The Richest Man in Babylon is a personal finance book written by renowned financial adviser and entrepreneur George Samuel Clason. The book basically dispenses simple yet useful financial advice through a set of stories and parables set in the glamorous city of ancient Babylon.
Clason started the idea of creating such a useful financial tool in the late 1920s – just a few years before the onset of the Great Depression. It was first introduced as a series of pamphlets distributed by banks and other financial institutions. Shortly, the unprecedented success of those comic-like episodes fueled the making of the book.
Since then, the Richest Man in Babylon has influenced and shaped the minds of millions around the world.
Basically, the book relates the story of how successful Babylonian people primarily Arkad, generate such massive wealth. However, there’s a great disparity between the rich and the poor of Babylon. The first chapter centered on Bansir and his financial problems, despite his hard work, Bansir was constantly broke – a conflict of man vs man.
Each troubled man in the story faces a struggle against himself, against his desire to obtain wealth and achieve the freedom and prosperity that money can provide. Moreover, the book heavily relies on profound financial wisdom, introducing it in the most comprehensible and interesting manner a written account could get.
Arkad, the unofficial financial guru of Babylon, seems to be a man of great knowledge – well, at least a cut above the Robert Kiyosaki and Suze Orman of our times. Arkad knew the basic laws and principles of wealth building and he generously shares such valuable knowledge to those who seek for them.
First and foremost, advice given out by Arkad is saving. Unfortunately, the value of saving isn’t actually realized by many. Arkad continues his lecture with the concepts of living below one’s means, seeking advice from those who are competent through their own experiences, and making money work for one’s self.
The first thing that is noticeable with the Richest Man in Babylon is its simplicity. It was written in a freewheeling style that tells thing as it is. Nevertheless, the book succeeded in highlighting the finer points of personal finance – the things that had been repeated over and over again.
Did I mention that the starting point of money-making techniques is well, a genuine desire, a strong will and a great longing to achieve riches? If not – I already did.
The Richest Man in Babylon was right from the start; it roots deep from one’s inner precepts, the first part of “being” is “dreaming,” and I can’t agree more.
The mere difference of this book with the other personal finance books written by “self-proclaimed financial genius” of this great recession is the way it was presented. I admire the ingenuity of Clason in experimenting with such ancient theme and incorporating it with such civilized knowledge.
It was quite a gutsy move. Hence, it paid off big time. If I was to choose one word to describe the Richest Man in Babylon, I’ll definitely choose the word, “practical.”
It’s a no-nonsense, straight to the point book that teaches the basic principles of turning zeros into heroes, peasants to princes and rags to riches.