Dear Solomon, what is a reputation worth?

The old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover” is typically very true, but the public does indeed judge a book by its cover. Pay attention the next time you walk through one of the few remaining bookstores or even the book aisle of a local retailer. The bestselling authors have their names in big, bold letters on the cover and probably their picture if they are photogenic enough, while lesser known or unknown authors’ names are in much smaller print with the title or the cover art being designed to catch your eye.

But even with all of these marketing tricks, you still cannot tell how good the book is by its cover alone. Well-known authors can write a bad novel and unknown authors can write a fantastic one, but you have to go beyond the cover to find out.

On the surface, having great wealth may seem to be something more desirable than a good reputation, but Solomon, the richest man to ever roam the earth, disagrees. He wrote, “If you are given the choice between a good reputation and great wealth, choose the good reputation. Being held in high esteem is far better than having a hefty bank account.”

Many of you are contemplating in your mind right now the veracity of this thought. You are weighing the two choices as if they are indeed choices for you right now: “Would I rather have unbelievable riches or a highly regarded reputation?” I’m guessing that you would like to at least experience the great wealth before making your choice, right?

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