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أغنى رجل في بابل

George S. Clason

4.26 · Rating details · 90,972 ratings · 4,900 reviews

الكتاب عبارة عن مجموعة من الإرشادات المصاغة بداخل قصص صغيرة رائعة تكسبك خطوات محكمة فتبلغك بأنه يجب عليك أولاً التحكم في نفقاتك وتكوين أول قواعد ثروتك ، وكيف تبدأ في الأستثمار بهذه الأموال البسيطة ، وكيف توجه هذه العملات البسيطة في إستثمارات ناجحة ، كما يتطرق الكاتب لجزئيات تهم الطامحون ببناء ثروات من الصفر ، وكيف تكون ثروتك واستثماراتك هي ما تنفق عليك في المستقبل ، و تعمل ...more

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Paperback, 160 pages

Published 2009 by مكتبة جرير (first published 1926)

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Nov 05, 2008 William Beesley rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Books like Richest Man in Babylon, Rich Dad Poor Dad, the Millionaire next door will never go away unfortunately. There is too much money to be made in writing them. Richest Man in Babylon combines a simple premise with a mysterious title to drag the reader through 150 pages of drudgery that could be summed up in a couple of sentences:

1. Save 10% of everything you make.
2. Be smart not dumb
3. Invest the money you save.

Despite George Clason's (the author) best, somewhat self serving, intentions ...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Jake rated it liked it · review of another edition

Redundant? Yes. Simplistic? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely. Reading the book changes one's perspective on personal finances.

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Apr 11, 2019 Madeline Friedman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help

Nobody gets rich without working and we know that we should work hard. But what does hard work mean? This book answers it well. I bought this bestseller @50% off here: https://www.amazon.com/Richest-Man-Ba...

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Jan 10, 2019 Lola rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, self-help, business

This was an unusual but engaging multi-layered tale about finance, business and human accomplishments that, I admit, could have been less simplistic but that was smart enough to make me think about my own financial situation and offered advice worth considering.

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Jul 16, 2009 Tamsyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, finances

This book was absolutely fantastic! It really opened my eyes to finances and has changed the way I view them. One of the biggest things this book teaches is that no matter what size your income is, 10% of it is yours to keep. Another is that debt is an enemy to conquer, not a necessary evil. One of the families in the story did this, and had to pay rent on top of it. We have long realized that renting and paying interest on a mortgage is about the same. Michael and I came up with a spending plan ...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Michael Atkinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Read it 4 years ago, LOVED it, I should read it again. Fun to read, interesting, though provoking and but mostly just plain inspiring. If you don't have problems with spending too much money no need to read it. If you have tons of money and it's not a problem no need to read it. If you live on a budget like most of it, enjoy. Deserving of its well-regarded status of one of the classics of personal finance.

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Aug 29, 2012 Ryan Wamsat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My brother passed me this book many years ago. His instructions were simple: Read it. It'll change your life.

I read it. Did it change my life? Yes, in a manner of speaking.
There are many of out there who desperately want to learn the basics of handling money. But, pick up the latest drudgery from your local bookstore on the subject, and you'll find yourself wading through terms and calculations that may as well be a foreign language.

The Richest Man in Babylon takes a different approach. It puts ...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Shannon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, health-self-improvement, books-reviewed

This is a great starting item for someone who is pressed for time and doesn't want to read a ton of financial books. While some of the ideas are archaically written, they remain timeless. An obvious one: as a person's wealth rises, so do their expenses.

Translation, if you want to have money, learn to discipline yourself now and not later. Studies show that most lottery winners are bankrupt within a few years and mostly because they lacked self discipline. Therefore, the problem is not the lack ...more

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Sep 07, 2019 Constantine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x-3-star, z2019-09

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Genre:
Nonfiction + Business

I picked up this one because I heard many good things about it. I might be a bit late because I feel the majority of the points and lessons discussed by this book are very familiar to me. I found it very interesting to see this book reads more like a fiction. I feel this is good for someone who wants to read and know about all the basics in finance and economics in a simple easy way. One of the main tips that the author insisted on is saving 10% of whatever you earn, and then make that saved amount earn further by investing it wisely in something you are aware of. Don't invest your money in something you have no knowledge about or give it to someone to invest it in something he has no enough knowledge about.

“Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you only take what is worth having.”

Another advice the author gives is controlling the expenditure in different ways. One way is to own your own home instead of living in a rented property and paying the rent. Then there is an important tip of building yourself and your abilities because the more educated and experienced you are the higher will be the chance that you will earn more in the future.

The book is old, written a long time ago. Most of the lessons and advices are still very much valid until this day. But all this is definitely not enough to cover the complex economics of today. You will not find it covering everything that relates to our times. Do I recommend it? Well, yes but not alone. You need to read more books about finance and investments because basics alone are not enough for you to gain the knowledge and expertise that you aim for. I give The Richest Man In Babylon 3.0 stars out of 5.0.

“THE FIVE LAWS OF GOLD I. Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and that of his family. II. Gold labor the diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field. III. Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling. IV. Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep. V. Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.” ...more

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Jan 04, 2008 Claudia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Claudia by: Robin Chinchilla

Shelves: self-help

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 18, 2012 Anthony Fox rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"...I made a million,today. What did you do?..."

A book review of “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason

Have you heard about The Richest Man in Babylon, by George S. Clason first published in 1926, it’s a story that maybe you should read? When I first read this story I was just a young boy, but it still fascinates me now.

My grandfather had given a copy to me to read, and after I finished reading it, I can remember him asking me what I had learnt. I can also remember what I said in "...I made a million,today. What did you do?..."

A book review of “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason

Have you heard about The Richest Man in Babylon, by George S. Clason first published in 1926, it’s a story that maybe you should read? When I first read this story I was just a young boy, but it still fascinates me now.

My grandfather had given a copy to me to read, and after I finished reading it, I can remember him asking me what I had learnt. I can also remember what I said in reply.

I explained to my granddad that I understood the wisdom of saving and how Armad the richest man in Babylon acquired his wealth that had spent much of his time teaching others how to become wiser, and I guess wealthier?

You might consider that Arkad was lucky in his life that he was able to accumulate such wealth, but you would be wrong in your thinking. He had a simple philosophy save ten per cent of what you earn and invest, and this is what he did. Every day he taught to the crowd who would gather to listen that his fortune didn’t depend on lady luck, but on wise investment of one’s earnings.

Those bankers which lost billions for their banks recently and had to be bailed out by governments around the world they should read the story about Arkad, but I guess they would be too busy spending their bonuses. I find it difficult to multi-task as well. Even computers cannot multi-task it just appears so.

I wrote an article some moons ago called “Adding Alpha - Do computers have the alpha edge” that discussed how investment banks and institutions in today’s cyber space currently rely heavily on ‘algo trading’ to make money trading in stocks, shares, commodities, currencies. Algo trading is a term used to describe the algorithmic software which is used to gain that alpha edge against an increasing frenetic trading market where milliseconds can mean millions in buy and sell decisions in veiled trading markets. In a previous life, a trader said to me “… I made a million, today. What did you do?” I replied, “I’ve fixed the computer.”

Anyhow, my grandfather said you need to read it again, because you have missed the most important point. This is what I did. Essentially, it’s easy to miss the opportunities that come our way which is the moral of the story.

There’s a Jewish proverb that says, “You don’t need intelligence to have luck, but you do need luck to have intelligence.”

It wasn’t until I understood the importance of critical thinking that I really appreciated the truth in this book. When we make assumptions, we often make the wrong ones.

I hope you enjoy it.
...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Sonja Arlow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-books, recommended, non-fiction

I have always found books on personal finance exceptionally boring and have avoided reading them because of this.

This book however takes the form of stories from Babylonian citizens each touching on an aspect of personal finance (save 10% of your earnings, don’t rent but rather own property and invest your money wisely so it may grow etc etc)

None of this is new to me however sometimes you need a reminder to jolt you out of bad financial habits.
I can highly recommend this and will be buying it ...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 25, 2008 Aronkai rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Clason’s (22-42) "Seven Cures for a Lean Purse" chapter gives you a good overview of the book. The seven principles mentioned are the following:
1. Start thy purse to fattening
2. Control thy expenditures
3. Make thy gold multiply
4. Guard thy treasures from loss
5. Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment
6. Insure a future income
7. Increase thy ability to earn

Average American spends $ 1.22 for every dollar they make (Parker). For all the indebted people Clason (108) writes that you should save ...more

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Sep 25, 2019 Patrick Peterson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sense-of-life, history, clssics, entrepreneurship, economics, psychology, philosophy, reference, business, self-help

25 Sept. 2019 - Finally read this little classic. It had been on my "To Read" shelf for over 30 years, but a combination of factors finally got me to read it. Very glad I did. What a great little gem. So many people over the years had referred me to this, that I am embarrassed to say it took me so long to get to. However, fortunately, I had read other books and taken other wise soul's advice that covered much of this book's wisdom previously, that I was not unduly harmed by putting it off.

...more

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Jul 08, 2015 Bam cooks the books ;-) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own-it, self-help-and-creativity, book-vipers-book-hunter, 2016-reading-challenge, economics

#book-vipers-book-hunter: MAN

George S. Clason published a series of pamphlets beginning in 1926 with financial advice couched in Babylonian parables, which were later combined in book form and given the title, The Richest Man in Babylon. Very basic advice and somewhat dated and repetitious, but I can't help thinking that these 'rules' he put forth should be taught in schools as good advice for beginner's handling money.

Our financial advisor gave us two copies of this slim book for our daughters ...more

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Nov 25, 2019 Leona Carstairs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-for-school

The edition I read was a little shorter than most. This is what my teacher had to say about the missing sections.

"This edition skips the following sections in other editions: (1) An Historical Sketch of Babylon; The Man Who Desired Gold; and The Walls of Babylon. The first conveys nothing of importance about investing. It is amateur history. The second merely sets the fictional story of the main character. The third is a disguised promotion of "whole life" life insurance policies, which I do ...more

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May 10, 2011 Chad Warner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Chad by: Open for Business podcast

Shelves: finance, self-help

This book teaches timeless financial wisdom in the form of fictitious parables set in ancient Babylon. I found the stories entertaining and the financial lessons as valid today as they were in Babylon millennia ago.

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but that doesn’t lessen the value of the simple financial basics: pay yourself first (at least 10%), live on less than you earn, get advice from financially competent people, and put your money to work through cautious investing.

The book recommends ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 RC1140 rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Meh , that is the best way to describe this book. This may be due to the fact that everything that was disucssed is fairly common knowledge and most people practice these concepts or know to practice these concepts. They may not have been common at the time, but doent explain how this book has such a high rating. The concepts being wrapped in a 'theme' of sorts just made it harder to follow along at times since the style or writing is quite old. The age of this book shows it self even more by ...more

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Oct 27, 2014 Arash Narchi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 2015

Horribly written and hard to follow. Maybe would have been a good read in 1927.

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Mar 05, 2012 Jeffrey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: business

OK, I didn't even finish the book because I've heard it all before. Besides, here it's told in a story which is nice if you need to know about how to acquire money, keep it, and make your money earn more money, especially if this is your first book on the topic, find the topic boring, and need a story to entertain to get it across. This is just one of thousands of books that speaks on this material. I found it rather repetitive and corny in its story form. Other books you might be interested in OK, I didn't even finish the book because I've heard it all before. Besides, here it's told in a story which is nice if you need to know about how to acquire money, keep it, and make your money earn more money, especially if this is your first book on the topic, find the topic boring, and need a story to entertain to get it across. This is just one of thousands of books that speaks on this material. I found it rather repetitive and corny in its story form. Other books you might be interested in that are more fact based and driven are Secrets to Creating Wealth: Learn How to Create Outrageous Wealth with Only Two Pennies to Rub Together; Think and Grow Rich; The Science of Getting Rich, How to Get What You Want; Secrets of the Millionaire Mind; on and on.

Like I said, there have been thousands of books written on the topic. Why this one is so popular, not sure. It has been around a long time, first published in 1926 and re-printed a dozen times; it's a very short, easy read, and, like I said, it's in story form. So maybe all that adds to it, but I'd rather just have the facts. I don't need story. When things are written like this and I'm looking for information, I have a tendency to skip around a lot. Or, like in this case, just drop it after a few dozen pages because I've heard this stuff many times before.

If you don't know much about the topic, I say give it a read through. But be warned, it is not the end all and cure all on such a complex topic. To understand any topic of complexity you have to read many books, for there is author bias, blind spots (few of us know it all), and complexity. Few books can cover all angles well. But to give you an idea about what this book covers, here it is:

1) Start thy purse to fattening - save/invest
2) Control thy expenditures - watch out for self serving brokers
3) Make thy gold mutiply - use powerful investments
4) Guard thy treasures from loss - watch out for brokers with
their hot tips.
5) Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment - rental properties, your own home---but stay within your means.
6) Insure a future income - do work that you love to do. Become excellent at it.
7) Increase thy ability to earn - education never stops. Keep reading good books like this one, The Millionaire Next Door, Rich Dad Poor Dad and so on.

But anyone who has made money will tell you, there's much more to it than just what is stated here. Also much depends on the individual: talents, gifts, upbringing, mental maturity and stability, focus, ability to deal with and prosper from failure, motivation, on and on. Many have read books, gone to seminars, listened to CDs, watched DVDs, got it all, got it all down pat but never do anything with it. If it was that easy to make money and get rich, most would be doing it. There is a LOT that is not covered here. Another point to consider that there are as many ways to gain riches as there are people to gain them. YOU have your road map to riches and wealth within you; it is a very individual based path. But when all is said and done, if you just focus on money, you've missed the point all together. Peace! ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Gabriela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It teaches the values of saving, overcoming poor habits such as procrastination & being able to take advantage of opportunities

The Richest Man In Babylon by George Clason was originally written in 1926. Through the narratives of Bansir, and his broke musician friend, we can see the standard folk who try to figure out how to get out of debt, the salary slavery and to finally attain wealth. Clason also uses the narrative of the richest man in Babylon Arkad who was initially poor but later ...more

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Jan 18, 2019 Begüm Saçak rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A great, brief book on how to manage personal finances and lead a financially stable life. The story of Babylonians and how they managed to master their financial skills make this book relevant to today's world. The recommendations are given in such a way that anyone from any financial background can apply them easily. Useful book! I wish I had read it when I was younger.

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Jul 23, 2012 Izwan Zakaria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: finance

This tiny book is a classic. It is a classic because it tells you a classic story about the most important thing anybody should know about finance ie The Golden Rule of Saving.

The language is biblical yet so easy to understand. Excellent read.

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Sep 27, 2012 Mariam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: business, classics, money-and-finance, human-development, fiction, my-private-library

A great little book I've read umpteen times. It reads beautifully and is packed with wisdom, truth, great knowledge, and profound insights.

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Jan 22, 2017 Parth Agrawal rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"If determination is there, ways can be found"

This classic poetic map, helping us to discover and reap the treasure of finances, teaches through tales one can only imagine to be too idealistic to be true at the face of it. Cardinal rules, conjured even before the birth of Christ, will take you through the world of trade, money and gold in ever so entertaining ways beyond one's wildest imaginations.

The rules have stood the test of time as it has been documented at the end of the book that how the "If determination is there, ways can be found"

This classic poetic map, helping us to discover and reap the treasure of finances, teaches through tales one can only imagine to be too idealistic to be true at the face of it. Cardinal rules, conjured even before the birth of Christ, will take you through the world of trade, money and gold in ever so entertaining ways beyond one's wildest imaginations.

The rules have stood the test of time as it has been documented at the end of the book that how the archaeologists who found the clay tablets upon which these rules were documented practiced these rules and were able to gain control of their finances in ways incomprehensible to them before. They used these ways and were surprised to see the results as they simultaneously built on their corpus, returned back their loans with due diligence and also comfortably carried on with their daily needs being met periodically without a hitch.

Now the burning question- What the hell are these rules which even after 8000 years hold ground? Well there are umpteen of them in the book but some of them one must be exposed to so as to feel the golden rub off:p so here comes:-

1) You should always pay yourself no less than one tenth of whatever you earn. I know some of you might be feeling disappointed but that's true guys. Life is simple and coming to simple conclusions only will bring in sense to your life. The first question that I had in my mind after reading this was that if I'm getting the whole income, what is the meaning of paying one tenth of whatever I earn to myself? Well to clear the smoke on that, your expenses on things such as rent, food, objects etc don't count as a payment to yourself because they go as they come. These things should be accounting to 70% of your salary. There is an assumption here that everyone must be having some or the other obligations to fulfill so 20% should be kept for that whereas the last 10% should be kept only for you.

2) Control thy expenditures. There is a big difference between your burning desires and fleeting wishes that keep you enslaved on a daily basis. These are the very vicious wishes that leads one's boat to the rocks of loss and remorse. This is a very difficult part as differentiating between the two is the first step towards controlling your expenditures. One way to evaluate between the two is to imagine whatever you wish for and ask yourself how would your life be affected if this wish is not fulfilled and if the answer is 'nothing much' then it is not worth pursuing.

3) Multiply thy gold. If your money doesn't earn money for you then it is speaking to you in a language you don't understand. Consider money as your employee which will give birth to kids which will further work to produce more kids unless you have a big army such that in-Toto they become river of gold for the rest of your life. Money kept idle is a wasted ammunition and as we all know idle money looses its value faster than we know.

Fickle Fate, as many people claim, is the name of the game in earning money but whosoever has fallen into the clutches of this goddess has seldom lived to tell the story. Opportunity my friends is a gorgeous goddess who pays visit to all but the problem is she is impatient and doesn't like to waste her time for those who are unprepared. The time has come to ask oneself- "Do we have the soul of a slave or of a free-man?" at the end of the day we are nothing but the choices that we have made:)
...more

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Sep 10, 2015 Amir Tesla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: wealth, favorites

A very sound book leaving you with a feeling that resembles having a genuine touch on the ancient wisdom.

There are several principles being suggested on the book regarding a wealthy path wrapped in story telling of wise men of that time.

Another interesting thing for me as someone who's native tongue is not english was an old form of the English that was being used long long ago.

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend to anyone who is determined to form her/his thoughts around shooting for ...more

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Apr 16, 2017 Travis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: finance

Written in 1926 yet still very relevant today. Provides good life lesson .

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Dec 25, 2010 Melissa Yael Winston rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: financial

This is a short one, but it offers familiar yet indispensable tips on money management. Told in the clunky language of fables, Clason tells 10 tales of men in ancient Babylon and the secrets they (and the city itself) used to acquire great wealth in the ancient world. Some tales and tips are redundant (which also serves to show how little mankind changes over the millenia), so the following are highlights:

"Seven Cures for a Lean Purse," my favorite tale, told by Arkad, the Richest Man in This is a short one, but it offers familiar yet indispensable tips on money management. Told in the clunky language of fables, Clason tells 10 tales of men in ancient Babylon and the secrets they (and the city itself) used to acquire great wealth in the ancient world. Some tales and tips are redundant (which also serves to show how little mankind changes over the millenia), so the following are highlights:

"Seven Cures for a Lean Purse," my favorite tale, told by Arkad, the Richest Man in Babylon:

1. Start thy purse to fattening: In this and other tales, this first tip, saving, takes a prominent place. "For every ten coins thou placest within thy purse take out for use but nine. Thy purse will start to fatten at once and its increasing weight will feel good in thy hand and bring satisfaction to thy soul"(27). Arkad says the same thing in other tales, as do other speakers in the book. A variation: "A part of all you earn is yours to keep"(21). I especially like that Clason, through Arkad, points out that paying oneself first (as I've heard modern financial writes put it) brings "satisfaction to thy soul." Saving, like giving, is more character-building than it is financial. The sense of looking after oneself and one's family, if applicable, gives a person the strength to keep pushing to pay off debt, increase financial security, and work hard to accomplish both.
2. Control thy expenditures: "That what each of us calls our 'necessary expenses' will always grow to equal our incomes unless we protest to the contrary"(29). It's good to know that the truism "I'll never make enough money" was likely as true in ancient Babylon as it is today. The trick is not to develop an attitude of entitlement over the things one cannot afford--and then spend money one does not have. "Budget then thy necessary expenses. Touch not the one-tenth that is fattening thy purse. Let this be thy great desire that is being fulfilled. Keep working with thy budget, keep adjusting it to help thee. Make it thy first assistant in defending thy fattening purse"(30). I LIKE that perspective on a budget, as an ASSISTANT to achieving great wealth.
3. Make thy gold multiply: Put one's money to work through investments. Think of the old cliche "when you're poor, you work for your money; when you're rich, your money works for you."
4. Guard thy treasures from loss: When investing, make sure to guard the principal and collect a fair return on investment. Consult with those knowledgeable in investing to find such investments.
5. Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment. In other words, own one's own home. Not only do properties usually increase in value, this cure, too, offers more psychological benefit than financial--owning one's own home allows one to have a stable place to rear a family and a peaceful place to take respite before continuing one's work of building wealth.
6. Insure a future income: "Therefore do I say that it behooves a man to make preparation for a suitable income in the days to come, when he is no longer young, and to make preparations for his family should he be no longer with them to comfort and support them"(37). Save for retirement. Buy life insurance if one has dependents.
7. Increase thy ability to earn: "Cultivate thy own powers, to study and become wiser, to become more skillful, to so act as to respect thyself. Thereby shalt thou acquire confidence in thyself to achieve thy carefully considered desires"(42). Another healthy way to look at making money. Increasing one's earning potential by KNOWING MORE of one's craft not only increases earning potential, it increases self-respect.
Other tales that jumped out at me:
In "Meet the Goddess of Good Luck" (43-58), procrastination comes under attack. Procrastination is as much of an enemy in one's finances as it is in all other areas of life. "The spirit of procrastination is within all men. We desire riches; yet, how often when opportunity doth appear before us, that spirit of procrastination from within doth urge various delays in our acceptance. In listening to it we do become our own worst enemies"(55). That's a good phrase to remember: Procrastination makes us our own worst enemies!!! The other side of the coin is that those who take action (the non-procrastinators) curry the favor of the goddess of good luck.
In "The Gold Lender of Babylon" (74-88), a spearmaker who has just received a large sum of money for his work for the king goes to a prominent money lender to ask his advice as to whether or not the spearmaker should lend this sum to his brother-in-law. The money lender helps the spearmaker determine what sorts of investments are sound and which are unwise. The financial need of a friend or family member may cause one to feel pity for that person, but that does not mean a loan or an investment is a wise choice to help that person out. "If you desire to help thy friend, do so in a way that will not bring thy friend's burden upon thyself"(78). Id est, don't co-sign on a loan. As if that didn't hit close enough to home, add to that the statement, "Humans in the throes of great emotions are not safe risks for the gold lender"(80). Lending to those in desperate straits is rarely a good idea, as one must consider the behavior that got them there and/or could keep them there. Seeking advice on sound investments and putting one's money only in those investments guards against loss of wealth and regret.
"The Luckiest Man in Babylon" (118-137) lauds the virtues of work. "Some men hate [work]. They make it their enemy. Better to treat it like a friend, make thyself like it. Don't mind because it is hard. If thou thinkest about what a good house thou build, then who cares if the beams are heavy and it is far from the well to carry the water for the plaster.... Remember, work, well-done, does good to the man who does it. It makes him a better man"(125-126). Again, finances cannot be divorced from character and well-being. Working, saving, making wise investments, controlling spending, and not procrastinating build wealth, and more importantly, each one also builds character.
I would have liked to see the book also address charitable giving. That, too, is an important financial and character-building step.
Overall, a good read. ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Jeff rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An older friend recommended this book to me in 2004. I finally got around to reading it. I'm glad I did. It's a quick, although sometimes quirky, read.

It helps to realize that the book was really a collection of pamphlets distributed in the 1920's by banks and insurance companies. This explains a little bit of its bias, but I think the advice is still sound.

The book is set in ancient Babylon that begins with Bansir, a chariot maker, commiserating with his broke friend (a lyre player). They can't ...more

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About George S. Clason

George S. Clason

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George Samuel Clason, also known as George S. Clason. George Samuel Clason was born in Louisiana, Missouri, and died in Napa, California.

During his eighty two years he was a soldier, businessman and writer. He served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War.

Clason started two companies, the Clason Map Company of Denver Colorado and the Clason Publishing Company. The Clason Map ...more