The Richest Man in Babylon
George S. Clason
Description
Beloved by millions, this timeless classic holds the key to all you desire and everything you wish to accomplish. This is the book that reveals the secret to personal wealth.
The Success Secrets of the Ancients— An Assured Road to Happiness and Prosperity.
Countless readers have been helped by the famous ‘Babylonian parables’, hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In language as simple as that found in the Bible, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. Acclaimed as a modern-day classic, this celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of—and a solution to—your personal financial problems that will guide you through a lifetime. This is the book that holds the secrets to keeping your money—and making more.
Key words: Success, Wealth, Happiness
To read reviews of this book visit Goodreads
My Notes
Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding.
Arkad must know how to make an income for himself.
Makest me realise the reason why we have never found any measure of wealth. We never sought it.
Learn more, that way we may prosper more. With a new understanding we shall find honourable ways to accomplish our desires.
I decided that if I was to achieve what I desired, time and study would be required.
As for study, our wise teacher teaches us that learning was of two kinds: the one kind being the things we learned and knew, and the other being the training that taught us how to find out what we did not know.
Advice is one thing that is freely given away but watch that you take only that is worth having.
Counsel with wise men. Seek the advice of men who’s daily work is handling money.
A small return and a safe one is far more desirable than risk.
Why should so few men be able to acquire all the gold? Because they know how, replied the Chancellor. One may not condemn a man for succeeding because he knows how.
Which desirest thou the most? Is it the gratification of the desires each day; the jewel, a bit of finery, better raiment, more food; things quickly gone and forgotten? Or is it substantial belongings, gold, lands, herds, merchandise, income bringing investments?
A man’s wealth is not in the coins he carries in his purse; it is in the income he builds, the golden stream that continually flows into his purse that keeps it bulging. That is what every man desires – an income that continues to come whether you work or travel.
Every owner of gold is tempted by opportunities whereby it would seem that he could make large sums by its investment in plausible projects.
The first sound principle of investment is security for thy principle.
Be not misled by thy own romantic desires to make wealth rapidly.
Better by far to consult the wisdom of those experienced in handling money for profit.
Guard thy treasure from loss by investing only where the principle is safe, where it may be reclaimed if desirable and where thou will not fail to collect a fair rental. Consult with wise men. Secure the advice of those experienced in the profitable handling of gold. Let their wisdom protect thy treasure from unsafe investments.
No man cannot afford to insure a treasure for his old age and the protection of his family, no matter how prosperous his business and his investments may be.
Provide in advance for the needs of thy growing age and the protection of thy family.
First in small sums, then in larger ones as a man learns and becomes more capable. Therefore, did I determine that I would be exceeded by none. Nor did it take long for me to discover the reason for their greater success. More interest in my work, more concentration upon my task, more persistence in my effort, and, behold, few men could carve more tablets in a day than I. With reasonable promptness my increased skill was rewarded, nor was it necessary for me to go six times to my master to request recognition.
"The more of wisdom we know, the more we may earn. That man who seeks to learn more of his craft shall be richly rewarded. If he is an artisan, he may seek to learn the methods and the tools of those most skilful in the same line. If he laboureth at the law or at healing, he may consult and exchange knowledge with others of his calling. If he be a merchant, he may continually seek better goods that can be purchased at lower prices. "Always do the affairs of man change and improve because keen-minded men seek greater skill that they may better serve those upon whose patronage they depend. Therefore, I urge all men to be in the front rank of progress and not to stand still, lest they be left behind.
"Thus the seventh and last remedy for a lean purse is to cultivate thy own powers, to study and become wiser, to become more skilful, to so act as to respect thyself. Thereby shalt thou acquire confidence in thyself to achieve thy carefully considered desires.
"A wise start," broke in Arkad. "We meet here to consider all sides of each question. To ignore the gaming table would be to overlook an instinct common to most men, the love of taking a chance with a small amount of silver in the hope of winning much gold."
Good luck waits to come to the man who accepts opportunity.
"Thank you! I like to speak, also." A stranger from another country arose. "I am a Syrian. Not so well do I speak your tongue. I wish to call this friend, the merchant, a name. Maybe you think it not polite, this name. Yet I wish to call him that. But, alas, I not know your word for it. If I do call it in Syrian, you will not understand. Therefore, please some good gentlemen, tell me that right name you call man who puts off doing those things that mighty good for him." "Procrastinator," called a voice. "That's him," shouted the Syrian, waving his hands excitedly, "he accepts not opportunity when she comes. He waits. He says I have much business right now. By and by I talk to you. Opportunity, she will not wait for such slow fellow.
"But I was stubborn and refused to make payment that night. Next morning, before I awoke, the city gates opened, and four buyers rushed out in search of flocks. They were most eager and willing to pay high prices because the city was threatened with siege, and food was not plentiful. Nearly three times the price at which he had offered the flock to me did the old farmer receive for it. Thus, was rare good luck allowed to escape." "Here is a tale most unusual," commented Arkad. "What wisdom doth it suggest?" "The wisdom of making a payment immediately when we are convinced our bargain is wise'
I learned that to attract good luck to oneself, it is necessary to take advantage of opportunities.
The truth is this: Good luck can be enticed by accepting opportunity.
Men of action are favoured by the goddess of good luck
"A bag heavy with gold or a clay tablet carved with words of wisdom; if thou hadst thy choice; which wouldst thou choose?"
"Just so it is with the sons of men. Give them a choice of gold and wisdom—what do they do? Ignore the wisdom and waste the gold. On the morrow they wail because they have no more gold. "Gold is reserved for those who know its laws and abide by them."
The 5 laws of gold
Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put by not less than one-tenth or his earnings to create an estate for his future and that or his family.
Gold laboureth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field.
Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.
Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar, or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep.
Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.
'In due time, I was accepted as a member of this same group in other ventures. They were men wise in the profitable handling of gold. They talked over each plan presented with great care, before entering upon it. They would take no chance on losing their principal or tying it up in unprofitable investments from which their gold could not be recovered.
'This I do to prove to thee, my father, of how much greater value I consider thy wisdom than thy gold. Yet, who can measure in bags of gold, the value of wisdom?
Wealth that stayeth to give enjoyment and satisfaction to its owner comes gradually, because it is a child born of knowledge and persistent purpose.
"Gold, indeed, is a willing worker. It is ever eager to multiply when opportunity presents itself. To every man who hath a store of gold set by, opportunity comes for its most profitable use. As the years pass, it multiplies itself in surprising fashion."
"Gold, indeed, clingeth to the cautious owner, even as it flees the careless owner. The man who seeks the advice of men wise in handling gold soon learneth not to jeopardise his treasure, but to preserve in safety and to enjoy in contentment its consistent increase."
Therefore, the inexperienced owner of gold who trusts to his own judgment and invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar, too often finds his judgment imperfect, and pays with his treasure for his inexperience. Wise, indeed, is he who investeth his treasures under the advice of men skilled in the ways of gold."
If you desire to help thy friend, do so in a way that will not bring thy friend's burdens upon thyself."
That humans in the throes of great emotions are not safe risks for the gold lender. Gold, you see, Rodan, is the merchandise of the lender of money. It is easy to lend. If it is lent unwisely then it is difficult to get back. The wise lender wishes not the risk of the undertaking but the guarantee of safe repayment.
Seek to associate thyself with men and enterprises whose success is established that thy treasure may earn liberally under their skilful use and be guarded safely by their wisdom and experience.
Better a little caution than a great regret
The walls of Babylon were an outstanding example of man's need and desire for protection. This desire is inherent in the human race. It is just as strong today as it ever was, but we have developed broader and better plans to accomplish the same purpose. In this day, behind the impregnable walls of insurance, savings accounts and dependable investments, we can guard ourselves against the unexpected tragedies that may enter any door and seat themselves before any fireside.
We cannot afford to be without adequate protection
The hungrier one becomes, the clearer one's mind works—also the more sensitive one becomes to the odours of food.
Ill fortune pursues every man who thinks more of borrowing than of repaying.
Being young and without experience I did not know that he who spends more than he earns is sowing the winds of needless self-indulgence from which he is sure to reap the whirlwinds of trouble and humiliation.
Have I the soul of a slave or the soul of a free man?
We found the trail to Babylon because the soul of a free man looks at life as a series of problems to be solved and solves them, while the soul of a slave whines, 'What can I do who am but a slave?'
Where the determination us, the way can be found
Yet it is a plan that has made my success.
Remember work well done, does good to the man who does it.
