Ben Franklin's Guide to Wealth: Being a 21st Century Treatise on What It Takes to Live a Rich Life

by Erin Barrett, Jack Mingo

Ben Franklin's Guide to Wealth is the modern version of the treatise The Way of Wealth by Richard Saunders, one of Ben Franklin's many pseudonyms. Franklin practiced what he preached in the treatise, and it made him rich enough to have a full life, travel extensively, and follow his intellectual musings, which in turn led him to become an accomplished scientist, inventor, political activist, diplomat, and writer. Franklin wasn't born rich. He built his legacy using his intelligence, curiosity, natural good sense, and proclivity for thrift and hard work. When he died, he left a fortune. Barrett and Mingo bring practicing what Franklin preached up to date for today's busy lifestyles. It's time to get back to financial basics. It's time to think about what "rich" really means. It might mean not hiring someone to do lawn work, saving some money, and sharing time spent together as a family. It's time to look for guidance from America's original financial guru, Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin's Guide to Wealth shows readers how to apply Franklin's financial wisdom to their own lives. Quotes from the original treatise such as "If you have something to do tomorrow, do it today" and "Leisure is time for doing something useful," are followed by the authors' downtoearth commentary. Barrett and Mingo--history and trivia buffs--offer their own sage advice on a range of financial basics, including debt, thrift, the value of work and business, developing financial responsibility, money and time, and preparing for the future. As the authors attest in the Introduction, we should listen to the way of Ben Franklin because "it works." A clever, wise, and fun book, the financial advice in Ben Franklin's Guide to Wealth works as well today as it did 250 years ago.

122 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2004

About the author

Erin Barrett grew up in South East Asia and traveled extensively through her childhood years, instilling a lasting and deep curiosity about almost everything. This is reflected in the diversity of topics she has written about in her numerous book titles, dozens of articles, and her long-running nationally syndicated column, Random Kinds of Factness, which appeared in newspapers around the country for over seven years.

Her innate curiosity has produced a rather eclectic CV. Barrett is an editor, a certified Life Coach, an urban sustainability expert, a beekeeper and beer maker, a writing coach, a painter, photographer, singer, and fine wine specialist, with over a decade of work within the wine industry. She currently resides in Northern California with her partner and their 5 year old feline, Eleanor Rigby Soupstock.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors take Ben Franklin's financial advice and adapt it to the 21st century. Every page has good suggestions to consider.