The book remains in print almost a century after the parables were originally published, and is regarded as a classic of personal financial advice.

The parables are told by a fictional Babylonian character called Arkad, a poor scribe who became the "richest man in Babylon".

A core part of Arkad's advice is around "paying yourself first", "living within your means", "investing in what you know", the importance of "long-term saving", and "home ownership".

[9][10] Clason himself published an illustrated hardback edition in 1930 titled The Richest Man in Babylon and Other Stories which now sells for USD 1,250.

[11] The unusual structure of the book has inspired many modern derivative works providing further discussion and insights on the parables.