The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant: A Book Review

In your local bookstore, there is a "Religion and Spirituality" section, and there is a "Business and Finance" section.  One does not generally expect the two to intersect.  I'm not sure, though, which section this book belongs in.

Terry Felber's The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant: Twelve Keys to Successful Living is at once a Christian journey and an exercise in business and financial skills development. Both are areas which interest me.  I expect though, to study them separately.  Not so here.

For the reader who is engaged in the marketplace, Ferber imparts wisdom through the engaging tale of Antonio, a successful sixteenth century Venetian businessman passing his knowledge on to a grandson who will follow in his footsteps.  In the process, he gifts the reader with spiritual insight into the relationship that money has to worship  of God and service to mankind.

Our modern society is increasingly coming to see success in business as inherently evil, rather than as an opportunity for good.  This book is the perfect anecdote to that misunderstanding of the role of money.  As Dave Ramsey states in his foreword to the book, "...my goal for you is that you start to experience a paradigm shift, that you'll come to view everything you do in the marketplace as an act of holiness that will forever change the way you do business."

This book is a treat, particularly for those engaged in business or wrestling with the reconciliation of the marketplace with Christianity.


This book was a Review Copy sent by the publisher — common practice in the industry. No payment was accepted in exchange for a review or mention, and the reviewer was in no way obligated to review the book favorably.