Preview
  • The Art of Money Getting

  • By: P. T. Barnum
  • Narrated by: Jim Roberts
  • Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (378 ratings)

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The Art of Money Getting

By: P. T. Barnum
Narrated by: Jim Roberts
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Publisher's summary

P.T. Barnum was an astute businessman and one of his principles for success was to treat each customer with respect and give him his money's worth. In this "mini-book", he gives practical rules that allowed him to stay out of debt and to acquire wealth.

The "rules" are illustrated by homespun stories. While some of these of this may seem like common sense, it is the kind of common sense that Wall Street, the government and many ordinary people seem to have forgetten about in recent years. This is a small book but one that could have large consequences for your financial future.

Public Domain (P)2009 Jimcin Recordings
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Editorial reviews

A beloved scam artist if ever there was one, P. T. Barnum regales listeners with his savvy secrets. More than mere hucksterism, however, The Art of Money Getting is perhaps the most enduring self-help guide in the genre’s history, offering sage business advice that remains applicable over a century after its publication. Barnum dispenses practical tips for staying out of debt, choosing one’s career path, and avoiding unnecessary expenditures. Without resorting to carnival barking, performer Jim Roberts captures Barnum’s showmanly quirks, as he entertains listeners with old-world anecdotes and humorous cautionary tales. For all the theatrics and spectacle associated with Barnum, The Art of Money Getting remains a sound, sensible dictum for modern-day working people.

What listeners say about The Art of Money Getting

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Valuable wisdom

This was a most excellent book. Loaded with practical advice and wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur. I especially loved the insights into how to choose work that is in agreement with your unique disposition and talents. You won't be dissappointed with this book. It's a rock solid foundation to a life of business success.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a Classic!

This book was written in the 1880's but its information is still relevant today. No its not a get rich quick book. But it is an hour and a half of classic financial wisdom. At a cost of $0.95 I recommend it to anyone.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

concise, thorough, and informative

Strongly reccomend this audio book. Its very basic, clear cut knowledge without all the extra fluff.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing!

Would you listen to The Art of Money Getting again? Why?

Yes! I have listened to it fives times already. It is a great book on life lessons.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Art of Money Getting?

The very first thing he brought up was that the man who earns 20 pounds per year and spends 20 pounds and 6 pence is miserable while the man who earns 20 pounds and spends but 19 pounds and 6 pence is among the happiest of men.

Have you listened to any of Jim Roberts’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

What did you learn from The Art of Money Getting that you would use in your daily life?

Spend less than you earn, don't borrow money for food or clothes, don't have dealings with an unlucky man. Tony Romo is a nice fellow but he is unlucky and the Cowboys need to let him move on.

Any additional comments?

This book needs to be listened to by every young man and woman setting out into the world. It should be taught in high school.

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10 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Good Advice Well-Presented

Pretty obvious advice, but still engaging, with a lot of good anecdotes. A quick, easy listen.

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Basic but very insightful

Old lessons people have forgotten in this day and age. Good lesson especially for young people starting out and other older folks who have forgotten the very basics of money.

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Classic advice from the Past for the Present!

THE ART OF MONEY GETTING is an excellent work of P.T. Barnum that teaches Timeless wisdom on making money and money management but teaches this wisdom with language that is "Biblical" (Archaic) in sound. Therefore I recommend the commentary book of this work taught by Dr. Larry Iverson for the Modern listener. But sometimes, nothing beats "The Source"!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Sound Principles For All Levels

It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep.

Most fail to realize this. I have also experienced this. Went from making half as much and ended up keeping more. Using techniques discussed in the book.

The rich get richer from utilizing methodologies in this book. It’s a must that you do these things!

Great book. Thank you for amazing literature.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Most ALL the good sense my father never told me

The title and cover art are somewhat misleading. This is the sound wisdom and common sense of a smart and effective and fulfilled person, wrapped in quintessentially American packaging and values. It is not rocket science, but myself, being raised to be one of the low level ticket-holders in Barnum's audiences, i.e., an impulsive consumer with poor self-regulation, it took me decades of squandered life and stumbling down blind alleys to puzzle out what is so plainly set forth right here. This little manual has been essentially plagiarized in countless iterations as self-help books, and one could save an awful lot of trouble by going straight here and giving it a good listening-to. Money is simply one superficial symbol for living a fulfilling and wholesome life, and Barnum understood this deeply and well. He extols the virtues of eating simple fruit and drinking water, and notices the fools rushing past these things for unhealthy and wasteful pursuits (for example, tobacco consumption and addiction). The person who simply sees the surface of this misses so much. At this laughably low price, a young person internalizing these lessons would get a lifelong multiple thousand percent return on the investment.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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old timey

lol, such an old times kind of book. could he read from the 1800s or something. the lessons hold true to this day, you just have to translate it to language we use in 2018 VS. 1902. not bad I guess

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3 people found this helpful