Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

I was thrown off by the casual writing style and poor editing, but there were some good points.

Rich people think about money differently than poor people. This is pretty obvious, but it was interesting to think about some of the reasons behind this and the effects of these attitudes. It is good that Kiyosaki is concerned about the growing gap between rich and poor but his concern stems only from self-preservation instincts. He does not cite the injustice of this gap but rather the danger to our "empire".

I dislike that Kiyosaki...

1 believes that paying taxes is bad. He states repeatedly that most people "work from January to mid-May for the government just to cover their taxes". This is not working "for the government". Those tax dollars provide services create the conditions necessary for having a job in the first place. Try making money in Afghanistan...

2 forgets about the peace of mind that forgetting about money can bring. Decisions to 'buy' or invest in such "liabilities" as art, academic knowledge and love are the foundations of happiness. Education is an asset!

3 assumes that the government is somebody else, somehow separate, not made up of people

4 his constant differentiation between rich and poor which begins to imply some intrinsic difference within people themselves.

5 assumes that only profit fosters creativity.

6 thinks of money working for him. It's not his money that works for him but other people's creativity and hard work that adds value to his investments. He completely forgets about the human aspect of financial growth.

7 considers buying a Porsche some kind of accomplishment (what a looser)

8 brags about pre-tax "expenses"

9 Kiyosaki describes being a landlord and what happens when somebody does not pay. "The court system handles that" (p. 119). Yet this is the court system funded by the very taxes which Kiyosak intends to avoid. 

It's very interesting how Kiyosaki...

1 separates your profession vs your business

2 knows that "the rich are not taxed" (p. 95). It is enlightening and sickening to know how people can use the legal structure of a corporation to shelter their assets from taxation (p. 98).

3 Realizes that government fails when it does not incorporate good business principles such as efficiency.