Not just another get-rich-quick book... Review on Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki

... Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money -- That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! Robert T. Kiyosaki Sharon L. Lechter.... “An unbecoming title and a caption in bad taste!” That’s what my grandmother would have said. To her and to us in most part of our childhood, it was indecent to discuss wealth and class. My siblings and I were always brought up to believe money was unimportant. We were happily insulated from the ups and downs that the grown ups faced. We suddenly found ourselves managing money with our first jobs. The taxman quickly doused the glee that we felt over our first pay packets. The anticipated freedom became a shackle. Soon enough, we began to think money, and not very much later money became dinner table conversation. “The number of things outside the perimeter of my financial reach remains constant no matter how much my financial condition improves.” Did Hugh Prather say that? To say I understood how that felt is an understatement.

After 10 years of working and putting up the pretense of managing money, I still can’t be bothered with investments, speculations & financial planning. That is my Dad’s biggest worry! Was Rich Dad Poor Dad an appropriate Christmas gift for my dad? I picked up the book just to see what it said about the most common discussion that came up whenever one of us siblings spent more than five minutes with our father. My husband’s response to my purchase was typical. “One more get-rich- quick book. Waste!” My dad’s attention span being extremely small, I got to read the book before he finished the first chapter. Surprisingly, having picked it up I completed it in 4 days, reading at an average rate of an hour a day. This was certainly not a get-rich-quick-book. For a book on something as dry as money, it was extremely readable. The author (Robert Kiyosaki) speaks with passion, out of personal experience. He is unabashed about sharing this views on money and how he attained and sustains being rich. The characters in the books are real people, you seem to have met or know. There is the “Poor Dad” whose advice to his son is to study hard, get good marks, go to college, study hard, get good marks, get a good job, work hard, earn more money… That sounded like my dad, dad’s dad, my husband and to be fair, me! The author & his friend, who as 11 year olds, attempted to “make” money by melting old toothpaste tubes sounded just like my enterprising son. I have met a few people like the “indignant, holier than thou journalist” in the book who places “ knowledge above wealth”, the shrewd college boy who observes that the world’s wealthiest people like Bill Gates and Madonna did not have to study hard or take up a job to become rich… Even if “work less, make more money” sounds hedonic, it has its appeal. Some of the perspectives in the book, made me smile. But I couldn’t help feeling that there was truth in the author’s and his Rich Dad’s seemingly radical views. For example, Rich Dad says, “ Being broke is temporary, being poor is permanent…” There is a line that reads, “Why do we refer to authors as best selling authors and not as the best writing authors…” Never asked myself that before. “Is your home really an asset?” Some food for thought if you have a housing loan. I am sure that I could paraphrase the complete book if given a chance! If you happen to be working to earn your livelihood and find that work is not fun anymore, get hold of the real thing. “Financial freedom” is every individual’s dream at some level.

This book takes a down to earth, workable approach towards it. The book is available at all popular bookshops and on the footpaths of M.G. Road and St. Marks Road in Bangalore. Recently, I saw a clone of the book by an Indian writer in the shops. I guess the temptation to paraphrase is quite common among people who understand the corporate rat race and are taking time to stop and think about it. Well I am out of the rat race now and not quite rich yet. Can’t say that this book made me take the decision. But it certainly helped reinforcing that what I did was right! I know for sure that I may go broke but won’t ever be poor!