Written by: Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter, C.P.A.
Douche Dad. While there is a reasonable “don’t be a sucker” message and sane advice like “don’t buy depreciating assets with high interest credit cards”, it’s certainly nothing new. Spoiler alert: My opinion of this author goes down from here. First off, anyone who views the world (let’s be honest, the U.S.) as being comprised of 3 “people”, as in “the rich”, “the middle class”, and “the poor” is an idiot. Kiyosaki then goes on to basically make shit up (or grossly oversimplify) at best, and advocate both immoral and frequently illegal practices at worst. I’m pretty fed up with the often repeated (not surprisingly usually in books that use phrases like “the rich”) assertion that “it’s so easy to get wealthy if you play by a different set of rules.” While I definitely agree most wealthy people have a different “attitude” (i.e. if you work hard and focus on a goal you can achieve amazing things), most of the “rules” Kiyosaki advocates are there for a reason, and many are called “laws”. This book seems to equate the ability to get around these laws (often in place for the public good) as being smart and deserving of the extra wealth (offshore tax havens, etc). At least most authors have the common decency to respect the hard-working-but-just-can’t-win out there and reserve their disdain for the genuinely lazy or malicious, Kiyosaki openly mocks anyone who doesn’t list their cat as their corporate secretary. I do have to give him credit though, he’s managed to stretch his nonsense and assholery into a more than 20 (Rich Dad’s Guide to Your Mom…) book series, very likely making him a rich dad indeed.
Length: 3 hrs
5/2002: This was my first foray into the world of audio books. I vaguely remember reading it and thinking there were about 30 minutes of interesting and potentially useful lessons and that the rest made me want to punch this guy in the face. Full Disclosure: I had to go back and look at excerpts on Amazon (no longer available on Audible) to jog my memory and write this post. His continuing career as a jerkwad and insistence on shitting out many, many more books with little to no additional information without remorse for the “non-rich” to buy (at least he practices what he preaches) makes me feel vindicated in this early view of him as a weenie.
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