The young individual who runs a popular rock and gem museum in Radisson has just published a new book.
The individual is Judah Tyreman, who runs the Sesula Mineral and Gem Museum in Radisson. He started up the museum at just 11 years old.
Now, at age 16, Tyreman has completed his second book, The Richest Man in Babylon.
“This one is a financial theme built into 1001 Arabian Knights stories,” Tyreman said in an interview with the News-Optimist. “It’s fiction but it has the information woven into it.”
According to the book’s liner notes:
“This book came about after reading the old 1926 classic The Richest Man in Babylon. As a kid, even though the information was good, I found myself slugging along with the separate stories and old English, which was used to set the tone for the book.
“It then hit me that a version for kids was the very thing that needed to extend the reach of this great information. So here appears the idea of that great book, mixed with a lot of my experience as a business owner, 1001 Arabian Nights, and Aesop’s fables, which results in an easy read for kids 8-80 on accruing wealth.”
Tyreman explains that the book is aimed towards a wide audience.
“I’m aiming the book kind of for anyone, as long as they enjoy it,” said Tyreman. “I wrote it in a way that a mother and father could read their kid a bedtime story, or it would appeal to someone my age, because everyone seems to like the 1001 Arabian Knights styles.”
It’s pretty unusual and impressive for a 16 year old to write a book, and even more unusual for it to be his second one.
His first book was Reviving the Art of Innovation: Using Your Sense to Make a Dollar.
That was a non-fiction book about finance that focuses more on how Tyreman launched the Sesula Mineral and Gem Museum at 11 years old.
That museum launched after Tyreman acquired a number of mineral and gems from Stewart Sesula, who Tyreman first bought minerals from. After he passed away, Sesula left a collection of minerals and gems to Tyreman, and the museum is named in Sesula’s honour.
The museum, now in its fifth year, has put Radisson on the map. It received recognition from media outlets including the Discovery Channel and Rock&Gem magazine, where the museum was profiled. A whole variety of rocks and gems are on display and samples are also available to purchase.
Tyreman says they have plans to open an upstairs level this year. Among the things they are looking at doing is a fluorescent mineral display.
The museum has helped make the young Tyreman a wealthy individual at such a young age. Including the museum building and other properties, his net worth is estimated at $350,000.
That was what motivated him in his first and now his latest book project: to help kids understand finance. Unlike the first book, The Richest Man in Babylonis done in a fictional style. It was explained that by doing a fiction book, the thought was it would hold kids’ interest longer. The book is also designed and laid out in a way so it is an easy read.
Another thing to watch for in The Richest Man in Babylonis a surprise twist ending that readers don’t see coming.
In addition to the book project, Tyreman is launching a YouTube channel aimed at adults and older teens. Instead of focusing on investments, this channel is aimed at teaching people how to not only get out of the financial hole but get on the road to wealth.
It is called The Step by Step Millionaire Channel and Judah recruited his dad Chris Tyreman to host the site. Chris also was involved editing the book project.
The Richest Man in Babylon is published by Aavara Books and is available through Amazon.ca.
