Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad"

I believe all of you have been heard this popular name with his bestselling book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is the story of Kiyosaki and his journey from being a child of modest means to a self-made millionaire and bestselling author of multiple books.

As an employee in an MNC company, I have always struggled to change from 'E' area to 'B' area. I had been told by many that Robert Kiyosaki's books could be a starting point in my search for an attitude that would take me where I want to be financially. What I was looking for in his book was a step-by-step guide on developing the type of mindset necessary to take control of my financial future. What I got instead was a realization that for my entire life, I had been shaped and groomed to grow up and conform to society's standard of success: go to school, get good grades, and get a good job with benefits. I had done just that. I received a Master's Degree and found a stable job with good benefits. Unfortunately, although I fit into society's standards of success, I knew that working for someone else and living from paycheck to paycheck is not the life that I want for myself or my children.

Which brings me to the story of Robert Kiyosaki, a man who was essentially raised by two different fathers each with a very different philosophy regarding finances. His biological father raised him as I was raised...education, job, retirement with pension at 65. The father of his close friend Mike, whom Kiyosaki refers to as his rich dad, taught him that the only way to be rich was to think outside the box and to use his mind to generate income. Through a variety of jobs, rich dad was able to teach Robert Kiyosaki invaluable financial lessons that would help him to make millions.

Basically, the key focus of the entire book can be summed up in three words- assets versus liabilities. The only way that you will ever acquire wealth is to acquire assets. We live in a society that relies on credit and we have a loan for every major purchase: cars, houses, vacations, even everyday expenses. Robert Kiyosaki's advice is to simply stop spending money that you do not have, pay yourself first, and rethink purchasing that new purse or lawn mower. Instead, use that money to acquire assets that will generate income for you and then use that income to purchase your luxury items.

Rich people are acquiring assets while the poor and middle class are acquiring liabilities. A person has joined the "Rat Race", as it is termed in in this book, when their expenses increase as their income increases. So, instead of making their money work for them by purchasing assets that will in turn put money in their pockets, the poor and middle class spend their money on items that decrease in value over time. In order for a person to leave the Rat Race and enter the Fast Track, they must first have enough income generating assets to cover their monthly expenses.

It seems simple, and to some it is. Unfortunately, the majority of us, myself included, were trained in school to be employees, not self-made millionaires. So, my only unanswered question regarding this book would be "Is it possible to develop a millionaire mentality when you are in your 30's, 40's, 50's, etc or is it something with which you must be raised as in the case of Robert Kiyosaki?" Personally, I read this book just previous to starting my own business and found my attitudes changing with each page I read. So while I will never have the benefit of being raised by a man like Robert Kiyosaki's rich dad, I do believe that with enough drive, motivation, and guts, anyone can become a self-made millionaire. I would recommend this book to any current or future entrepreneurs.