What followed became one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life. I was given complete freedom over what I chose to read, along with the autonomy to share insights with colleagues during work hours.

My thinking was simple. Much of the business theory I had studied was valuable, but it was also becoming repetitive. There are only so many ways to run a business, and much of the content is repackaged to suit different audiences. There is nothing wrong with that. I have done the same myself in my own book, Life Led Business. But at the time, I wanted to go deeper. Instead of traditional business books, I chose autobiographies, particularly from people who were not always labelled as business people but had created something significant from nothing, often with minimal resources. While I occasionally read biographies, I preferred hearing directly from the individual in their own words.

My reading list included names you might expect, such as Nelson Mandela, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and Bill Gates, but also less obvious figures like Abraham Lincoln, Ernesto Che Guevara, and Robert Craig Knievel, better known as Evel Knievel. When you look beyond the rhetoric, their stories reveal consistent lessons. Whether working for good or less noble pursuits, all of them were entrepreneurial in their thinking.

Having worked with many business leaders, I had come to see that this is the essence of entrepreneurship: the vision, determination, and leadership to create something new that did not previously exist.

The book is short, more of a pamphlet than a conventional business book. In it, Phineas Taylor Barnum sets out, in his own words, what he believes entrepreneurship is about, covering the actions, beliefs, and behaviours required to succeed.

Its power is in its simplicity. The message is clear, practical, and undiluted. It reads less like a traditional book and more like a set of principles designed to be spoken and applied. For me, it was the book I had been searching for.

However, there was a challenge. The text was first published in 1880 and contains prejudices from that era that have no place in modern society. It is a product of its time, and Barnum himself remains a controversial figure.

I shared it with the team regardless and described it as the best business book you will ever read, but it did not sit entirely comfortably. Still, the book stayed with me, so I decided to edit it for a modern audience.

I did not change the meaning or dilute the lessons, and I did not rewrite the remaining text. I simply removed the elements of prejudice and ignorance. In reality, this was more straightforward than it might sound, as those elements were infrequent and often added as afterthoughts within paragraphs. Removing them did not change the intended business lessons.
I later approached the P T Barnum Museum in the United States, explained the work I had done, and shared how I was using the material with businesses in the UK. They were supportive of the changes at the time.

That book has stayed with me ever since. It has become a blueprint, a way of holding up a mirror and asking whether you are truly being as entrepreneurial and enterprising as you can be.

But it goes beyond business. It also asks whether you are happy in what you do and why you do it. In many ways, it became the starting point for my own Life Led Business thinking.

For years, I have shared my edited version with customers, particularly those who feel lost or overwhelmed.

For me, it remains the greatest business book you will ever read, or now, listen to or watch.

To watch the full YouTube series, visit

https://youtube.com/the-art-of-money-getting

If you would like a PDF copy of my edited version of The Art of Money Getting by Phineas Taylor Barnum, please feel free to direct message me.

Disclaimer and Use of Material

The Art of Money Getting; or Golden Rules for Making Money by Phineas Taylor Barnum was published in 1880 and the original text is now in the public domain. In the UK, written works are generally protected for 70 years after the death of the author, and Barnum died in 1891, so the original material is long out of copyright.

This means the original work can be reproduced, shared, and adapted. The version referenced here has been edited for a modern audience. These edits have been made carefully and intentionally to remove outdated language and prejudiced content that no longer aligns with contemporary values. No changes have been made to the core lessons, principles, or intended meaning of the original work.

Any additional commentary, interpretation, or insights included alongside the original material are my own and are intended to help contextualise and apply the ideas within a modern business and personal development setting.