When it comes to understanding financial advice and wealth-building strategies, reading textbooks doesn’t work for everyone. A refreshing option for those who seek guidance is The Baron Son by Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton (Long & Silverman Publishing Inc.; $19.95). In developing this book, the authors shared the following philosophy: “The economic climate is in a slow state of recovery and the dynamics of deal making are no longer the same. The old tactics for maintaining earnings growth are not effective in this environment, and while everyone waits for the next billion-dollar scheme to come along, people are working harder and getting poorer. One must change the nature of one’s business and investment strategies to survive.”
The Baron Son is an allegorical tale intended to be a guide to achieving wealth, power, and success. It is written partly in the English of centuries ago, but if you can read and understand The Bible, you shouldn’t have any trouble following the legend of a young boy who loses everything but through his struggles, uncovers the secrets of becoming the richest, most powerful man in the world. By showing how this young man learns about entrepreneurship, serving customers, saving for the future, and establishing alliances, the authors have found a compelling way to demonstrate how wealth-building strategies apply to everyday living.
Each chapter of the book is intended to teach a lesson, or “Supreme Principle,” that can provide solutions to difficult life situations and money management questions. The lessons that you will learn along the way include how to conquer your fears to overcome adversity; negotiate and sell effectively; increase productivity, income and cash flow; identify hidden opportunities as a result of failure; and leverage other people to help you create wealth. By showing how several characters’ choices garner both disastrous and favorable results, the book is simultaneously entertaining and inspirational. The book has proven so insightful that it has been endorsed by management guru Tom Peters and Bob Johnson, the billionaire entrepreneur and investor who launched BET and the charlotte Bobcats professional basketball franchise.
Why read a fictitious book to gain financial advice? In leafing through The Baron Son, you undoubtedly gain the perspectives and insights of its three authors, who have had their own ups and downs chasing business success. Davis runs her own jewelry company, Indulgence Jewelry Corp., and Patterson and Patton are partners in the Warcoffer Capital Group L.L.C., a financial holding company that invests in private firms and real estate ventures.
The lessons they deliver through the story of the Baron can be applied by would-be entrepreneurs as well as budding executives in corporate America. And because it is delivered in the form of fiction, it can be an effective way to get younger readers to begin thinking about their financial future. If nothing else, those who appreciate the whimsical wisdom that a fable delivers will find The Baron Son a very good read. Find out more at blackenterprise.com.