Phineas Taylor Barnum known more popularly by his initial – P.T. Barnum was more than a showman, he was an author. His book The Art of Money Getting: Golden Rules for Making Money at first made me think it was going to something along the lines of The Art of the Con. I have to admit that it was a poor assumption on my part because of his famous quote:

“There’s a sucker born every minute.”

It turns out that he never actually said that. It was falsely attributed to him. Rather than the consummate conman, P.T. Barnum was actually an astute businessman and it turns out a very good author.

This book is filled with timeless advice for not only “money getting” but simply having a better life. It is actually much more about building character and becoming the type of person that is capable of attracting good in your life than it is about actual money getting. It is sound advice and surprisingly deep for what initially comes across as a quick list. I could only hope that any of my books are still read more than 100 years from now, much less still viewed as good. Well done, Mr. Barnum.

I have to also mention that I discovered this book through a closed Facebook group called The 1923 Book Club created by Ron White. He chooses a different book each week during 2019 from the public domain (hence the 1923 date) for the group to read and discuss in the group. (He even gives you links to download the books for free!)

Don’t get me started on intellectual property law – as a writer and creator there are things I love about it but as a consumer, things I absolutely hate. Let me simply say that I think the current life of copyright is too long.

That said, White is selecting some wonderful works – many of which I have read before but still hold up and warrant reading again. The best thing about this great idea of White’s is that interaction. He gives his Cliff Notes version of the book and the group goes to town discussing what stood out to us. I absolutely love the insight of others.

I also cannot thank Ron White enough for helping me discover this gem that had escaped my search. It is a must-read and a must-have in your book shelf.

by Chris Doelle