Even better the fifth time around! Mar 7, 2004 (174 of 179 found this helpful)
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.
Don't judge this book by it's size Feb 5, 2004 (111 of 113 found this helpful)
When I first was introduced to The Richest Man in Bablyon, I was initially taken back by it's small size and wierd story. In fact, I didn't see any benefit to wasting my time with this, what appeared to be, novel by Mr. Clason.
I was at a free enterprise seminar that day where the book was being offered. At the seminar I met a very interesting individual who was touting the merits of this book. He told me that this book, The Richest Man in Bablyon was a must read for anyone who wants financial success and peace of mind.
He talked about tithing. I didn't understand tithing at that time. I felt that I was the one who needed to recieve money, not give it. This man told me that the more I gave away, the more that would return to me. Try it, he said.
So I tried it--tithing. I increased my contributions to my church
and I came across a girl scout selling girl scout cookies. Normally I would have refused this young lady, this time I didn't.
I also began investing the first 10% of my income and paid myself first. What happened.
At first nothing. But shortly afterwards opportunities started to come to me. I went from deeply in debt to out of debt. I went from a 4 year old Ford Pinto to a new Mercury Monarch. I increased my tithings. 3 months later my business had grown even more and now I was driving a Lincoln Mark V (this was in 1977)
The principles in this book work. Don't let the size of this book fool you. Great book that really works--if you use it.