The Richest Man in Babylon

A friend of mine recommended this interesting book to me some time ago, and I finally found it at the Popular Mega Book Fair last Friday.

P/S: Thank you, Thomas, for recommending this book.

Here are some excerpts from Chapter 2 which has evoked my mind:

"Every gold piece you save is a slave to work for you. Every copper it earns is its child that also can earn for you. If you would become wealthy, then what you save must earn, and its children must earn, that all may help to give you the abundance you crave."

"A part of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter how little you earn. It can be as much more as you can afford. Pay yourself first. Do not buy from the clothes-maker and the sandal-maker more than you can pay out for the rest and still have enough for food and charity and penance to the Gods."

"...why trust the knowledge of a brickmaker about jewels? Would you go to the breadmaker to inquire about the stars? No, by my tunic, you would go to the astrologer, if you had power to think."

"...next time if you would have advice about jewels, go to the jewel merchant. If you would know the truth about sheep, go to the herdsman. Advice is one thing that is given freely away, but watch that you take only what is worth having. He who takes advice about his savings from one who is inexperienced in such matters, shall pay with his savings for proving the falsity of their opinions."

"You do eat the children of your savings. Then how do you expect them to work for you? And how can they have children that will also work for you? First get thee an army of golden slaves and then many a rich banquet may you enjoy without regret."

(You were indeed fortunate that Algamish made of you an heir.)"Fortunate only in that I had the desire to prosper before I first met him. For four years did I not prove my definiteness of purpose by keeping one-tenth of all I earned? Would you call a fisherman lucky who four years so studied the habits of the fish that with each changing wind he could cast his nets about them? Opportunity us a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared."

"Wealth grows wherever men exert energy... Wealth grows in magic ways. No man can prophesy the limit of it. Have not the Phoenicians built great cities on barren coasts with the wealth that comes from their ships of commerce on the seas?"

A PART OF ALL YOU EARN IS YOURS TO KEEP.