the richest man in atherstone

Title: The Richest Man in Babylon
Author: George S. CLason
ISBN: 1-930097-44-1
Publisher: Lushena Books

I've been meaning to write a review of the book that inspired this website for a while now but haven't gotton around to it. I've read it cover-to cover thrice but every time I sit down to type out my critique, my mind goes blank. It must be what writers refer to as mental block.

Growing weary of my failed attempts, I decided to sit down with the book again, a notepad at my side and read it again, this time jotting down anything I thought might inpire me or jog my memory when it came to writing the review. I'm glad to report, the plan was successful and I can finally tick this task off my todo list...

Lo, money is plentiful for those who understand the simple rules of its acquisition.

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason is a collection of parables set in ancient Babylonia, which tell the stories of various characters as they learn how to acquire money, keep money and make more money from any surplesses they have.

By reading these tales, the reader obtains a timeless knowledge of financial principles that are as true today as they were when the stories were written (originally in pamphlet form) back in 1926 as well as over 3000 years ago (the period that the stories are set).

Clason uses his stories to subtly explain a myriad of financial tenats as well as showing how they have been put into action and the results of following the advice, albeit in a fictional world.

"A part of all I earn is mine to keep."

From the first chapter, Clason explains how desire for wealth is a key part to its acquisition before going on to explain how any individual can build up their own personal wealth to help them lead a fuller and happier life and provide themselves an income for the future. Additionally, a couple of the stories are based on characters who are in debt and wish to increase their wealth and pay off their creditors at the same time.

"If you pay for all you buy and then pay some of what you owe, that is better than you have done, for ye ain't paid down the account none in three years."

The fables are enjoyable to read in themselves, which makes the book all the more valuable for someone wishing to learn about personal finance without being confronted by text that is dull and boring. The style of writing includes what I call 'olde worlde' speech, which means there are a lot of 'thees', 'thous' and 'arts', however I still found the book easy to read in one sitting. Being a mere 157 pages, it is easy enough to read in a few hours but never fails to get the points across. The price (under a fiver) seems to reflect the low number of pages compared to other books in the genre but don't be decieved - less pages does not mean less content. Personally, I would rather read a short book that gets the message across clearly than a long book that hides its tenats behind pages of waffle. The Richest Man in Babylon achieves the former admirably.

Unfortunately the copy has a number of spelling mistakes that one would assume the publishers would have sorted out by now (after all, it has been 90 years since first published). I should add that a number of re-publications exist, which may have addressed this issue.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone that has a keen interest in their own personal finances and wishes to make their purse fatter. It is the most inspirational book that I have ever read on the subject, which is why I created this website.