The Richest Man in Babylon is a book by George Samuel Clason which dispenses financial advice through a collection of parables set in ancient Babylon. Through their experiences in business and managing household finance, the characters in the parables learn simple lessons in financial wisdom. By basing these parables in ancient times, but involving situations that modern people can understand and identify with, the author presents these lessons as timeless wisdom that is as relevant today as it was back then.
The book began in 1926 as a series of informational pamphlets. Banks and insurance companies began to distribute these pamphlets, and the most famous ones were eventually compiled into this book. It was most recently reissued by Signet in 2004, and an updated version (using modern English instead of "King James" language) was issued by BN Publishing in March 2007. According to the 2002 edition book cover, more than two million copies have been sold.
Ahead of any person lies their future with ambitions and dreams. To fulfil those ambitions and realize those dreams, people need to learn how to be successful with money.
The basic principles of effective money management are:
- Save at least 10-percent of all that you earn for an investment fund for the future.
- Learn to live on 90-percent or less of your income.
- Invest your accumulated capital into projects that will provide a safe, steady income, taking full advantage of compounding of the interest received.
- Invest only in areas in which you have expertise or with people who are experienced.
- Buy the house in which you live so you don’t waste any money on rent.
- Have a realistic insurance program
- Always keep working at various ways and means of increasing your income.
The Man Who Desired Gold
Main Idea While almost everyone concedes that money isn’t everything and that there are some things money cannot buy, it is also a fact that money is the medium by which earthly success is measured. From this perspective, wealth is a scorecard by which people measure themselves.
Money represents success only through its ability to provide freedom to do things. It is not an end in and of itself - only a means to an end. The possession of sufficient amounts of capital makes possible the enjoyment of the very best services and goods the world has to offer.
Many people have convinced themselves money has a way of avoiding them like the plague. This belief is usually based on their experience in which they are always cash short and scrambling to pay bills. In actuality, however, money is plentiful for anyone who understand the laws which govern its acquisition.
To secure significant amounts of money, it is probably better to spend less time lamenting the bad luck of the past and more time focusing on the laws of acquisition of capital.
Interestingly, throughout the ages, there have always been some people who have had more money than others. Was this just a stroke of luck on their part, or are there laws that make this possible? Anyone who accepts that luck plays a major role has as good a chance as anyone else to strike the jackpot during their lifetime. However, depending on luck rather than effort also means the same person is willing to accept that nothing can be done to change whatever destiny luck allocates.
A far better approach is to believe that money can be attracted and governed by set laws and principles, and to focus on learning and applying those laws to reap the rewards.
The Richest Man in Babylon
The key principle at the very foundation of any program designed to generate wealth is at least one-tenth of all that a person earns is theirs to keep.
Anyone with a desire to accumulate wealth and put it to good use requires two things:Time
All men actually have this in abundance, but only a few put it to use making themselves wealthy. Instead of looking for constructive, useful ways to apply the resource of time, many people fill their lives with diverse activities which simply help them to pass the time.Study
There are two kinds of learning that are useful to anyone seeking to generate wealth - learning about specific subjects and learning how to find out what is not commonly known about any topic. Both kinds of learning are useful and valuable. There are several basic principles which apply to the acquisition of wealth:
1. Live on less than you earn. Most people labour to pay their bills. They feel successful when they have been able to get to the end of the month and pay all their accounts and obligations. Yet, at best, this is just treading water from the perspective of building wealth. A real change in perspective comes when a person makes a commitment to pay themselves first each month, before anyone else. It can be as much or as little as thought wise, just so long as the amount saved is one-tenth or more. The vast majority of people are accustomed to spending everything they have available. Therefore, if a person pays themselves first and then lives on the remainder of their income, their lifestyle will adjust accordingly. Before long, the person will not even be aware they are living on less, and their capital reserves will gradually increase. There is a tremendous feeling of pride, self-control and progress which comes from the establishment of a regular savings program. In everyone’s lifetime, a lot of money passes through their hands over the years. If a person will keep just a small proportion of that money, they will eventually have a sizeable pool of capital available.
2. Seek advice from those who are competent to give it through their own experiences. Once capital starts to build up, a vast array of investment opportunities will present themselves. Some of these will be genuine, some sinister, but the bulk will be doomed to failure with only a marginal chance of succeeding. The key factor in looking at any proposal is to examine the background of the people making the proposal. Have they actual experience in that field of business, or are they simply giving you an opportunity to use your capital in pursuit of their idea?
Seven Cures for a Lean Purse
1. Start thy purse to fattening2. Control thy expenditure
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
The Seven Ways of Filling Your Bag
1. Start filling your bag From every 10 coins you earn, spend only nine of them. You will see how your bag starts filling quickly. You will see that you can arreange anyway with this income and you will be earning money quickly.
2. Control your expenses What we call obligatory expenses grow in proportion of our income, if we don´t do something to avoid this. Don´t confuse your desire with your needs.
3. Make your gold fructify Make your gold work for you, then its sons and the sons of this sons. Investing your gold: Loans, oportunities. Gold multiplies fast.
4. Protect your gold from any lost If you have got gold, you will be tempted to invest in any atracctive proyect. Asure your capital. Its not true romantics make a fast fortune. Ask the wise people about what they know.
5. Make your property a rental investment If you can eat grapes from your vineyard and have a nice house its inspires you to finish your duties.
6. Asure future incomes Foresee some incomes for your old age and your family. For this porpuse you can buy lands and houses.
7. Increase your hability to adquire goods More knowledge we have, more money we earn.
The Five Laws of Gold
1.Gold comes easy and in greater cuantites to the man who safes the tenth part of his income for his future and family.
2.Gold works with speed and diligence for the wise owner that finds for it a productive use.
3.Gold mantains itself under the protection of prudent persons who invests with the counsils of wise people.
4.Gold scapes from people who invest without a pourpose in places that are not familiar.
5.Gold runs away from people who force gold to imposible profits and follows the seductive counsils of impostors.
Meet the Goddess of Good Luck
Main Idea Good luck comes to the person who accepts opportunity.Supporting Ideas Everyone hopes to attract good life in their business careers. In fact, the desire to be lucky is absolutely universal. Some people believe luck is entirely in the lap of the Gods, and that nothing one does can possibly influence the amount of luck one enjoys. In reality, however, many people have impressive opportunities presented to them which they fail to take full advantage of because of procrastination.
To attract good luck, a person must take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. The person of action, who is able to jump at whatever business propositions are presented, is in a stronger position to attract good luck than the type of person who sits back and waits for everything to be presented on a plate.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"What can a book written in the 1920s tell modern investors about their finances? A whole lot if it's George Clason's delightful set of parables that explain the basics of money. This is a great gift for a graduate or anyone who seems baffled by the world of finance and a wonderful, refreshing read for even the most experienced investor."
-Los Angeles Times
A great gift. -- Los Angeles Times
-Los Angeles Times
A great gift. -- Los Angeles Times
Product Description
THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING CLASSIC Read by millions, this timeless book holds the key to success-in the secrets of the ancients. Based on the famous "Babylonian principles," it's been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift and financial planning.ACHIEVE PERSONAL WEALTH...
This celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of-and a solution to-personal money problems.This is the original classic that reveals the secrets to acquiring money, keeping money, and making money earn even more money. Simply put: the original money-management favorite is back!
Customer Reviews
:Even better the fifth time around!, March 7, 2004
By A Customer
I first heard about this book 17 years ago. At that time, I was in a direct sales company and had the good fortune to attend a seminar conducted by a businessman named Jim Rohn.Mr. Rohn talked about his early mentor, a man named Earl Schoff and went on to tell us how Mr. Schoff turned him on to personal development and pointed him to the right books to read. One of the most important books, said Rohn was The Richest Man in Bablyon.Rohn had made and lost a fortune but came back and made another fortune and gave credit to the principles in The Richest Man in Bablyon for helping him accomplish that feat.
I read The Richest Man in Bablyon and have to admit, I hated it! I thought it was stupid, like feel good stuff that has no substance. When ever friends came over, I hid the book. I felt so ridiculous.
But Mr. Rohns words of wisdom kept echeoing in my mind. So I read it over and over untill the principles were imbedded into my conscious and subconsious mind.
Soon, after the fifth reading, the the principles became habits for me. My wealth esculated at a very rapid rate. I was no longer wasting money. I was now investing the first 10% of my income, tithing 10% and investing another 10% in capital like no load mutuals, real estate, discounted mortgages, tax liens and my own business.
The Richest Man in Bablyon has 7 basic principles:
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.
The Richest Man in Bablyon is an excellent book. Although only 145 pages, it is packed with powerful information that can be life changing. It has helped some people like Jim Rohn and others become millionaires.
George Samuel Clason was born in Louisiana, Missouri, on November 7, 1874. He attended the University of Nebraska and served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. Beginning a long career in publishing, he founded the Clason Map Company of Denver, Colorado and published the first road atlas of the United States and Canada. In 1926, he issued the first in a series of pamphlets on thrift and financial success, using parables set in ancient Bablyon to make each of his points.
These were distributed in large quantities by banks and insurance companies and became familiar to millions, the most famous being "The Richest Man in Bablyon," the parable which has impacted the lives of millions of people. These "Babylonian Parables" have become a modern inspiritional classic.
The Richest Man in Babylon is must reading for anyone who wants to achieve maximum financial success. Highly recommended.
A ONE OF A KIND CLASSIC, June 4, 1998
By A Customer
I first read "Richest Man in Bablyon bac in 1975. At first I was taken back by it's compact size and story book style. This book should be read by everyone from grade school to the college level students, employees, executives and the self employed. In todays's society, where people spend most if not all of what they make, this book is mre valuable than ever. Other books I would recommend are; "The Millionaire next Door" by Dr. Stanley et all, "More Wealth without Risk" and "Financial Self-Defense" by Charles Givens. Great book. A must read for anyone seeking financial independence, POWERFUL, VERY POWERFUL BOOK!, August 1, 1998
By A Customer
I am continually amazed at how a book so small can contain so much content and be so powerful. This book should be mandatory reading beginning at the grade school level through college and should be given as a gift right along with a diploma.I took the advice of acde1034@yahoo.com who recommended 'The Millionaire next Door" and "More Weath without Risk" and bought and have read both. Both of these books are in the same status as "The Richest Man in Bablyon" and should also be required reading by anyone who is serious about their financial future. I am now giving "Richest Man in Bablyon" as a accessory gift to a cash gift at weddings and graduations.
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