Rating:  Summary: The Best $$ I've Spent in a LONG Time! Review: I was first told about this book by a coworker. I then camehere to see what others had said about it. . . . So I took a chance. It arrived on a Tuesday. I thumbed through it quickly, and noticed the ad about the CASHFLOW game by the author. I also noticed the price...I told myself, "For that price, not a chance!" I started the book Wednesday morning. I finished it Thursday evening. It was excellent! A few of the ideas were things I practiced before reading the book, but the lessons really tie everything into a neat package. I was skeptical in the beginning, so I wasn't expecting the mind-opening experience I received. On a related note, the timing of my reading this book couldn't be more perfect. I recently got a new job with a significant increase in salary. Before reading this, I probably would have put the overflow into my savings account or something silly like that. Now, I have some REAL tools at my disposal to make my money work for me rather than the other way around. I'm planning to buy the Cashflow game for my wife and, especially, my children. Conventional wisdom says that $$ shouldn't change my life...but it did.
Rating:  Summary: Rich Dad, Poor Dad Review: I bought this book because the author was profiled on Oprah. I was extremely disappointed. The focus of the book is money and how it leads to power. The author disregards education as basically worthless. He gives examples of how his "Rich Dad" basically cheats people to get ahead. I thought it was an example of how to follow someone who has lost his moral integrity.
Rating:  Summary: Whets your appetite Review: Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a great introduction to the psychology of creating wealth. If you're a financial genius, this isn't the book for you. However, if you're the average person who needs a little nudge in the right direction, this is a great primer!This book reads more like a novel than a financial manual because I believe the author wanted to make finances interesting for the masses. What I got from the book was a concise understanding of how to make money work for me and the motivation and confidence I needed to take action. Since I read this book, I have enrolled with an online stock broker. The motivation I've gained more than pays for the price of the book. Highly recommended for financial novices!
Rating:  Summary: Watch the Infomercial instead Review: This book was not only poorly written and edited, but there was no real content. This was a typical infomercial, with the caveat that you buy his $200.00 game board -- that's what is really disturbing. Atleast Robbins and Ziglar are upfront with their stories. I would not waste the money on this book. Read anything but this.
Rating:  Summary: Must Read! Review: I read the book in one day and was amazed at how much information was in there. The author does not mandate strict ways to become financially independent, rather he offers up some basic financial knowledge, gives you a road map and then lets you decide. An extensive recommended reading list provides a springboard to move forward. If this were required reading for high-school seniors, we would have a lot more wealthy people, regardless of what their income is.
Rating:  Summary: New to investing Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is appropriate for someone, like myself, who is new to investing. Also, it encourages me to teach my child to invest when he is older. It is very repetitious, but that is necessaary when teaching someone totally new to investing. Since my parents did not teach anything about investing or starting my own business, this book has been very motivational and ecouraging to me. I cannot even discuss my investments in front of my mother because she thinks that I am going to lose my hard earned money. But as the author repeats over and over again, I need to make money from my assets rather than rely on earned income exclusively. It is just the beginning to a lifetime of investing for me.
Rating:  Summary: Expect not too much Review: The contents of this book will remind you of many similar ones. The original piece of it is what will make your reading so pleasant. Its sound advice is sometimes lost in verbose and lots of text with no aparent purpose. If you can get through that, then you may find the jewel in this book.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing, very disappointing... Review: Granted, I may already be ahead of the game as I am out of debt and own true assets, but I gleaned no information from this book other than the painfully obvious. The point driven home by this book (ad nausium) is that "money should work for you" instead of "you working for money". The point the author neglected to mention is that it takes considerable effort to get your money to work for you (nothing in life is free, you know). As a business owner, I know this all too well. Whether you work to make your money work for you, or you work to make money directly, the end result is the same, effort = money. The only valid point (again, obvious), is to not blow all of your money on "stuff". Instead, buy (money making) assets. There are an abundance of success stories in this book about how the author made lots of money with little effort, but he tells nothing of the countless hours of work that he put into investments that didn't pan out. On the same note, he mentions NOT ONE EXAMPLE of a failure. I beleive it is as important to know what NOT to do, as it is to know what TO do. Finally, the book read like a novel. When I read a book of this type, I expect it to be clear and concise (professional, if you will). It is ironic that one of the points that the author makes is to develop your communication skills! Two thumbs down.
Rating:  Summary: Must Read for Doers. Wishers leave it alone... Review: Absolutely the hottest thing for people who are looking to dosomething about their financial position in life. Robert, his teachings, and his books are already helping thousands do that...You'll find people making money with no money. It doesn't take money to make money. That's one of Robert's major points. It does take a willing mind. I don't remember the $52,000 endowment from a friend that another reviewer refers to (in fact, I didn't really remember anything from the book that supports what that reviewer said -- she may have the wrong book). But this book and the two that come after it (Cashflow Quadrant and Rich Dad's Guide to Investing) are worth way more than their weight in gold as far as financial literacy is concerned. As far as it not being practical for those starting out, I am just starting out. This week I came upon a real estate deal that stands to make me $40,000 when it's finished with none of my own money down. To do this, I stayed up late (as late as 5AM) to get tons of help from people on the discussion forums on the richdad site who have completed similar deals. I also watched two other people on Oprah tell of successes using Robert's principles. One increased his income per year by $52,000. No, his "friend" didn't give it to him. He did it himself. Now if all this sounds like too much work, then don't bother. You won't be willing to do what he recommends. Keep watching "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", buying lottery tickets, and wishing. Keep working 2080 plus hours per year for a paycheck that averages about $30,000 per year (in the US) and let the government keep taking half of it. As far as the book being "poorly written", heck it was written well enough for me to understand it. Rich Dad didn't finish high school so he probably didn't know how to dissect a sentence and tell you what the verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc are. Since Robert finished college but learned how to become wealthy from Rich Dad, he probably knows but doesn't care. I learned a long time ago to see beyond typos, gramatical errors, and spelling errors to find the real wealth of knowledge underneath. My gosh, this isn't a high school test, this is LIFE. Which skills do you want more ? Ones that set you free or ones that keep you in bondage ? This book has a ton of the stuff that'll set you free if you're willing to listen, learn, and do. If not, then fine. I'd also ignore all the other wealth building books because they don't have the get rich quick formula either. You'll smell work in every one of them. If you're looking for a handout, that smell will make you want to throw up. The reviewer that wrote the bad review is right that we probably won't see a bunch of new millionaires from the book. Most people won't do the work. A lot of people will read Rich Dad Poor Dad, put it down around 11PM, say "must be nice" roll over, go to sleep and continue in the rut the next day. Home to work to home to work to home to work to home to work to home to work to home. TGIF, pay bills, buy lottery tickets, watch Who Wants to be A Millionaire, do it again. For those that are inspired as I was, to become financially literate and financially free, read on and know that there are others out here like you who will move forward and become millionaires. The next two books have tons of info on the doing part. So does the website.
Rating:  Summary: Really Hits Home! Review: Wow! What a real eye-opener! This book has really helped me change (for the positive) the way I viewed my finances. I have read both "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and "Cashflow Quadrant" as well as listened to some of Robert Kiyosaki's audio tapes. What really impresses me about this book (as well as his other works) is that Mr. Kiyosaki has actually used the principles he writes about to become financially independent himself...as have many of the people he associates with. These are not just theories from some "brilliant" (and probably broke) economics professor or accountant, but tried-and-true methods for creating true wealth from someone who has done it! Personally, I'd rather follow the teachings of someone who has already accomplished what I want to achieve. (Honestly, why waste your time "learning" about finances from anyone who is not already wealthy?) Mr. Kiyosaki recommends a number of other books to read at the end of this book. I have also started reading them, and am impressed so far by his recommendations. (I recommend these also!) If you are looking for a "get rich quick" scheme, you will be disappointed by this book. True wealth does not come overnight, as any wealthy person with tell you. It takes effort, time, and commitment. I have the utmost respect for the author and highly recommend this book to anyone serious about achieving true wealth and financial freedom. I also look forward to reading one of Mr. Kiyosaki's other books very soon: "Rich Dad's Guide to Investing". Enjoy - you owe it to yourself!
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