Personal-finance author and lecturer Robert Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective through exposure to a pair of disparate influences: his own highly educated but fiscally unstable father, and the multimillionaire eighth-grade dropout father of his closest friend. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his "poor dad" (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his "rich dad" (that "the poor and the middle class work for money," but "the rich have money work for them"). Taking that message to heart, Kiyosaki was able to retire at 47. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, written with consultant and CPA Sharon L. Lechter, lays out his the philosophy behind his relationship with money. Although Kiyosaki can take a frustratingly long time to make his points, his book nonetheless compellingly advocates for the type of "financial literacy" that's never taught in schools. Based on the principle that income-generating assets always provide healthier bottom-line results than even the best of traditional jobs, it explains how those assets might be acquired so that the jobs can eventually be shed. --Howard Rothman

From Library Journal
Reissuing a self-published best seller.Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Attitude towards risk determines acquisition of wealth, according to Kiyosaki, a financial lecturer and millionaire. Fear of risk keeps you in the house-and-bills "rat trap," unable to escape. Short fore- and afterwords by the Hawaiian-born Kiyosaki frame a serviceable reading by British actor Hoye. Sounding American, Hoye makes little attempt to add zip to this economics discourse. Reading from a script, his narration is unmemorable, but it successfully conveys the intended monetary advice. The random musical bridges do not correspond to sections or chapters. A.G.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The advice that dads traditionally give is so commonplace, it seems almost clichéd: Go to school and do well. Save your money. Work hard, and financial reward will follow.

What would you say upon learning that dear ol' Dad was dead wrong?

In his explosive financial manuals, Robert T. Kiyosaki suggests that perhaps you shouldn't have taken Dad's advice, encouraging a new look at an old financial mind-set. The subtitle of Rich Dad, Poor Dad says it all: "What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money — That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!" Contending that the wealthy have learned to make money work for them, rather than toiling for the almighty dollar, Kiyosaki reveals the secrets to success — his way.

A millionaire himself, Kiyosaki's own experience plays a part in his controversial financial guidebooks. His real father, an educated, diligent man who became superintendent of education in Hawaii, gave his son the traditional fatherly counsel about hard work and financial gain. He died broke and bitter. Kiyosaki's "second father," his friend Mike's dad, was a high school dropout who taught Kiyosaki all that he now knows to be true about money. His "rich dad" lived up to Kiyosaki's affectionate name for him, becoming one of Hawaii's wealthiest men.

Robert Kiyosaki's philosophy — including the assertion that a high income does not a wealthy person make — forms the cornerstone of his remarkable books, and his message is clear: "Take responsibility for yourfinancesor take orders all your life. You're either a master of money or a slave to it." With Kiyosaki's guidance, explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich, challenge the belief that your house is an asset, and refuse to rely on the school system to teach kids about money.

These books — which exploded onto bestseller lists back in 1997 when the authors published them under their own Tech Press imprint — will help anyone who's serious about claiming control of his or her financial future. Discover what to teach your kids about money — and they will benefit in ways you did not.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Argues that a good education and secure job are not guarantees of financial success, and presents advice for accumulating wealth.

SYNOPSIS

In Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki explains how to make your money work hard for you instead of you working hard for money.

FROM THE CRITICS

USA Today

A startling point for anyone lookng to gain control of their financial future.

Library Journal

Reissuing a self-published best seller.

AudioFile