What metaphors are used in The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason?

Gold becomes a symbol and a metaphor for greed. Gold, and how to obtain more of it, is the central tenant of the book. While modern readers may not be concerned with obtain gold, they can certainly understand the desire for more wealth whatever the currency. For the Babylonians gold was the means to a better life and the more gold one had the better his life. The desire for gold fuels each character in the book and the entire lesson of the book involve earning, keeping, and increasing one's supply of gold.