The Art of Money Getting Or, Golden Rules for Making Money

Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.1

Word count: 75K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Art of Money Getting; Or, Golden Rules for Making Money by P. T. BarnumAuthor: Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891,Language: English, Class: HF: Social sciences: Commerce, Release Date: Jul 1, 2005

Editor's review

This book is a plain-spoken, common-sense guide to money and conduct written by the circus impresario P. T. Barnum from the vantage point of long experience. It is short, direct, and free of complex economic models, relying instead on maxims the reader can measure against daily life. Its value lies not in investment techniques but in its crisp statement of principles such as living within one's means, avoiding gambling and speculation, choosing the right trade, and maintaining honesty and persistence, all carrying the characteristic optimism and practicality of nineteenth-century American commercial culture. Readers will notice the author's wariness of waste, vanity, and wishful thinking, and his understanding of money-making as long-term self-management rather than sudden wealth. It suits a few pages on a commute or before bed, with each piece of advice usable as a self-check list. The public-domain e-book is freely available, and the plain English original also makes suitable reading practice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in money mindsets and business ethics
English learners who want short public-domain texts for reading practice
Young people starting careers who want to build spending and work habits
Readers who enjoy aphoristic, checklist-style writing

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking specific investment instruments or modern financial how-to
Those who prefer systematic theory, data-driven argument, or academic analysis
Readers expecting long case studies or detailed biography

Reading tips

Read one short section a day, then write an action reminder in your own words.
List the advice on waste, speculation, and choosing a trade, and check yourself against each item.
For English reading, go through a paragraph first, then look up key words rather than translating every word.
Discuss which principles still apply in modern consumer life and which need rethinking.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this book mainly teach money-making techniques or principles of conduct?

Both, but it leans toward principles of conduct. Barnum discusses long-term habits such as living within your means, avoiding speculation, choosing the right trade, and maintaining integrity, not specific investment methods or business procedures. Readers should treat it as material for reflecting on their attitudes, not as a financial handbook.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

You can try. The book is short and its sentences are direct, and it is a public-domain English text. Read it section by section with a dictionary, first grasping each section's core advice, then dealing with unfamiliar words. If you only want the ideas, you might first consult a reliable Chinese translation for comparison.

Is the book's advice still relevant today?

Some principles, such as avoiding waste, being wary of speculation, and valuing reputation, remain relevant, but the book reflects nineteenth-century American business assumptions. Readers should weigh it against modern financial regulation, consumer credit, and other realities rather than copying it wholesale.

Is it a good gift for someone who has just started working?

It works as light reading, but you should explain that it is not a modern financial guide. A reader who likes aphoristic advice and is willing to reflect will benefit; one who expects practical plans may find it vague.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 Author

P. T. Barnum (Phineas Taylor Barnum, 1810–1891) was a well-known American showman, entrepreneur and popular writer. Public information about his life is limited, and three of his works are held in this collection, focusing on social criticism, personal recollection and practical money-making advice. In The Humbugs of the World he exposes frauds and pseudo-science in a humorous, sharp style; Struggles and Triumphs: or, Forty Years' Recollections of P. T. Barnum is an autobiographical account of his business and entertainment career; and The Art of Money Getting sums up principles of wealth in short, aphoristic pieces. His plain, anecdotal writing combines instruction with entertainment and offers a useful glimpse into nineteenth-century American commercial culture and social psychology.