Thou Shall Prosper – The Ten Commandments for Making Money has been on my list to read for quite some time now. I first heard it mentioned by Dave Ramsey. I recently got caught up on this part of my reading list and very much enjoyed taking in some wisdom of the ages. Not only did I get an opportunity to learn about finances, I was also able to learn more about the Jewish faith. You will be a richer person for reading this book.
Rabbi Lapin has actual experience in this subject, because he elected to not be supported by his congregation, but through his own efforts as a business consultant.
In Thou Shall Prosper, Rabbi Daniel Lapin explains the Jewish tradition of embracing prosperity earned by honest effort and providing goods and services valued by your customers. He calls this endeavor “ethical capitalism”. It is a well-written moral defense of wealth creation. He sincerely hopes you want to make more money, since “If you are living on a park bench, panhandling passerby and feeling quite content with your life, you are unlikely to be motivated to do anything for me.”
He also explains that money and business are actually spiritual. They involve spiritual characteristics such as faith and trust. (It’s written on the back of our money.)
Using economist Walter Williams’ analogy that dollars in one’s pocket represent “certificates of performance,” Lapin reminds us these certificates certify you have pleased someone else.
The subtitle for this book is “Ten Commandments for Making Money”, which I will list in order to entice you to purchase the book and study it in greater depth:
- Believe in the Dignity and Morality of Business
- Extend the Network of Your Connectedness to Many People
- Get to Know Yourself
- Do Not Pursue Perfection
- Lead Consistently and Constantly
- Constantly Change the Changeable, While Steadfastly Clinging to the Unchangeable
- Learn to Foretell the Future
- Know Your Money
- Act Rich: Give Away 10 Percent of Your After-Tax Income
- Never Retire
Rabbi Lapin does a good job of using real life examples when illustrating his points and ties all 10 of his commandments together. Overall this book is on my must read personal finance book list. I learned a great deal from reading it.
