Review: The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

In a world of local, national, and international economic challenge, one longs for simple yet effective strategies to gain financial security.  Is it naïve to think that these strategies could have been recorded by an author nearly a century ago?  Would it be even more ludicrous to learn that such strategies are based on those used thousands of years ago?  And yet George S. Clason did capture some of the most basic and yet most successful tools for achieving financial security and even acquiring wealth in his book The Richest Man in Babylon.

In this book, we meet Bansir, a chariot builder in Babylon.  He has worked hard all his life to earn the necessities of life.  One night he dreams he is rich and has all of the finer things in Babylon.  Upon awaking, he is saddened to find that his purse is empty and he has nothing.  He wonders why, after all his hard work, he doesn’t have any gold in his purse.  Upon discussing it with a friend, they decide to inquire of Arkad, the richest man in Babylon.  Arkad was once a poor man of equal standing with Bansir and indeed his peer.  He was able, however, to discover the secrets for acquiring wealth.  He shares freely of these secrets throughout the book.

The Richest Man in Babylon also introduces other characters from the prosperous city of Babylon.  From each one, we are able to learn more of the keys to obtaining financial freedom and growing wealth.  Although the principles may seem overly simplistic, they are shown to work time and again for various characters in the book.

The insight I gained from reading this book was indeed valuable and very applicable even in these complex economic times.  I highly recommend reading this book and espouse the concepts taught therein.  Financial security is possible and can be obtained by adhering to the basic ideas I learned from reading The Richest Man in Babylon.