“The Richest Man in Babylon”: Summary of Parables

“The Richest Man in Babylon” was written by book by George Samuel Clason, in1926.  It dispenses financial advice through a collection of parables set 4,000 years ago, in ancient Babylon.  The book remains in print almost a century after the parables were originally published, and is regarded as a classic of personal financial advice. 

The parables are told by a fictional Babylonian character called Arkad, a poor scribe who became “the richest man in Babylon”.  Included in Arkad’s advice are the “Seven Cures”, how to generate money and wealth; and the “Five Laws of Gold”, how to protect and invest wealth.  All these lessons can be summarised below as follows.