What does money represent in the novel, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia?

Money is your primary and fundamental goal in life so that you may fully escape your childhood and never again return to the dire straits of poverty. Money ekes everything else out in your life, including love, ethics, and idealism. You devote your life to the making of money, working for others and then beginning your own water-bottling business. Money serves to be your main priority throughout the vast majority of your life, edging out even your own family in your pursuit of it. Ironically, you lose nearly all the money you make throughout your life toward the end, forcing you to reevaluate the things you have considered fundamental.