BOOK TITLE: Investment Intelligence: Timeless reflections for building lasting wealth
AUTHOR: Prince Yemisi Shyllon MBA ( Finn), FCS, FCloD
PAGINATION: 279
CHAPTERS: 25
PUBLISHED: By Enlightened Media Ltd.
DEDICATION: To the fond memory of the author’s paternal grandmother; the daughter of the first lawyer in Nigeria, Mrs. Marie Olubunmi Shyllon ( Nee Sapara – Williams
REVIEWER: Ayo Oyoze Baje.
The fascinating facts and features that define the significance of any book to the average reader include the relevance, uniqueness and the life-changing value addition the contents of the chapters bring to bear. Worthy of note, of course, are the answers to the questions such as: Is it well presented, easy to read, with the ingredients easy to digest and assimilated? If all the answers dovetail to the yes, then we are good to go.
Interestingly, this exceptional, one – of – a – kind, page -turning rich, insightful motivational guide on the whys, the when and where one should invest wisely to add immense value to one’s God-given talents and turn seed money into fruitful gains is not only thematically relevant but is purely based on the empirical evidences gleaned from the reputable author’s decades of practical experiences.
Of significance too, is that the book comes out at a trying moment when not a few of our misguided and rudderless youth are caught up in the self-decimating, get-rich-quick syndrome. Unfortunately, that has led not a few of them into the dark pit of dire consequences.
But good enough, as the author rightly states: ” I wrote this book for current and future generations, to learn that the acquisition of wealth
is not an accident, a stroke of luck, or a secret reserved for only some chosen few. It is a journey of discipline, clarity, courage, and
character. It is a long-time game, shaped by decisions, made quietly, consistently, and often when no one is watching.”
Furthermore, as he explains in his Personal Note: “There is more to life than working endlessly without building anything that lasts. For success, you want structure, wisdom, and a roadmap—not vague inspiration. I wrote this book to give you that roadmap: one built from knowledge, experience, reinforced by observation, and sharpened by years of personal reflection.” Most inspirational, is it not? Of course, it is.
Breaking it down to the nitty – gritty of the chapters he illustrates it this way: “Inside, I have shared the truths that transformed
my own life’s journey:
• That knowledge is key.
• That mindset precedes money.
• That discipline outperforms brilliance.
• That character is capital.
• That clarity creates momentum.
• And that wealth without purpose collapses under its own weight.
I want you to see that real prosperity is not merely accumulated—it is constructed. It is multiplied by knowledge, protected by structure, strength-
ened by values, and passed on through intentional planning.” You can read through that thought-provoking breakdown again! These span right from ” the habits that sustain financial stability, to the ethics that dignify wealth; from cooperative strategies that empower beginners, to personal development plans that accelerate mastery; from personal security and health, to legacy and succession. This is not theory. These are lessons I have lived, tested, corrected, and distilled, so that you can avoid the pitfalls which many unfortunately, discover, too late.” Right on point, he is, of course.
All these are well captured in the book which is segmented into five parts. While PART 1 titled : THE FOUNDATION — MINDSET,
PURPOSE & THE MEANING OF WEALTH covers Chapters 1-5, Part 2 with the title: PERSONAL DISCIPLINE and WEALTH reads from Chapter 6-10. On its own, PART 3 with the title: KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING & FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE are aptly presented from Chapter 11-16.
Furthermore, PART 4 with the title; STRATEGY, EXECUTION & STRUCTURED WEALTH BUILDING goes from Chapter 17-20. And last but by no means the least is PART 5 titled: ADVANCED WEALTH, PRESERVATION & LEGACY which are published in Chapters 21-25. In all of these chapters, how does true wealth begin? That is the million naira question.
According to him, WEALTH BEGINS WITH A TRANSFORMED MINDSET. True wealth creation starts with how you think. Instead of reacting emotionally to government actions, investors study, interpret, and position themselves strategically. Some get worked up about government borrowing, expenditure patterns, or fiscal decisions. But seasoned wealth-builders don’t respond that way. They don’t waste energy debating what the
government should or shouldn’t be doing. People who have the right mindset don’t complain and grumble whenever government policies seem inconvenient. They ask smarter questions — questions that lead to opportunities rather than frustration.
Let me illustrate this clearly. In 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria passed a budget totalling ₦17.136 trillion. Out of that, ₦3.8 trillion—about 22.2%—was allocated to debt servicing, far above the 3% benchmark recommended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007. Another ₦6.9 trillion was earmarked for recurrent expenditure—covering salaries of civil servants, travel allowances, administrative costs, and healthcare provisions. The remaining ₦5.4 trillion was directed towards capital projects: roads, bridges, public infrastructure, and other national development initiatives.
Now, here’s the difference between a reactive person and an informed wealth-builder. The average person reads these numbers and becomes anxious or angry. The wealth-builder studies the same numbers and immediately acts.
Conclusion
According to the brilliant and highly experienced author, his deepest desire is that as you read this book and others recommended, something awakens within you—a quiet confidence that you too can build a life of stability, influence, and enduring impact. Wealth becomes possible the moment you stop wishing, start designing, acting and organising. It grows when you commit yourself to learning, planning strategies, protecting, and investing in both yourself and your environment.
So, approach this book with hunger. Mark its pages. Challenge the ideas provided. Start small and start now. If you allow these principles to shape your thinking and actions, I believe you will look back one day and realise that, this very moment—the moment you opened this book—was a turning point in your life. This potential global bestseller of a book provides the missing link in the lives of millions of Nigerians and billions across the African continent and the world. It is indeed, the strong and stable bridge between our talents and our economic growth and productivity. Not only has he listed the common mistakes people often make in both the handling of money but they lack investment intelligence, which he has provided in the book with ample personal experiences for the readers to learn from.
This well written, beautifully presented and easy-to-read and understand, potential global bestseller is a must-have and must-read book for all those who want to multiply the sums available to them not only into into millions and billions of investment products but to act as a game-changer in the lives of each and everyone of us. Let me therefore, humbly recommend it to different professionals, and students of higher institutions of learning across different departments beyond the field of economics. They need it: you need it as yours truly needs it as well.
