The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant

Title:  The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant

Author:  Terry Felber

Rating:  Very good

Reason for Reading:  I have heard Dave Ramsey talk about this book for years.  It is one of the books he makes his employees read within their first 6 months of employment

Format:  Hardcover

Summary:  The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant is a business fable set in Renaissance Italy in which a grandfather imparts upon his grandson the lessons he learned as a child.  The grandfather was adopted by a monk and raised in a monastery upon the death of his parents when he was an infant.  The grandfather has great reverence for the monastery and its holy mission to praise God, but when he reaches adulthood, his father insists that he also learn about being a merchant from his best friend, who runs a successful shipping business.

The grandfather tells his grandsons about the lessons he learned and how both his father the monk and his mentor the merchant honor God and serve the kingdom of God here on Earth.  The book contains 12 principles for conducting business well and serving God through commerce.

Review:  I found this book to truly live up to the praise that Dave Ramsey gives it on his radio show.  It does indeed demonstrate how both the monk and the merchant are praising God and doing his work here on Earth.  Through the fable, the reader receives the same insight and sense of wonder in the wisdom of the grandfather that the grandson does.  I recommend this to anyone who comes from a faith and wants to express that faith in the marketplace.  A fun read with great wisdom.  Perfect for my collection.

Joseph Iliff

Other resources: None

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”