The Richest Man in Babylon _George S Clason

   The magical work The Richest Man in Babylon is written by George S. Clason. It has been one of the most remarkable books in the history of self-help literature. The very basic idea of compound effect I find in actual sense implied in this book. Clason has very wisely handled the fictional story with different characters and has given the best philosophy to become a rich. The main character Arkad decides disseminating the knowledge of becoming rich with his personal experiences. As a title The Richest Man in Babylon itself tells us the Babylon city as we know in the history known as the most richest cities in the world in ancient times and the people who lived there were very much happy and had made a mark in the world having the richest people in the city. 

   

      The book unfolds with metaphoric story of a man Arkad who is supposedly to meet and teach the lessons of wealth accumulation. As people of the Babylon in the story have came to know that they are facing poverty and the whole wealth has been triggered only to the one person named Arkad and they decide to go along with Bansir and Kobbi to learn the lessons from Arkad. Bansir who is upset siting outside house, having no work at hand has been approached by one of his friends called Kobbi and both discuss about their financial adversity. Bansir working hard everyday cannot satisfy his everyday needs at home due to insufficient income and he is confessing all this in front of his friend. Both of them decide to meet Arkad who was once their classmate. Arkad was known as the richest man in the Babylon though he was not good at education still he had made his mark in the country. They were very much excited to meet him and ask what are the techniques, the secret formulas to become rich. 

     As soon as they reach to the palace of Arkad along with their many friends in order to take lessons Arkad welcomes them warmly and agrees telling them that he will definitely tell them the secrets of becoming rich. Arkad tells them that he was not as good in school once their teacher had taught them in classroom, we can learn by two ways first by study and second by observation and as he was not good at study he decided to choose the second option of observing. 

      He managed to get the job as a scriber but that work was very toiling and hard working moreover he could not afford the income as compare to daily needs and then he got an opportunity to work for Algamish and as he had given the promise of returning the work of Algamish within time he couldn’t keep his words. Arkad accepted to complete his work but demanded from Algamish to listen from him the secret or technique of becoming rich as Algamish was already a very well known rich person. Algamish says yes to him and then he starts telling him the lessons from the next day and the very first lesson that he teaches him is whatever the earnings we manage to make in every month we have to save 10% share for our self because we always think about the external situations, family matters and we forget that the main person who is managing to earn the money that is ‘you' has been ignored, so we have to credit our self by saving 10% share in every month and that was the first lesson that Algamish taught to him and he says him that do this and this will make you rich man. 

      Next year when Algamish came return to meet Arkad then he asks whether he saved 10% of money every month in the last year and then Arkad says yes and then Algamish asks him what did you do with a 10% savings then he tells him how he invested that money to the brick maker saying that he is going to bring the diamond from other country. Aghast, Algamesh laughs and asks Arkad do you really believe that that brick maker knows anything about the diamonds and jewelry then Arkad being confused doesn’t say anything but only says that I don’t know then Algamesh says you should not believe any other person except the person who knows deeply in some specific area or subject to whom you are going to invest and now don’t think about the returns of that money you offered to the brick maker that money has gone. 

    Next year Algamesh comes to meet Arkad and asks him whether he saved 10% every month in the last year then he says yes and then Algamesh asks him what did he do with that 10% savings and he tell Algamesh how he invested that at Shield maker and he sold the Shields and got the big returns. Algamesh was very happy to see Arkad learning from his last mistake and investing at the proper place. Now Arkad asks him what does he do by that profit then he reveals how he spent that on food and and luxury for the children, wife etc. Algamesh enlightens Arkad how he again committed mistake unless he invests the profit at another place again wisely instead spending unnecessarily it’s merely useless to make profit earlier. If he spends unnecessarily it will be equal to be  slave at a king instead of doing the profit and saving 10% every month. 

     After gap of one year Algamesh came to meet Arkad. By this time Algamesh is grown old. Algamesh being so much happy listening that he has become wise in investing he decides to offer to Arkad to look after his farm which was in that city. His son was not wise to earn money. Arkad accepted the offer to look after the land of Algamesh. He cultivated the land and earned great amount of money as a profit. Next year when Algamesh came to meet him he was very happy to see Arkad has learnt the art of making money and before he dies he decides to leave half of his property in the name of Arkad.

    Clason has indeed introduced the secret formula of growing as a rich through the story of Arkad. Such is the journey of the Babylonian story of Arkad.