This book took me by surprise. I’ve read about it in another book in which the author claimed to have learned all of his financial wisdom. I couldn’t resist and found out that over 2 million copies were sold, which meant I had to give it a try. Right away I was drawn into the early days of the city of Babylon through a personal story about a builder in Babylon. The book goes on to teach us valuable lessons about finance, security, richness, and friendship. The book consists of a number of stories, most of them tied together or referring back and forth. It teaches you how to attain wealth and grow your assets, but not literally.

Great lessons through stories

The book teaches us all its lessons by telling stories through the eyes of the former inhabitants, merchants, and laborers in Babylone, once the richest city in the world. Some of the examples are based on facts and artifacts discovered not too long ago, which really adds to the story. Some of the conversations in the book might feel somewhat cryptic, but really challenge your brain to understand the true meaning of the story. I personally like the way the author doesn’t directly tell us what to do and how to live our lives, but gives examples and lets us determine what the key learning is. So, let’s dive into them!

Key learnings (for me, at least)

💰 A part of all you earn is yours to keep. Make sure to always set aside a portion of your earnings for the future. If you can, make smart investments to secure a future without financial worry.

💸 Make money your employee. Money should not spend its time sitting still and decreasing in value. If you make money your employee, it means your money is generating more money. And that new money is also generating more money. It’s quite literally “use money to make money”.

👀 Be cautious, but take risks. The book clearly explains how you should take risks in order to grow, but you should always be cautious. If you invest into someone else’s venture, are you sure they are capable of fulfilling the tasks? If you’re trusting your money to an expert to make a deal for you, are they really an expert? Don’t shy away from taking risks, but be careful.

💪🏼 If you’re determined, you can make it. This is not so much about wishful thinking, manifesting, or the law of attraction, but rather depends on your own powers. If you really want something (as in, really, REALLY want something) you will find a way. If your determination is strong enough, the solution will present itself if you’re open to it. Don’t give up on something you actually want.

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