My book offers a lean, no-nonsense explanation of the meaning of our wealth, and a sure guide for dealing with it constructively. Some of it won’t surprise you: other times you’ll think my conclusions novel; but they’re not original. For I discovered an understanding of wealth that developed almost 2,500 years ago with Aristotle and was later embraced by Cicero, Aquinas, Emerson, Carnegie, and wise souls in other times and cultures — an understanding rooted not in religion or mysticism, but in virtue, common sense, and the pragmatism that allows societies to flourish.

There I found simple criteria by which to determine how much wealth is enough for us, now and in the future. In the coming days, I’ll explain these criteria, and give you rules-of-thumb to help you judge how much of your wealth to devote to the common good, and when you should do so. Best of all, I’ll show you how to use what you keep as an instrument to strengthen your family and loved ones, while making each of you wiser and the world a better place.