The Richest Man in Babylon

Better Financial Control, Better Quality of Life

This book was recommended by Jim Rohn in a speech I listened to and I have so much admiration for him I instantly hopped on audible and picked this up. The parable format was perfect for an audiobook and I've already listened through a few times.

I can't say anything in this book is outside the realm of common knowledge, but a lot of times I don't need to learn something new, I just need to be reminded of those core fundamentals, and if I'm not doing them- start!

The 7 Cures for a Lean Purse discussed in the book:

Start thy purse to fattening
Control thy expenditures
Make thy gold multiply
Guard thy treasure from loss
Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment
Insure a future income
Increase thy ability to earn

The one that has been the biggest game changer for me has been "Start thy purse to fattening-" saving 10% of my income. I've always heard "pay yourself first," but I always felt like if I did that I wouldn't have the money to pay my bills. If I had money left over after paying all of my bills I'd save that.

Guess what? There's always something else to spend on so I wasn't saving much.

This book inspired me to just try it, and the results have been huge for me. Not huge in terms of my bank account, but more with my attitude towards money. Shortly after starting the process of setting aside 10%, I started to feel in control of the money instead of the money being in control of me.

I think the mental shift has to do with when you spend everything, there's never enough. As soon as you start setting aside that 10% your mentality shifts from there never being enough to, "Of course there is enough. I don't even have to spend everything I earn and I'm doing just fine." I don't know if that makes sense. I think it shifts your subconscious from the scarcity mindset to a prosperity mindset.

Fringe benefits with 10% of my income being mine to keep, is that potential negative life events (worries) don't hold the same power over me because I have a little cash reserve that's growing every paycheck. If I get a cavity, blow out my knee, lose my job, have car problems, they'll still all be unfortunate and stressful, but they won't send me into crisis mode.

Typing this I'm thinking about a quote from Mark Twain, “I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” The mental benefits of saving calm a lot of my worries and let me focus on more productive thoughts. If they never happen I'll be glad I didn't waste my time worrying and if they do, I'll be in a position financially to deal with them.

This has been my long winded way of saying, buy the book. You won't regret it. If you already know it all, it will be good to go through the checklist and make sure you're actually doing it. If you're new to the study of personal finance, this book hits on the fundamentals and would be a great place to start.

137 of 141 people found this review helpful

One of the best books on personal finances

At age 75 first reading of this book for me would be useless for me, but it is far from my first reading. First released in 1926 THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON is a true classic. The first of Clauson's seven cures for a lean purse is the best advice of all: Start thy Purse to Fattening (by saving at least 10% of all earnings). The story woven by Clausen is superb. I'm not going to write a detailed review but will refer the reader to the excellent 8/31/2014 review of Will of Kyle, Texas which is at the top of reviews.

The 1996 book The Millionaire Next Door by Stanley and Danko has an even simpler and just as effective message of Live Below Your Means. My advice to those much younger than I is to listen to both books for the best financial advice you will ever receive.

25 of 25 people found this review helpful

"My Favorite Finance Book of All Time!"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. This book helped change my financial life. It's hard to imagine that a fictional work of stories and parables could be so inspirational and enlightening. I can't wait to read it again!

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?

Arkad was my favorite character. His lectures to men, teaching them the "seven cures for a lean purse" was so simple and true, that it escaped the men of his time, just as it escapes people today.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from The Richest Man in Babylon?

"Control thy Expenditures"
I immediately began cutting my expenditures to equal 90% of my net income. Then allocated the remaining 10% to my investments. It was painstaking work, and took several months, but it was worth it. I can now see why the majority of people never achieve financial independence. It's because they continue to adjust their expenditures upward when their income rises, and cannot delay gratification until a future date.

Any additional comments?

Take lottery winners for example, 70% of lottery winners go broke. More than 50% of professional athletes go broke, and Hollywood actors and actresses who earn more than 10 million dollars per movie go bankrupt. As the wise Arkad said - "That what each of us calls our necessary expenses will always grow to equal our incomes unless we protest to the contrary". Arkad then goes on to say - "Don't confuse necessary expenses with your desires, that all men (and women) are burdened with more desires than they can gratify".
I've come to realize that becoming wealthy, or financially independent, is not natural. It takes incredible discipline and self-control. It's not about how much money you make, but about how much money you keep.

19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Life Changing...

Would you consider the audio edition of The Richest Man in Babylon to be better than the print version?

The wisdom within the pages of this book are life changing for those who choose to understand and execute it's principles. I fell in love with the spoken word again listening to the richness and texture of every word and sentence.

What other book might you compare The Richest Man in Babylon to and why?

None that I can think of..

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

His flow and voice matches the book well.

25 of 28 people found this review helpful

Good but hard to follow at times

Good book but required to rewind often to maintain story line straight but worth buying

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Changed my money mindset. Pearls of wisdom

The knowledge I learnt in this book now guides my every personal finance decision. This book is rock solid and continues to stand the test of time.

The narrator is top notch. His voice brought ancient Babylon to life.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

timeless

old, but very accurate no matter what century. just listen to it. is this 20 sentences yet????

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Required Reading

Moby Dick is a good novel but why didn't have to read this in school?

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

great book

one of the best books ever written. these principles still apply today in 2016. highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Is thy purse thick with gold yet?

I always find reading these old books an enlightening experience. I complain when my internet goes out for a couple hours... back in these days, you got sold into slavery if you didn't pay your debts.

Similar to "How To Win Friends & Influence People" in that it gives timeless lessons, and uses archaic language from a forgotten time that adds a an entertaining novelty element to the lessons which were probably not intended when they were written.

I would finish this book again just for the fun language.

Here's some things I learned from this quick book.

1) Set thy purse to thickening!
2) Invest your gold so it has silver children and copper grandchildren that all work for you as your slaves.
3) Guard thy treasure from loss - don't invest your gold with idiots that have no gold, and don't invest too risky.
4) If you are sold into slavery, earn your freedom through hard work.
5) Hard work is thine friend.
6) If you are in debt to many creditors, pay your debts proportionally, even if you can just afford a few coppers at a time. Your reputation can always come back.
7) Control your expenditures so your purse doesn't have a case of malnourishment

Similar to Rich Dad, Poor Dad and As A Man Thinketh, these books should be the foundation of anyone looking to raise themselves out of poverty through entrepreneurship or financial ingenuity.

I'm 34 years old, so this book doesn't have much that will stick with me as I've already learned these lessons in my younger years - but it's good supplemental programming to refresh my focus on proper financial intelligence.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful