[A Book That Makes You Want to Save Money] The Richest Man in Babylon: How Prosperity, Wealth, and Happiness Are Built
It was on a whim that I picked up this book.
It was just a book that happened to be available for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Actually, I am the type of person who is not at all moved by books that people who want to become rich love, such as 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' or 'The Elephant Who Grants Dreams'.
So, I picked it up thinking it would surely be the same kind of book, but I never thought at the time that it would become such an important book to me.
What is Babylon?
Recently, it has appeared in games like FGO, so perhaps some people have heard of it.
Yes, that Babylon.
Babylon was an ancient city that existed in the Mesopotamia region, and it was mentioned in records as early as around 2334 BC.
It is hard to visualize when you hear 'BC,' but in Japan, this corresponds to the Jomon period.
From that time on, the people of Babylon not only farmed but also engaged in trade, built city walls, and constructed temples, becoming the largest city in the world.
It teaches us that we haven't changed since 4,000 years ago.
The story is told of what the people who became millionaires in Babylon, the capital of Babylonia, did, and how they thought and acted.
Summarizing the repayment of savings debt, it basically comes down to these three points.
Save one-tenth of your income.
Allocate another two-tenths to debt repayment.
Live on the remaining seven-tenths.
After that, it is written about how to use, increase, and preserve your wealth.
The good points of the teachings of the richest man in Babylon.
There are many good points, but I would like to mention the ones that personally struck a chord with me!
There are stories from various character perspectives.
The first protagonist is a craftsman who is poor and a little in debt, and this is a story about how he asks a rich man how to save money and puts it into practice.
Although there were failures, he became a multi-millionaire, but the amazing thing about this book is thatit doesn't end there.
The man who became a multi-millionaire in the first story becomes a teacher and spreads his knowledge.
A man who oncecarried debt, committed a crime, and became a slaveuses his wit and opportunities to return to his country and pay off his debts while humbling himself.
A multi-millionaire's son who won't work because he has his parents' inheritance, and in the midst of that, a man who is a friend and business partner of the parent shares the multi-millionaire's teachings.
In other words, this book teaches us how things look from various perspectives.
The despair of being in debt or working a bottom-tier job.
This might be empathy precisely because I have been in debt.
The despair of not having money to live on tomorrow.
The despair of being unable to escape a bottom-tier life.
The despair of not being trusted by others.
The fact that thisdespair felt from being at rock bottomis depicted made me feel like I have to pay off my debts and save money.
Parts of the teachings of the Richest Man in Babylon that didn't resonate with me.
There was a scene where the multi-millionaire buys a house, but perhaps there weren't many rental homes back then.
I think it's a story based on the value that having a house for your family and those people to live in is the greatest happiness of all.
Also, since the era is over 4,000 years ago, it's hard to use the investment talk as a reference, so I think it's difficult to visualize.
Finally, I felt thatthere are people who don't need to read this book.
I, who am drowning in debt and bad at saving money, was shocked enough by this book to change my life, but for those who are not, I think the content is trivial.
People who can save money regularly and spend money in moderation.
People who have assets but love working more than anything.
There are several books related to the teachings of Babylon.
For those who enjoy reading text, I think the novel version of The Richest Man in Babylon mentioned at the beginning is the easiest to read.
Also, since Kindle Unlimited is running a campaign for the first month free or three months for 99 yen, it might be a good idea to decide to read books for just those three months!
For those who aren't great at reading text, don't have the time, or for those who read the book and thought it was excellent,
I would also like you to read the manga version, which incorporates modern elements and can be read quickly.