The book is written by OG Mandino. I believe OG Mandino is a very famous author and trainer in sales.

This book is not only about sales, even though it is titled "Greatest Salesman". The book is also about success and how to live our life well.

The book uses fiction story to tell the readers its principle points. It begins with a story of a herder boy, named Hafid, that wants to be a rich merchant so that he can get married with Lisha, a daughter of a rich merchant.

He was thought by Pathros, a rich and successful merchant, who was impressed by his sincerity and spirit to learn to be a merchant. Pathros was also surprised when Hafid came to him after he was told to sell a coat. Pathros saw that the stars were following him back to Pathros' place. Therefore, Pathros was aware that he had to disclose the secrets of sales and life to Hafid.

What are those secrets? There are ten parchments. Pathros told Hafid to read the parchments step by step. Furthermore, Pathros told Hafid to give 50% of his profit to the poor. That rule cannot be broken.

First Parchment - Live a New Life

• I let go all my failures;
• I was born again today;
• I will fight for my life;
• I will form a positive habit;
• I will read this first parchment every morning, noon and night until it is formed as my habit;
• There is no such thing that can hinder my growth of successful life.

Second Parchment - Love in My Life

• Love is the greatest weapon;
• I will love everything and everybody;
• I will look positively on every aspects of life;
• I love my enemies;
• I will not be negative to other people;
• I will love other people's good character and praise them for it;
• I will tell "I love you" to every body from the deep of my heart;
• I cannot be a merchant if I do not have love within me;
• I love my failures so that I can learn from it;
• I love myself.

Third Parchment - Struggle until Succeed

• If I try and try, if I move forward, I will succeed;
• I am not sent to the world for failure;
• Every small efforts from me seems have no effect, but it will have huge effect if I do it regularly without ceasing;
• I will be like water dripping and make hole in stone;
• I will try, try and try again;
• I will apply the secret of sales;
• I will win.

Fourth Parchment - Great Miracle in Me

• I am totally unique;
• No other thing is greater than my mind, heart, eyes, mouth, ears, fingers, etc;
• I can do much better than now;
• I will not get satisfied with less achievement;
• I will separate work with family life;
• I will succeed as a merchant.

Fifth Parchment - Live Today as if Die Tomorrow

• I will not be disappointed of my past failures;
• My time is in now, the present;
• I will be grateful all the time;
• I will not waste today;
• I will seize the day;
• I will be diligent;
• I will finish all my work for today.

Sixth Parchment - Master of Feeling

• I will control my feeling;
• If I am able to control my feeling, then I am able to control my destiny;
• If I am sad, I will sing; If I am sick, I will double my work; If I feel small, I will remember my successes;
• If I am too confident, I will remember my past failures; If I spend money too much, I will remember my hunger; If I feel success within me, then I will remember the people who are hungry.

Seventh Parchment - Laugh the World

• Only human that can laugh;
• I will smile and my life will run easily;
• I laugh a little and my burden will be lifted up;
• I will laugh my own self;
• As long as I laugh, I will not be poor;
• Only with laughter and happiness, I can be really successful.

Eight Parchment - Add Enormous Values

• I will add enormous values;
• I will set my goals as high as the stars in the sky;
• I will not be arrogant when I reach the top.

Ninth Parchment - Act Now

• Action is the only thing that matters;
• Act now;
• Action will waive the fear within you;
• I will not delay today's work to tomorrow.

Tenth Parchment - Pray and Have Faith

• Have faith in God;
• Pray to the Lord;
• I will pray so that I know where to go or how to do it or how to achieve it.

So, Hafid has successfully reached his goals to be a rich merchant. He keeps Pathros' rule to give 50% of his profit to the poor. He always takes care the poor people and his employees.

Hafid then transfers these ten parchments to Saulus, who is known as Paulus or Saint Paul, because he believes that St Paul is the right man for it.