Robert Kiyosaki

[The Yugoslavian]

IMO RDPD is more of a motivational book with a few very powerful financial ideas than a financial book that thoroughly covers any financial ideas.

The book is mainly about the story of the rich dad and poor dad and how their advice can affect their son's approach to financial life. It's about creating a gestalt change in an individual who can only view the world through "work hard, buy all the stuff you *deserve*, repeat. People decide to let themselves feel trapped in jobs they hate and such b/c they aren't even aware of a different path they may take. RDPD allows people to internalize a different method of financial living....not read about it but actually internalize it (altho for most ppl I'd guess for a somewhat short period of time).

However, I do agree that Kiyosaki's other stuff seems to be v v poor b/c this material doesn't go much further or when it sorta does it lacks the how-to/details/math. It's all more stories about how Kiyosaki is a lucksack or whatever despite being a bit of a moron and needing 2354321414 other people to tell him what to do all the time.

Oh, this is also why I think the book sells so well...it's a motivational story that connects with people at an emotional level and there isn't much detail oriented thinking work to be done. This is what allows the average Joe (myself included of course) to change his financial path outlook.

This is the value of his board game.....it doesn't tell you how to do the things necessary to get out of the rat race, but it does show you how important and powerful it can be if one *can* get out of the rat race.

Yugoslav

[maxtower]

I think the book is garbage. After you have read 100 of these financial books you'll realize most are trivial and just different versions of the same crap.
I am sure some people like Degen realize value after having read the book, because of the motivational aspects of the message. I realized the same thing from those late night TV commercials on making bazillions through real estate. Most people who have the aptitude will make these realizations (saving, investing, income from investments) at some point in their lives. If this book was that pivotal moment for an individual then reading it was certainly a valuable experience for them and worth the $19.95. This does not however make it a good book. In my opinion the same person would have stumbled across some other source for the motivation anyway. They had to be looking or otherwise would not have even read it.
I would imagine the vast majority of people who read this book will say "Yeah thats what I should do." and never do anything.
The book is what it is. I would recommend to friends many other books first. Kiyosaki is a liar and a scammer who takes money from people making promises that will never materialize. Broke people like to hear Horatio Alger type stories and believe that they will one day break out of the cycle. There is a market for that and this book along with Kiyosaki's other offerings caters to that.
Actually breaking out of the rat race takes a lot more hard work, dedication, and intelligence.

[punkass]

http://finance.yahoo.com/columnist/a...ichricher/6720

I can't stand this guy either.
Ray Lucia is my guy.

[kyleb]

I will say this: If you need a self-help book to pick you up from down in the dumps because you can't really understand actual investment advice, Kiyosaki is your man, I guess.

But then again, so is any other fluff piece written that is aimed to make you "feel good." You could read something written by Tony Robbins and have the same effect.

[lala]

[ QUOTE ]
Its painfully obvious that none/most of you have even bothered to read the [censored] book.

I think reading a book should be a pre-requisite to criticizing its contents.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know that you like this book a lot, but others have read it and don't like it. And there's nothing wrong with that.

[mattnxtc]

yall do realize that as far as i know he doesnt have much real estate education? His undergrade was in maritime stuff

[Tien]

Micheal Dell's undergrad was in health sciences. In fact he dropped out.

Doesn't stop him from starting one of the biggest computer companies in the world.

University is not a prerequisite to becoming filthy rich and wealthy.

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
Its painfully obvious that none/most of you have even bothered to read the [censored] book.

I think reading a book should be a pre-requisite to criticizing its contents.

[/ QUOTE ]

I read the book. I found it not only useless, but irritating in that it tried to come up with flashy sounding, pseudo-scientific concepts like the "cash flow quadrant" that are completely contentless.

Can you tell us one specific thing you learned from the book?

eastbay