Book · 1926
The Richest Man in Babylon
by George S. Clason
A 1926 book about a Babylonian merchant that r/Bogleheads still hands to newcomers because nothing else this short covers the basics this cleanly.
What does Reddit think of The Richest Man in Babylon?
44 mentions across r/Bogleheads, r/investing, and r/personalfinance — 25 in r/Bogleheads, 17 in r/investing, 2 in r/personalfinance — and the overall read is broadly positive. Nobody argues about this book. It shows up in reading lists alongside The Simple Path to Wealth and The Millionaire Next Door, positioned as the one you pass along rather than return to yourself. The ↑68 r/investing comment makes the case concisely: 144 pages, stories of saving and spending less than you bring in, good stories that carry the message. One r/Bogleheads comment with ↑77 upvotes names it in a live-below-your-means list for younger readers, following LBYM as the organizing principle. The ↑39 comment from r/Bogleheads puts the age of the advice plainly: "a hundred years old, but all still valid." That's the consensus. Mention volume peaked at 11 in 2024 before pulling back slightly; the book has run at a steady pace since 2020 with no particular spike or dip to explain.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · paying yourself first
- · living below your means
- · compound growth through consistent saving
- · parable-based financial instruction
- · introductory personal finance
Common praise
- + Fits in an afternoon at around 144 pages and still covers the core saving-and-investing loop without bloat.
- + r/Bogleheads regulars slot it into starter reading lists without debate, alongside Bernstein and Bogle.
- + The parable format makes the spend-less-than-you-earn argument stick in a way that bullet-point advice rarely manages.
- + Survives a century of changing markets because it never makes specific market calls.
Common criticism
- − r/Bogleheads positions it as something to give your kids, not a book adults return to for new ideas.
- − Neither tracked subreddit has a high-upvote comment defending it against skeptics — it simply never gets challenged, which also means it never gets a rigorous defense.
Who it's for
Hand this to the person in your life who hasn't opened a personal finance book yet. Already know what LBYM means and have read The Simple Path to Wealth? Nothing here will surprise you. The Bogleheads crowd — 25 of the book's 44 tracked mentions — treats it as an on-ramp, not a destination. Useful precisely because it's short enough that a skeptical teenager or a newly employed 22-year-old will actually finish it.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Richest Man in Babylon?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“OMG I'm a geezer here as a 50-something. Lessons for any young 'uns reading this: * LBYM. That is, Live Below Your Means. For reference, see Clason's Richest Man in Babylon * Put that money to work now, whatever paltry % of your paltry income and no matter to market condition. Increase both the % …
“The Richest Man in Babylon is only 144 pages and it’s just stories of saving/investing/spend less than you bring it etc. Good stories that bring in the message.
“Do this ^^^ and read "the richest man in Babylon". This amount will not set you up for life but is enough to change it forever if you choose the right path! 🙏
“Take your pick - I did enjoy The 4 Pillars of Investing - some history thrown in and very detailed explanation of different asset classes and how to build a strong portfolio. - If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly – an excellent free 15 page PDF by William Bernstein: [DOWNLOAD LINK](htt…
“My pleasure. Mr. Bogle is a very well-respected man in the financial world, even from the likes of Warren Buffet. The man has fought for the interests of the common investor all his life. I'd like to think this community who follows his investing principles would welcome new investors who are keen t…
“There's a good book named *The Richest Man in Babylon* that teaches the beginnings of good money management. It's a short book. About 210 pages. That's the equivalent of a 90 minute movie. I highly recommend it. One of the chapters talks about "Never give a brick layer your money to buy jewe…
“Read "Richest Man in Babylon"
“Read the Richest Man in Babylon. The advice is a hundred years old, but all still valid.
Convinced? Pick up The Richest Man in Babylon
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with The Richest Man in Babylon — counted from the comments, not curated.
The Wealthy Barber
David Chilton
A Canadian barber explains index funds and pay-yourself-first saving to his regulars, and the advice still holds up decades later.
Quit Like a Millionaire
Kristy Shen
A Canadian immigrant who grew up in poverty explains how index funds and geographic arbitrage got her to retirement at 31.
The Index Card
Helaine Olen
Harold Pollack's viral index card — nine rules for personal finance that fit on a 4x6 slip — expanded into a full book with Helaine Olen.
The Millionaire Next Door
Thomas J. Stanley
A 1996 study of 1,000 American millionaires found they drove used cars, lived in modest houses, and got rich by spending less than they earned.
The Four Pillars of Investing
William J. Bernstein
A neurologist-turned-portfolio-theorist explains why the financial services industry exists mainly to extract fees from you, then shows you four ways to stop it.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
Ramit Sethi
Ramit Sethi's personal finance system for people who hate budgeting: automate everything, ignore avocado toast, stop leaving money in savings accounts.
The Richest Man in Babylon — frequently asked
Is The Richest Man in Babylon still worth reading in 2026?+
Yes, for first-timers. r/Bogleheads has recommended it consistently from 2020 through 2025, and the ↑39 comment puts it plainly: "The advice is a hundred years old, but all still valid." If you already follow Boglehead principles, you're reading the source material for ideas you already apply.
What does Reddit actually say about The Richest Man in Babylon?+
Broadly positive but low-heat. The ↑68 r/investing comment sums up the consensus: 144 pages, saving and spending less, stories that carry the message. Nobody fights about it.
How does The Richest Man in Babylon fit alongside The Simple Path to Wealth and The Millionaire Next Door?+
As the shorter, more narrative entry point. r/Bogleheads commenters group all three together while noting this one is short enough to pass to younger family members — implying the others are for adults doing the actual work. The parable structure makes it easier to hand off.
Which subreddits talk about The Richest Man in Babylon the most?+
r/Bogleheads by a wide margin — 25 of the book's 44 total mentions over 7 years, last seen August 2025. r/investing accounts for 17 more, with activity as recent as March 2026.