.

After 29 years of research and writing, Mr. Hill struggled to find a publisher. His hard work eventually paid off in a big way. More than 100 million copies of "Think and Grow Rich" have been sold in more than 50 languages.

Interest in self-help books has not waned over the decades since his book came out. Americans still read millions of inspiring and instructional books which promise to make them smarter, healthier, wealthier, more spiritually connected and attractive. Among the bestselling advice titles on the market today are "It's Your Time," by Joel Osteen, an inspirational TV evangelist, and "The Last Lecture," by Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who died of cancer at age 47 and encourages readers to seize every moment.

The title of "Three Feet From Gold" came from a story in Mr. Hill's book about a man named R.U. Darby who set out to make his fortune mining gold in Colorado.

After drilling desperately to tap into a vein of gold ore, he gave up. He sold the mine and his machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars and went back home to Williamsburg, Md.

The junk man asked a mining engineer to evaluate the mine and discovered that Mr. Darby had stopped drilling just three feet away from millions of dollars in gold.

Although Mr. Darby was crushed, he never forgot that he lost an amazing fortune by stopping just short of success. He transferred that lesson to his new vocation as an insurance salesman and eventually did become wealthy by vowing to never give up again.

"What's happening in the current economy is people are depressed," Mrs. Lechter said. "Fear can either paralyze or motivate you. Most people are paralyzed by fear and our hope is that 'Three Feet from Gold' will help motivate people to start taking action to improve their lives."

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