The Richest Man in Babylon and Other Stories, Edited for Modern Readers

The Richest Man in Babylon gives timeless financial advice through a collection of parables set in ancient Babylon. The parables are told by Arkad, a poor scribe who became the "richest man in Babylon" and wishes to share his secrets for creating, building, and preserving wealth. Through these entertaining tales of merchants, herders, and traders, you'll learn how to keep more of what you earn, get out of debt, put your money to work, attract good luck, choose wise investments, and safeguard a lasting fortune.

The book's chapters were originally a series of pamphlets distributed by banks and insurance companies. In 1926 the pamphlets were bound together and published as a book. This classic of personal financial advice appears in many modern recommended reading lists on wealth management, keeping the book continuously in print for nearly a hundred years, with more than two million copies sold. Unfortunately, to give his parables a feeling of antiquity, the author used old-fashioned language, making it difficult for modern readers to understand. This new edition has updated the language, ensuring that this priceless financial advice will be meaningful for generations to come.

"Ahead of you stretches your future like a road leading into the distance. Along that road are ambitions you wish to accomplish . . . desires you wish to gratify. To bring your ambitions and desires to fulfillment, you must be successful with money. Use the financial principles made clear in the pages which follow. Let them guide you away from the stringencies of a lean purse to that fuller, happier life a full purse makes possible."