[.ca] Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (ISBN 0471710237)

Outstanding advice and wisdom:
In "Thou Shall Prosper," Rabbi Daniel Lapin offers access to the timeless principles that Jews have understood and applied to business and finance for centuries. Both engaging and full of practical advice, this book is a pleasure to read and sheds light on the keys to personal and economic prosperity. Highly Recommended!

Daniel Lapin - map maker:
This is much more than a "self-improvement" book. It is a stand-alone Daniel Lapin "guide to the perplexed." It is a beautiful fusion of goals, skill sets and disciplines that, if perceived and applied diligently, can lead not only to "riches," but to the full realization of a well-rounded life that in itself is rich, and therefore may be the path to economic well being and even wealth. It is a wakeup call to would-be capitalists to this country's God-given economic system that should not only be embraced enthusiastically but proudly. It is an antidote to socialistic bromides and guilt trips. It is a road map to the delicious fruits of ethical capitalism.

Both Entertaining and Useful:
Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin is an excellent book that covers three general subject areas: self-help, personal finance and career development. Basically, the author gives advice in a series of commandments on "making money" where he sprinkles in Jewish wisdom. There is a great deal of useful advice that would have proved especially timely for many professionals in 2001. It does not offer a great deal of assistance dealing with short term cash generation. Rather, the author aims to give readers life-long direction with the goal of building wealth. The underlying theme of this book is that wealth creation is fundamentally virtuous because it creates wealth and prosperity for your neighbors. Moreover, he stresses the value of money and why it is such an important element of society. His suggestions range from the subtle such as how to carry yourself to more profound concepts such as never aiming to retire. The book is filled with interesting stories intended to reinforce his ideas. These include a 70 year old forklift driver who earns a six figure income through extensive overtime only to give the money away to charity. Another is a sales representative relative who likes to drive around to far-flung locations in his Rolls Royce. While very entertaining, the book has its shortcomings. Rabbi Lapin glosses over how large segments of the economy do in fact operate with minimal honesty. Oddly, he even suggests not being entirely honest as it is not socially acceptable. Like Evangelical Christian preachers, he draws some pretty far-fetched conclusions about the meaning of specific bible versus. The passages he selects support the virtuousness of earning a living. Any intelligent person can read several different meanings in the selections, so I would have to suggest that this approach won't convince many readers of his arguments. This isn't to mean the general ideas aren't strong, just the supporting passages. He also makes some highly questionable scientific claims. For example, he argues that watching movies instead of reading books is detrimental to your creativity because reading allows one to creatively develop images instead of having a director create them for you. Despite its flaws, I personally found the book very, very interesting. If you like books such How to Win Friends and Influence People and Daniel Goleman's Primal Leadership, you will probably enjoy Thou Shall Prosper a great deal.

Ancient secrets of Jewish prosperity made accessible to all.:
There is at least one brilliant insight on almost every page of this unusual book. The author is braver than most business and personal succeess book writers. The rabbi is willing to say that you can't increase your wealth long term by merely accumulating a collection of clever tricks. Instead you actually have to become a different person. He doesn't say it because this is a finance book not a religious book but I sense that what he is dancing around is almost a 'being born again experience'. You have to help yourself be 'reborn' as a proud, confident, friendly, trustworthy business professional. Well he is right and my experiences with his advice prove it for me. Lapin comes close to perpetuating the old anti-Semitic canard about Jews being good with money, but he does effectively condense the ancient wisdom that puts far more Jews onto the Forbes 400 list than their population figures would suggest. This is a life-changing book and one that not only can make one more financially successful but can also help one integrate one's money earning activities with one's sense of values and convictions. You'll find yourself, like me, reading it and rereading it. Great value!

A Must Read:
Rabbi Lapin presents an often-overlooked insight into success in general and in business especially. He writes in a style that is engaging, accessible, and fun. I was drawn into the Rabbi's world as he expands, a little bit at a time, on a simple but revolutionary concept. His techniques and advice have already been a great boon to me in my business and personal life. You'll understand successful businessmen through Rabbi Lapin's magnifying glass and see how you can make yourself more successful. We can all benefit from his advice and insights into human interactions. This book clearly shows the connections between friendships and wealth. You'll see it too, and you'll be better off for having read this book. Good business is good for more than just you (and your pocketbook). Your success is a boon to your customers, your friends, and everyone around you. Business is more than just a job; it's a state of mind. And it's right.