Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (Paperback)

~ Rabbi Daniel Lapin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Combining pop psychology, snippets of Jewish lore, homespun homilies and quotations from a daunting variety of sources, Lapin offers a manual on how to make money by succeeding in business. Lapin, a super-conservative Orthodox rabbi and talk show host, insists that everyone is in business "unless you are a Supreme Court judge [sic] or a tenured university professor." (Excluding professors fits with Lapin's devaluation of them, since he believes that higher education doesn't prepare for "real life.") The material is organized into 10 chapters of advice, beginning with the notion that "business is moral, noble and worthy," and ending with the admonition not to retire. Throughout, Lapin urges behavior that will produce more business and, thus, more money. For example, he unabashedly recommends attending synagogue or church services in order to make business contacts. Similarly, he encourages giving charity to an organization that has members who "are in the best position to advance your business objectives." Lapin justifies these dubious actions by interpreting the fifth commandment ("Honor thy father and thy mother") as a mandate to form relationships for business purposes. His struggle to ground his financial advice in Jewish tradition is abandoned as he expounds an anti-environmentalist stance. He digresses still further from both Judaism and wealth-building when he gives tips for public speaking based on what his father taught him (talking without a manuscript or notes and not grasping the rostrum). Lapin's book may appeal to patient readers who share his conservative political and economic views.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Combining pop psychology, snippet of Jewish lore, homespun homilies and quotations from a daunting variety of sources, Lapin offers a manual on how to make money by succeeding in business. Lapin, a super conservative Orthodox rabbi and talk show host, insists that everyone is in business "unless you are a Supreme Court judge (sic) or a tenured university professor." (Excluding professors fits with Lapin's devaluation of them, since he believes that higher education doesn't prepare for "real Life.") The material is organized into 10 chapters of advice, beginning with the notion that "business is moral, noble and worthy," and ending with the admonition not to retire. Throughout, Lapin urges behavior that will produce more business and, thus, more money. For example, he unabashedly recommends attending synagogue or church services in order to make business contacts. Similarly, he encourages giving charity to an organization that has members who "are in the best position to advance your business objectives." Lapin justifies these dubious actions by interpreting the fifth commandment ("Honor thy father and thy mother") as a mandate to form relationships for business purposes. His struggle to ground his financial advice in Jewish tradition is abandoned as he expounds an anti-evnironmentalist stance. He digresses still further from both Judaism and wealth-building when he gives tips for public speaking based on what his father taught him (talking without a manuscript or notes and not grasping the rostrum). Lapin's book may appear to patient readers who share his conservative political and economic views. (Oct. 11) (Publishers Weekly, September 30, 2002) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471710237
• ISBN-13: 978-0471710233
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #295,079 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read and Thou Shall Prosper, October 30, 2002

By	Elie Gindi "Jdubars" (Beverly Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (Hardcover)

As a business owner in a service industry I have gained more from this book than almost any other personal finance or business management book that I have read. Unlike so many others, Rabbi Daniel Lapin does not offer any quick tricks or simple solutions. He describes a powerful process of self improvement and real change that I have found to be personally exhilarating as well as already profitable. I can see how my many financially successful Jewish friends seem to follow the rabbi's prescriptions almost subconsciously. Now after seeing the business process through Rabbi Lapin's eyes I find myself finding opportunity where I never saw it before. Through the practical steps that conclude each chapter I have been able to adjust my intuitive response to people and situations and this has allowed me to negotiate more effectively. The most amazing thing is how often during my first read of Thou Shall Prosper, I exclaimed "Wow! He's right!" This stuff isn't rocket science but it is often counterintuitive. I could have used some more diagrams and clarification of some of the more complex principles but with a few rereadings, it was fine. I recommend this book for its practical ability to make you really prosper whereas before you might just have been doing OK. He says that if you want to make different things happen to you it isn't enough to do different things, you must actually become different. If you want to change, this book can help you do so. It is going to be my present of choice for many friends and relatives during this holiday season. You won't regret having it in your business library.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient secrets of Jewish prosperity made accessible to all., November 8, 2002

By	"billwagoner" (Chicago, IL.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (Hardcover)

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!

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Both Entertaining and Useful, April 16, 2003

By	Patrick S. Pope "Scott Pope" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (Hardcover)

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.