“The Richest Man in Babylon” – Spiritual Book Review

Try before you buy: if you are interested in financial guidance with a spiritual spin (or is it the other way around?), I highly recommend the book “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason, the version with the excellent introduction written by Suze Orman. This review contains my opinions only.

You can purchase your own copy here.

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My Star Ratings

1 star = disappointing, 2 stars = meh!, 3 stars = pretty good, 4 stars = terrific, 5 stars = sensational

Writing Style 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Spiritual Relevance 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Why you may be drawn to this book

There are many types of books that come under the “spiritual” banner. There may be some souls out there who would argue that finance shouldn’t be linked with spirituality, but all you have to do is look at the Tarot, which contains a whole suit dedicated to stability and abundance - aka the Pentacles or Coins suit.

To me, this book does a pretty good job blending these two concepts together.

The Writing Style

The Introduction

We are in good hands with Suze Orman (a world class financial consultant) as our guide in the Introduction. She uses relatable language that will appeal to most walks of life, so you don’t need to have a degree in finance to understand her messages.

Orman takes us on a walk through time, exploring not only the financial times of the ancients, but especially examines how things were 100 years ago. This is because “The Richest Man in Babylon” was written in the 1920’s by a banker named George S. Clason. She then expertly relates the financial concerns faced in both time periods to our own, so we feel compelled to read the actual story and learn something.

I wanted to express my appreciation for Orman, in pointing out that only male characters come together to learn from Arkad and that this may irk some readers. She helpfully suggests that if disgruntled readers can push through this, the concepts we can learn within the story make it all worthwhile (to be honest, if I was the author I would have written it the same - and not “re-woked”, {not reworked!} historical facts).

The Novel

The author, G.S. Clason weaves sound financial counsel beautifully into this work of fiction. For someone who moved in post-Victorian financial circles, his writing style is very user friendly for 21st Century readers.

Through his fictitious characters’ choices and interactions, we discover the simple financial philosophy of the ancients can still be applied to our complex, modern times. We begin to understand that money itself doesn’t change over time, but our choices in how we use our money are crucial.

The book itself was created just before the Great Depression hit - and World War I had ended. People were looking for entertainment and distraction and Clason had the good sense to give it to them. He distributed individual chapters of his ongoing story in leaflet form to bankers and investors. I wonder if he knew his words would work their magic into a much wider, futuristic audience!

As for the ancient Babylon setting, it’s an enjoyable book if you like the “romance” of faraway places in distant times. Character dialogue reads like something we’d hear in films set in the early Common Era, with statements like, “’Then when the house be built, thou canst pay the money lender with the same regularity as thou didst pay the landlord’.” (p. 48). For me, I found it easy to “see” the characters in my mind’s eye.

It’s the sort of book you can read in a day. While it’s nice to take a break from the book to properly digest the concepts proposed, it’s also un-putdownable, as many chapters end with their own kind of cliffhangers.

The Story

Clason’s book is set in ancient Babylon at the peak of its time.

Minor spoilers ahead.

The story follows Bansir, an ageing chariot maker, who senses he hasn’t enough abundance to cover his family’s basic needs when he reaches retirement. As fate would have it, he hears of a very wealthy man in the wider community named Arkad (reportedly the richest man in Babylon).

Bansir and friends seek out Arkad and are invited to attend some gatherings where they can listen to his wisdom. The ongoing chapters are mostly centred around Arkad’s presentations to the group.

Arkad’s financial guidance definitely relates to modern concerns. He talks, in his own words, about working a side hustle, dealing with “tricksters” and the importance of research to avoid poor investments. I enjoyed his creative titles for the financial models offered, such as “The Seven Cures for a Lean Purse”.

Some of the chapters branch off into “tales” of characters, Arabian Nights style, around Babylon prospering or failing as a result of their choices. Check out “The Camel Trader of Babylon” chapter for a great case study.

The Spiritual Relevance

As for the spiritual aspects of the book, it’s a essentially a book about making empowered, mindful choices and working abundance - common themes in modern times. You’re sure to find tips that resonate for a happy and soulful life throughout this book.

I especially loved that spiritual/moral/financial wisdom is offered in parables. I was reminded of Aesop’s fables, or the way Clarissa Pinkola Estes and Paulo Coelho deliver spiritual wisdom. Clason’s storytelling also hits the spot with universal truths.

Overall, this is an easy read if you want to get through Economics 101 in under 200 pages. I highly recommend the experience!

Here are some other items that link finance and spirituality really well, that I highly recommend:

Peace and Plenty by Sarah Ban Breathnach

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

Arjuna: Journey towards Heaven by Dhanika Sharma

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