I, like many others, can't get enough knowledge. I constantly want to learn new things,
and also being an entrepreneur, learning about making money is a great passion. Using my
iTunes gift cards, I got myself an audio book to play while I was driving.
I read the reviews of several money making audio books before settling for The Richest Man
in Babylon. I only paid $4.95 for this, and quite frankly it was a complete waste of
money.
The voices used in audio books are vital, and the old English tongue used here was far
from impressive, and quickly began to grate. There was also only just over 4 hours of
listening time.
If you are young and keen to learn the basic principals of money making, then this book
will appeal to you. If you have been in the game a while like me, you will find the whole
experience somewhat underwhelming. There are stories to decode, and the odd hidden
meaning, but the main principals are made blatantly obvious.
The Richest Man in Babylon shoots itself in the foot by confusing the characters in the
tales, as the stories themselves are very simple and basic. It all ends up as a bit of a
mish-mash.
The principal is the basic one which we all know by now; divide your income into three and
spend as follows; 10% on sound investments, 20% on clearing debts and 70% on living
expenses.
The main bits of advice are the kind that you can recite backwards in your sleep; don't
gamble more than you can afford, don't seek advice from those who aren't experts, etc.
The basic wisdom and common sense that it preaches is all well and good, but you shouldn't
need to be told this stuff. I switched off mentally long before the end.
The Richest Man in Babylon may have had great reviews, but unless you are an absolute
beginner who doesn't even have a bank account, you will learn absolutely nothing from this
book and it will be four hours of your life that you will never get back again. That may
sound harsh but I am a successful business man seeking more success, not looking to go
over stuff that I learnt at grade school.
