WHO WAS FLORENCE SCOVEL SHINN?...... Ms. Shinn was an artist and a metaphysics teacher in New York in the early part of the 20th century. Her books are truly incredible. They are relatively short, but they are profound. In her books she shows that we can enjoy a winning streak of health, prosperity, and happiness. She shares real-life stories with us from her many clients to illustrate how positive attitudes and affirmations invariably succeed in making one a "winner" in life--able to control life's conditions and release abundance through a knowledge of spiritual law. Florence Shinn is one of last century's most popular Success teachers. Apparently, she had quite a following in her "heyday" too, for her lectures were well attended and her books were popular not only in America, but also abroad.

Florence Scovel was born September 24, 1871, in Camden, New Jersey. Her mother was the former Emily Hopkinson of Pennsylvania. Her father was Alden Cortlandt Scovel, and he practiced law in Camden. Besides Florence there was an older daughter and younger son. Florence was educated in Philadelphia at the Friends Central School and studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1889 to 1897. It was there that she met her future husband, Everett Shinn (1876 - 1953), who was a fairly celebrated painter of impressionistic canvases and realistic murals. Although Florence was educated at the art Academy, her pen and ink drawings are the result of her natural talent and not technical training.