Book Review: The Richest Man in Babylon

Book Review - - The Richest Man in Babylon
By: Dr. Cheryl Cottle

The Richest Man in Babylon written by George S. Clason is one of the books that I read recently. I found a copy of it in my daughter’s library in the home she shares with her husband and two sons, and I was moved to read it and I am glad that I did. It has been very enlightening and inspirational as well, and I will like to share it with you.

It is a book primarily about how to build financial security through “financial understanding.” If you don’t understand how to achieve financial wealth, it is difficult to build financial success. The author talks about building prosperity and suggests that the prosperity of a society is dependent upon the “personal financial prosperity of each of us as individuals.” These are his opening words of his book.

The book deals with the personal success of each person and the author suggests that:

Success means accomplishments as the result of our own efforts and abilities. Proper preparation is the key to success. Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding.

The author provides a way to build your financial dreams by recommending that you should safe one third of your earnings each time and after a while, you would gain the nest egg that you so which to achieve. He also suggests that once you have acquired your wealth, you should also understand how to invest your money wisely, because a bad investment will result in the loss of it.

The book is highly inspirational as it also provides insights on how to be empowered. The author's useful tips on the power of discernment, negotiation, respect and valuing others, asking for what you want, and taking action, are some of the values and attitudes that he suggests that we adopt, if we are too gain the wealth that we need to live life purposefully and with abundance. These are some of the things that I have adopted after reading The Richest Man in Babylon,and integrated into my approach to life and living; and they have proved to be effective.

The book is an easy read. The language is simple with beautiful imagery. It is written in a story-like form. Once you start to read it, it is not easy to put down! The book provides a way of moving from dreaming of wealth to the acquisition of wealth. How much money have you earned in the years since you have been working and still don’t have much to show? Have you been dreaming of wealth but still remains cash poor? Read, The Richest Man in Babylon, and your dreams may just become a reality. If you have been experiencing the lack of a “fat purse” and will like to change your circumstances, take a read. The book provides some “honorable ways” on how to build the wealth that you want.

Notes: Since it first publication in 1988, there has been over 2 million books in print to today.

Clason, George S. (1988) The Richest Man in Babylon, New American Library, Penguin Book USA Inc., New York.



I also added another book that I also read that I think is similar to The Richest Man in Babylon and can be of great help in enlightening you. It is The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandido.

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Author:
Dr. Cheryl Cottle is an educator and the Chief Consultant of Cottle's Professional Consulting. Cottle's Professional Consulting has a multidisciplinary portfolio. She conducts training in curriculum teaching and learning, as well as computer technology and the implementation of computers in the workplace. In addition, Dr. Cottle is also a coach and mentor in areas of professional and business development. She also manages a woman's online forum for business women globally at CPC Women in Business  To learn more about her consultancy and to contact her go to: http://www.drcottle.com/