Product Description

Personal finance author and lecturer Robert T. Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective from two very different influences - two fathers. One father (Robert's real father) was a highly educated man but fiscally poor. The other was the father of Robert's best friend - that dad was a college drop-out who became a self-made multi-millionaire. In this follow-up to the bestselling "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", he reveals the secret of how the wealthiest people become wealthier by presenting some simple investing secrets and explaining how anyone can enjoy cash benefits merely by knowing where and how best to invest their money. The author's nuts-and-bolts approach to personal finance and understanding the real earning power of money has gained him a huge following, particularly as he knows all he describes from first-hand experience. Once so cash poor that he and his wife were forced to sleep in their car, today the Kiyosakis are multi-millionaires and highly sophisticated and experienced investment experts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #141250 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 403 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The rich are different from the rest of us. That's why 90 percent of all corporate shares are owned by 10 percent of the people. Kiyosaki believes it's possible for anyone to move up into that 10 percent, but it takes a different view of investing than most people have: it takes a plan to be a successful investor. And a plan is more than simply buying and selling, or collecting "assets" that bring in no cash and are thus more akin to liabilities. The way most people invest, "they might as well be pushing a wheelbarrow in a circle," he writes. A plan is "mechanical, automatic, and boring," a formula for success that has worked historically for most of those who've used it. Kiyosaki's "rich dad" (actually, the father of his best friend) tells him the simplest analogy is the game Monopoly: buy four green houses, trade them for one red hotel, and repeat until you become rich.

The overall message of Rich Dad's Guide to Investing is that this is an abundant world, full of opportunity for the sophisticated investor. However, it sometimes takes a while to find this point. Much of the book is told in dialogues between young Kiyosaki and his rich dad, and these conversations can ramble. There are rewards for the careful reader--for example, in the middle of a section on the basic rules of investing, Kiyosaki's rich dad compares investor education to toilet training: difficult at first but eventually automatic. But getting to these inspired metaphors means wading through a lot of repetitive dialogue. It's a bit ironic that someone who advocates investor discipline should show so little as a writer. But by the end of the book, even the rambling starts to make sense. By the hundredth time you read that the rich don't work for money and that you don't need money to make money, both concepts start to make sense. It still looks difficult to apply these ideas, but Rich Dad's Guide to Investing certainly makes the case that they'll work for anyone bold and smart enough to practice them. --Lou Schuler, Amazon.com

USA Today
'RICH DAD, POOR DAD is a starting point for anyone looking to gain control of their financial future'

Anthony Robbins
'Robert Kiyosaki's work in education is powerful, profound, and life changing. I salute his efforts and recommend him highly'

Customer Reviews

This book is an investment in itself.
Kiyosaki is no writer. His style is repetitive, simple and to the point. Which is why i recommend this book. For the creation of wealth often requires exactly this kind of approach. If spiritually enlightening messages are what you're seeking, try Dostoyevskiy's Karamazov Brothers. If you're interested in becoming wealthy - not secure, or financially independent, but RICH (he has a chapter on becoming a billionaire) - then Rich Dad's Guide To Investing makes for a thoroughly refreshing read.

The author uses a wide selection of diagrams and stories to highlght his points, which I found useful in most cases. He also offers some simple yet invaluable guidelines on building a business and becoming an investor in the true sense of the word.

However, the one thing missing is a 'reality check', since Kiyosaki, in my view, should have devoted more time on encouraging people to develop specific core competencies, strengths that individuals can "bring to the table", rather than solely emphasising the importance of finanical literacy (hence 4 stars).

The worst of the four books
Read the Rich Dad Poor Dad one, the Cashflow Quadrant one and the Rich Kid Smart Kid one (if you have kids or are interested in the Education system). All of these are excellent.

This one is very hard going, but has some useful stuff at the end. Borry a friends copy and read the last few chapters.

If You Liked Rich Dad, Poor Dad, This Book Helps Apply It
I recommend that you read both "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and "Cash Flow Quadrant" before reading this book. That will ensure that you understand Mr. Kiyosaki's key concepts and are emotionally committed to them. You'll need that grounding to begin to apply them well!

As in Rich Dad, Poor Dad, this book has the delightful story line of advice from the father of a friend who became a very wealthy man before his death -- leaving his family well set financially for 100 years! I think it's that base in reality that makes these books so interesting.

One of the best ways to learn is to have a successful mentor who will guide us through the key challenges of getting started. This book is designed to duplicate the experiences that the author had his his rich Dad. For example, the key questions that rich Dad asked him are at the end of each section for you to answer for yourself. I found my answers to be revealing, even though I have been through a lot of similar sets of questions. Well done!

The story line picks up after the author is coming out of the Marines in his twenties to find his boyhood friend already wealthy from his own efforts.

The financial advice parts of the book are tied into helping you pick up a meaningful financial plan. You begin by deciding what you want money to do for you. That's an excellent thing to do. Some want security. Some want more income. Others want substantial wealth that keeps growing. You should decide. Some books make the mistake of pushing you to choose a goal that really isn't what you want. Rather than push you in a particular direction, the book emphasizes key principles (compound cash tax-free, create assets with your mind as well as with your money). The author notes that each of us has preferences that will take us in different directions for implementing whatever our goals are. I liked that approach a lot.

You will recognize a lot of the diagrams from Rich Dad, Poor Dad. But it is good advice, so it doesn't hurt to have the repetition. This part is fairly compact, so you can skim through it if you feel confident about the material.

This book would be outstanding as a gift for someone who is about to graduate from school and starting a first job, or for newly wedded people. It would be even more valuable if you would be a mentor for the person you give it to, like one of your children or grandchildren.

If you get to be good at this now, think how great it would be to be the rich Dad for your children and their friends. Now that's an irresistibly great goal!

Enjoy the riches you would like to have, for the reasons you would like to have them!

Remember, the sooner you finish these tasks, the sooner you can turn your attention to the other aspects of your life you want to improve. May your life be filled with much health, happiness, peace . . . and prosperity.