the richest man in atherstone

I'm between journal entries at the moment.

I've been busy researching money-making ideas and running trials with those that I thought were worthy of testing after due diligence. But until the trials are finished, unfortunately I have nothing to report.

So, I thought I'd fill the void with a run-down of my top three favourite books. Usually, when I've read a book I toss it aside and it either gathers dust in a cupboard or earns me a few quid from eBay. Occasionally, I'll come across a book that I think deserves a second read because I feel that I haven't grasped the points the author is trying to convey. Very rarely, I discover a tome that I can read time and time again without getting bored and learning something new each time. The books I present below fall into this latter category.

In third place is Dale Carnegie's 'How to Win Friends & Influence People'. I think that maybe this book especially appeals to me because, I am not a particularly sociable person.

A few years ago, I was having a lot of difficulties maintaining cordial relationships with colleagues and acquaintances, in part because one of my core values is honesty - I very rarely lie about anything - and also because I didn't understand other people particularly well.

This book came to my rescue. I learned how to look at things from other people's point of view, how to handle different types of people, how to motivate and lead and how to communicate effectively. In short, my people skills improved one hundredfold and what's more I wasn't being untruthful and I didn't feel as though I were manipulating my fellow (wo)man.

Although the title does sound very shallow, the text is very deep and informative and has developed my personal skills and improved the way I feel about myself. It has had a significant and positive effect on my life.

Taking second place is Napoleon Hill's 'Think & Grow Rich'. This book has taught me the true power and enormity of the human mind. If you want to learn how to get anything you want whether it be money, a new car or even a beach house in the Bahamas this book shows you how to achieve your desires.

Although it did take a few reads for me to open myself up to the ideas presented in the book, the text was inspiring enough to keep me entertained throughout. To fully appreciate the wisdom within does require both an open mind and a 'leap of faith' because the theory and methods do seem to be nothing less than magical but for a reason unknown to me, they do seem to work.

It is not a quick and easy guide to riches - I'm not a multi-millionaire yet! But since implementing Hill's ideas, I've achieved more than I could have possibly imagined.

Unsurprisingly, taking the number one spot is George S. Clason's 'The Richest Man in Babylon' - the book that inspired me to start this journal. A series of short stories set in ancient Babylonia impart sound and practical advice for financial success.

I would say this is a must-read for anyone that wants to improve their financial situation. With ridiculously simple techniques such as saving 10% of your income and controlling your expenditures, Clason gives the common man the knowledge to become wealthy.

All the principals of the book are presented in story form providing an entertaining read which 'sticks' in the mind and makes it almost impossible to forget.

Since reading this book, my personal finances have improved dramatically with relatively little effort on my part. And, of course, if I hadn't discovered it, this blog wouldn't exist!

I've just finished reading a fantastic e-book about investing in UK property. I've always been a bit wary of investing in real estate for two main reasons; firstly, I thought it required a lot of cash for a deposit and secondly, if it went pear-shaped there's an awful lot of equity on the line. After reading this book, I feel a lot more comfortable about the risks.

Carlton Johnson's UK Property Success is a detailed textbook that teaches budding property developers/traders/investors about this complicated market.

It is very comprehensive, describing just about everything a beginner would need to know about investing in real estate from spotting potential properties and researching the market to financing purchases and the legal requirements of landlords.

A whole chapter is devoted to finding properties that are below market value (BMV). including leafleting and auction techniques. Similarly another chapter is devoted to financing property purchases (sometimes using none of your own money). Even credit cards are discussed as a short-term finance option.

Also included is a chapter about emulating successful people - basically it's more about success in general than specifically about the property industry - and a detailed bonus chapter about Lease Options (a contractual agreement between a landlord and tenant that means the tenant can buy the property they live in at a set price at a specified future date).

Putting your own professional team together of a solicitor, leasing agent, tradesmen etc. is also discussed in detail.

The book is easy to read - I read all 130 pages in a shade over 2 hours - and every paragraph has relevant information about the subject matter. There's no waffling and very little repetition. In fact the points that are repeated are essential foundations to the reader's understanding of property investment.

I felt that the principles Carlton Johnson teaches are all ethical and that he despises unethical behaviour.

I really enjoyed reading this book and felt as though I learned an awful lot about investing in property. The author's methods of buying property with no money down were of particular interest to me and I am now convinced that the risks associated with property investment are not as high as I previously thought (as long as I get my sums right). Buying real estate is now something that I am very seriously considering as an investment vehicle.

UK Property Success costs $35 USD (around £18) and could easily be worth 100 times it's price by helping the reader earn more from their property investments or preventing the reader from falling into the many pitfalls that are rife in this investment strategy. It gets a thumbs-up from me.

Click here to get your copy of UK Property Success.

Stuart Goldsmith's Midas Method is an e-book of over 100 pages that claims to teach its reader the secrets of the rich and successful.

I first came across the book around 6 month's ago and was deeply sceptical of this claim but having recently read a report by the same author (Double Your Way to a Million) and experiencing the 'magic' (for want of a better word) of the system described therein, I decided to give The Midas Method a serious try. What follows is my review of the book.

Firstly, this book does not describe a specific money-making strategy. Instead it focuses on obtaining the correct mindset for becoming successful whether financial, emotional, physical or spiritual. Ultimately, this book is about belief - belief in yourself and your abilities. Within it's pages, Goldsmith explains a proven method that can help you achieve whatever it is that you want, from money to happiness.

Establishing exactly what is required to make your dreams a reality is only a very small portion of the text. The rest of the book makes a great effort to convince you of these facts, and I think this is what separates The Midas Method from other books of a similar vein. Most of us are sceptical by nature and Goldsmith understands that simply saying something will not make others believe it.

Whereas other self-improvement publications might ask you to take certain ideas on blind faith, Goldsmith gives reasoned explanations behind his conclusions, backed up with his own personal experiences of using and developing his system.

Also included are several practical methods (again with thorough explanations) for developing the mindset that will enable you to achieve whatever your heart desires.

Conclusion
I've been using the system for a little over two moths. I'm not a millionaire yet but I feel this book has taken me a long way towards achieving my goals. So far, the system has worked great for me. I feel happier in myself and my relationships and have found that I get a lot more done and deal with difficult situations better. I've set myself a number of goals (some I considered very difficult to achieve) and have hit the target every time. The power behind the techniques is almost magical!

I have read a number of self-development books (some of them bestsellers), most of which I found dull, useless or simply unbelievable. My favourite of this genre is Napolean Hill's Think and Grow Rich. I have never written a review of Hill's book because I never fully grasped it's full power, although I did realise that I was missing the point somewhat. Having now read The Midas Method, many of the important principles of Think and Grow Rich are now much clearer to me.

Think and Grow Rich is still top of my list in this genre (expect a book review soon now I understand it). The Midas Method is a close second.

Stuart Goldsmith's Midas Method costs $19.99 from my affiliate partner and comes with a full money-back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied. I will receive $8 for each copy purchased via this link.

Much like the compilation episodes that are strung together by television series producers when they haven't got any new material this post will take a look back over the previous 12 months and summarise my achievements for 2006.

January
In the first month of the year, I had a very unsettling experience with the ICICI bank, which resulted in them losing a customer for life. Conversely, I had a very pleasant experience with the Alliance + Leicester when they gave me £150 and my mum £50 simply for opening a Premier Direct Account.

February
The only month of 2006 in which I didn't make a journal entry.

March
I learned a very valuable lesson - that I shouldn't forsake my family and friends for money. Thirty pound spent on a nice meal in the company of loved ones is a fantastic investment.

April
April saw the launch of this website into the public domain. Previously, I had been updating my journal privately but I decided to publish it to the masses in the hope it would provide useful information and an entertaining read. Additionally, in April, I realised that I had not been following Clason's advice properly which resulted in me rearranging my finances.

May
May was quite a busy month for me. The money I had saved over the previous year or so was now available for worthwhile investments, so I set about finding some. I bought Premium Bonds and dabbled in the stock market for the first time by buying shares in my ISP, Plusnet. A week or so later, I increased my stake in Plusnet. I also opened a Monthly Saver account with Lloyds TSB, as well as writing a book review of 'The Richest Man in Babylon' by George S. Clason, writing an article entitled Top Ten Tips to Increase you Wealth and talking about my money box.

June
In June, I got a GE Money Credit Card, which gives me 3% cashback when I use it to buy petrol or groceries. I also tested a gambling strategy during the FIFA World Cup.

July
My biggest achievement of the year occurred in July - I stopped smoking. And the best part was it was much easier than I thought it would be (having failed many times before). I also updated the progress of my Plusnet shares and wrote a book review of Robert Kiyosaki's 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad'.

August
I decided to analyse Warren Buffet's letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, which contain some great investment advice from arguably the world's best. The first letter I analysed was from 1977. I also decided what I would do with all the extra money I would have due to quitting smoking.

September
I analysed Warren Buffet's 1978 letter to shareholders.

October
A very busy month. I analysed Warren Buffet's 1979 letter to shareholders as well as releasing the prototypes of my Mortgage Calculator and Regular Savings Calculator to the world. I reduced my expenditures by changing my telephone provider and updated the progress of my Plusnet stock. I collected the cashback from my Morgan Stanley Credit Card and closed my A+L Premier Direct account. Finally, I began to cut down our grocery shopping bill and wrote an in-depth article on earning over £100 using Quidco.

November
In November, I continued to reduce our grocery bill as well as writing an article describing my Top Ten Tips. I had a bit of a moan about feeling constrained as I couldn't invest my money due to our house being on the market, however I did find a cracking savings account (IceSave) that I transferred my money to. November also saw me begin my 'doubling to a million' project and making my way to step 7. I also gave honourary mentions to other doublers I'd found. Click here to see all doubling posts.

December
December saw the first issue of my newsletter, I sold my Plusnet shares to BT and completed step 7 and step 8 of my 'doubling to a million' project as well as making some progress towards step 9. I described my experiment for super-unleaded petrol economics and published my financial report for 2006.

In summary, I feel I've achieved a lot over the last 12 months. It's certainly more than I achieved in 2005 and quitting smoking is one of the biggest achievements in my life.

Another year has begun and I wish you all a healthy, wealthy and happy 2007.