Your opinion about Robert Kiyosaki and Rich Dad, Poor Dad

**NeemaF** · 12-12-2009 10:11 PM

hey guys, just wanted to get your guy's opinion concerning the teachings and philosophy of Robert Kiyosaki and his whole Rich Dad series.

**Chaseb731** · 12-12-2009 11:32 PM

I met him and he was a total a-hole. He was totally opposite of what I thought he was going to be like. I do like his stories and things like that though.

**NeemaF** · 12-13-2009 01:02 PM

interesting, how was he a total a-hole?

**Chaseb731** · 12-13-2009 01:43 PM

It was when I was 15 and I was standing in line at a convention to meet him. I waited like an hour.I got up to the front and went up to him and I said hi. I began to ask him a question and before I could finish he made a sign to security and they pushed me out. I overheard him say, well that was a waste of time, and they laughed. He based his judgment on my age which pissed me off.

**justin8** · 12-13-2009 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Chaseb731

It was when I was 15 and I was standing in line at a convention to meet him. I waited like an hour.I got up to the front and went up to him and I said hi. I began to ask him a question and before I could finish he made a sign to security and they pushed me out. I overheard him say, well that was a waste of time, and they laughed. He based his judgment on my age which pissed me off.

That's crap, I used to read his books but after hearing some stuff about him in the biggerpockets.com forums I steer clear.

**Gene** · 12-13-2009 03:19 PM

Some of his stuff sounds good. But his whole wealth from debt stuff seems to take it just a bit too far.

**Bodge4** · 12-13-2009 06:29 PM

To me, no matter how he is as a person, the book is worth reading. I suggest reading it with an open mind, as if its a fake story (because I don't believe everything he says anyway). You decide how to use the book to help your life.

**bizdev** · 12-13-2009 08:15 PM

I've read almost all of the Rich Dad books and came away thinking they lacked substance. He doesn't actually tell you HOW to do what you need to do. There's a lot of "do this and you will be successful" but not enough actual how-to info. I kept buying the series of books thinking surely this time there will be something I can actually use. But, no, same old same old.

He's good for building excitement but the books leave you wanting more. Which is brilliant on his part coz he keeps raking in the $$$$.

**Chaseb731** · 12-13-2009 11:06 PM

I enjoyed his books and the stories he had to tell. However, I didn't get a friendly impression when I met him as I said earlier.

I also think his first few books were the bes, then most after those are just kind of repetitive.

**richkid** · 12-14-2009 05:42 AM

I think that he has done a great job in getting everyday people talking about their finances. While I also believe that his books are very basic, they have made him incredibly rich and I'm doubting anyone else here has done that..

**akula** · 12-14-2009 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by NeemaF

hey guys, just wanted to get your guy's opinion concerning the teachings and philosophy of Robert Kiyosaki and his whole Rich Dad series.

ok...philosophy wise, like many self help books, the series is designed to make readers unhappy by giving them an inferiority complex..i.e. "u're shit because u're an employee"...this is a problem...reading these kinds of books fucks with peoples heads and makes them into sociopaths who discount everybody who isn't an entrepreneur...even though entrepreneurs are also employees, who only happen to own shares in companies that employ them. as such, kiyosaki is bad for mental health.

content wise, the books are no more instructive that a high school level course on personal finance...all they really do is introduce the idea of budgeting and financial statements...

...overall, seeing a financial planner is more effective than reading pop finance paperbacks...

**JayZSoho** · 12-14-2009 09:20 AM

Kiyosaki structures his Rich Dad Poor Dad books on a compelling story of two men (his own dad and his best friend's dad who happens to be rich) which draws in a crowd of empathizing readers. Unfortunately most people will relate to his "poor dad", or a hard-working employee who lacks financial education who thus ends up poor at the end of his working career. Like Akura stated, this is a scare tactic that immediately perks the interest of 99% of the working population into focusing more on their personal financial situations. While this is an excellent fact in itself, there is no concrete guiding facts that Kiyosaki offers in his books that actually teach the financial literacy he preaches as being such an important part of everyone's lives, as bizdev makes apparent:

"I've read almost all of the Rich Dad books and came away thinking they lacked substance. He doesn't actually tell you HOW to do what you need to do." -Bizdev

Kiyosaki's books are entertaining to read. Their biggest success lies in getting people more interested in doing research to enhance their financial IQ (which is exactly Kiyosaki's intention). However, the biggest disappointment lies in the fact that Kiyosaki refrains from providing any concrete financial IQ points himself. It's almost as if his prime objective is to grab readers' curiosities, and then leave them hanging for more.

**bizdev** · 12-14-2009 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by JayZSoho

It's almost as if his prime objective is to grab readers' curiosities, and then leave them hanging for more.

Exactly! Which is why they keep cranking out more and more books with the same "leave them hanging" end result. Brilliant strategy on the publisher's part.

**MisterMcJib** · 12-14-2009 09:46 PM

I read the first one, it did pique my interest. However, I quickly gave up on the "rich dad" series after I heard that the guy is full of shit. Actually I don't even remember what I heard anymore, but it was enough that I don't think much of that series.

**NeemaF** · 12-15-2009 05:08 PM

He has definitely opened my mind to new possibilities and had I not discovered "why we want you to be rich" or "rich dad, poor dad" I probably wouldnt have the entrepreneurial spirit which I do now.

But wouldn't you agree that his books aren't exactly "how to's" but rather allows one to open their mind and see the possibilities around them they didn't know existed? Plus if you put yourself in his shoes and if you wrote a "how to" book on wealth don't you think there's potential liability if your advice didn't exactly pan out for each individual who took your advice? We can all agree there are multiple ways to obtain wealth so it's up to the individual to make it happen.

and to Akula, why do you say that even entrepreneurs are also employees as well?