The Wealthy Barber

Dave Chilton is an economics graduate and in 1985 won the prestigious H.L.  Gassard Memorial Award for achieving the highest score in the country on the Canadian Securities Course. Despite that, he's actually a fun guy. In fact, his forte is taking the intimidation out of financial planning by wrapping it in humor and accessible illustrations. The Wealthy Barber, Canada's all-time bestselling book, is the most well known example of Dave's teaching techniques. The book's "novel" format has opened the personal finance door to hundreds of thousands of Canadian households. Maclean's magazine reports "...30 years from now, Chilton could be best remembered not as a bestselling author, but as the man who inspired thousands to save their way to prosperity."

Dave has also hosted two critically acclaimed specials on PBS, where the Chicago Sun-Times describes his performance as "charming, unpretentious, and funny." (He loves that quote!) More recently, Dave donned a new hat, and published the low-fat cookbooks, Looneyspoons and Crazy Plates. They, too, have gone on to top national bestseller lists.

Dave is now engrossed in a new venture, Crazy Plates Meal Kits. Dave, along with Janet and Greta Podleski (the bestselling cookbook authors), have created low-fat, great-tasting, complete meal kits which are available in the frozen aisle at all Loblaws' banner supermarkets. This is a true David versus Goliath story as the Crazy Plates' team takes on the multi-national, billion-dollar food companies. How did Dave go from RRSPs to importing pineapple from Costa Rica? It's a truly fascinating story.

THE WEALTHY BARBER ACCOMPLISHES
A "PUBLISHING IMPOSSIBLE"

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton has accomplished a "publishing impossible" by selling over 2 million copies in North America. More than ten years after it was first published it still appears regularly on bestseller lists. The reason for its sustained popularity? It provides financial education in an entertaining and understandable format.

The Wealthy Barber's impact on North Americans has been nothing short of amazing. Maclean's magazine reports "...30 years from now Chilton could be best remembered not as a bestselling author, but as the man who inspired thousands to save their way to prosperity." Your Money adds "Chilton has probably motivated more people to take actual control of their personal financial lives than any other speaker or writer has in this decade."

The Wealthy Barber is not full of new techniques, complex strategies, or get-rich-quick-or-even-semi-quick schemes. Instead, it focuses on the financial planning basics that, over time, have proven to be effective. It's primarily common sense—common sense that, unfortunately, in our society is not common knowledge. By using a "novel" format and strong doses of humor, Chilton has taken the intimidation and boredom out of the financial-education experience.

Much of The Wealthy Barber's success is certainly owed to its author's unique presentation skills. An economics graduate and former winner of the H.L.Gassard Award for the highest mark in the country on the Canadian Securities Course, Dave Chilton definitely does not fit the stereotype of a dry financial expert. The Chicago Sun-Times said it most succinctly when they stated "Chilton is charming, unpretentious and funny."

This is truly a great Canadian success story. From a family project, self-published in the basement of Dave Chilton's house, The Wealthy Barber has gone on to become an internationally recognized brand name, helping millions of people on its way.