The Richest Man in Babylon REVIEW: As a Broke Guy, This 1926 Book Hit Me Hard

I finished The Richest Man in Babylon at 11:22pm and I confess I was on my couch. My work boots still on. My coffee was cold. Bills on table. I started at 10pm after shift. I said 20 pages. I read 144 pages. I could not stop. My wife said "come to bed". I said 5 more minutes. I lied. I felt broke and motivated same time. This book is from 1926, 100 years ago, but Goodreads has 251k ratings today, 4.23 stars. Some guys say "What in the name of crap was that?!" Some say it changed life. I get both. I had $43 in my checking that night. I checked app. $43. The Richest Man in Babylon made me set auto transfer next morning.

I started reading The Richest Man in Babylon on the train. 40 minutes waiting and riding. I missed my stop. I work construction, you know? I had my phone open. $43. I was thinking about my dad. My dad never saved. He worked hard but died broke. My uncle told me before he passed "Read it, it'll change your life". He was only few years older than me. I miss him. So I read it. It is parables in ancient Babylon. Arkad is richest man. He teaches 7 cures for lean purse. Save 10%, control expenses, make gold multiply, guard treasure. Simple stuff. But language is old, thy, thou, like Bible. I was on the train. Thinking about my dad and my $43. I felt like Bansir the chariot maker in book, working hard but broke.

The 3 Doubts Every Guy Has Before Reading This

Look, I searched posts with many comments. Every guy asks same 3 doubts about The Richest Man in Babylon. Let me clear them.

Doubt 1: Is The Richest Man in Babylon still relevant in 2026? People ask because it talks gold, camels, slaves. Answer: yes and no. Saving 10% still works in 2026. I did it. My company pays $22 hour. I saved $200 last month. First time. But owning home as wealth? House price is insane now. And advice "don't trust bricklayer to buy jewels" means go to experts. Good, but experts charge. For beginner like me, it is perfect. For rich guy who already invests, too basic. One reviewer said lessons could be summed in 5-minute Buzzfeed article. He is right. But I never did even that 5-minute lesson. So book helped.

Doubt 2: Is it repetitive and overrated? Yes, to be honest, it is. Biggest complaint on Goodreads: simple style but content is repetitive, which is why so many people don't like it. Arkad says same thing 7 times. Save 10%, save 10%. At page 60 I thought "I get it man, stop". I was on my couch. Thinking about work tomorrow. I almost quit. But repetition made me remember. My uncle read in 2002 and still remembered pay yourself first after 10 years. So maybe repetition works for guys like us who don't read finance.

Doubt 3: Is it too old, sexist, cringe? Some StoryGraph review gave 2 stars and said male-centric, women as wives to provide for, slaves as marker for wealth analogy I cringe at. I get it. Written in 1926, almost moot, but today feels weird. As a guy, I cringed when they talk slaves like normal. Also book only talks to men. My wife makes money too. She should be in book. But core lessons still work for her too. I told her 10% rule, she liked.

My Unpopular Opinion That Will Get Me Hate

Here is my hot take that will make you mad. Dabasir the camel guy is better than Arkad. And middle of The Richest Man in Babylon drags like hell.

Everyone loves Arkad, richest man. He is main. He is boring. He is perfect. Never fails. Like boss who never worked. Dabasir was slave because debt. He escaped. He had plan: live on 30%, pay 70% to debt. That hit me. I have debt. Credit card. I felt Dabasir. Arkad felt like rich guy giving TED talk. I relate to broke guy, not rich guy. And I skipped pages 80 to 95. Middle drags. Same cure, new story. Many comments say same: simple style but content is repetitive. I almost fell asleep on couch with boots on. Then Dabasir chapter woke me up. Also, "don't put all eggs in one basket" is stupid advice if you have $43. I have $43, girl, I can't diversify. I need one good investment, not ten.

Scorecard: My Honest Numbers

Plot / Ideas: 4/5 - The Richest Man in Babylon has 7 cures but really 1 cure: pay yourself 10% first. 144 pages, short, you finish in one night after work. For beginner like me 5/5 life changing. For finance expert 2/5 too simple. But ideas stick after 10 years. That is power.

Characters: 3.5/5 - Arkad 3/5 wise but boring, like professor. Dabasir 5/5 best, real guy with debt. Bansir chariot maker like me, works hard but broke. No deep characters, all parables. But memorable. I remember Dabasir after.

Writing: 3/5 - Old English thy/thou gimmick tiring after 30 pages. I am not English professor. I want simple. Simple style but repetitive. Some love Bible style, some hate. I hated after while. For guy who works with hands, it feels slow. Could be modern English, you know?

Pacing: 3/5 - First 50 pages 5/5 fast, you learn 10% rule. Middle 50 pages 2/5 drags, repeats same. Last 44 pages 4/5 fast again, Dabasir and walls of Babylon safe. Short so you forgive, you finish before you quit.

My Verdict on The Richest Man in Babylon

The Richest Man in Babylon is must read if you never saved money. If you are guy with $0 to $1000, working hard but broke, read it. It will make you save. If you already save 10% and invest, skip it. It will annoy you.

I give The Richest Man in Babylon 4 stars. Not 5 because repetitive, old English, male-centric, slave analogy cringe. But 4 because it made me act. I set auto transfer 10% next day. My wife saw, she set too. We saved $400 together. First time.

So, what team are you? Team Arkad, the guys who say The Richest Man in Babylon is timeless classic, greatest of books on finances, must read for all, or Team Dabasir, the guys who say it is redundant, simplistic, overrated, could be summed in couple sentences: save 10%, be smart not dumb, and gimmick is tiring?

Tell me if you are broke guy like me who liked Dabasir more. I need to know I'm not alone.

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