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What do you think of Rich Dad Poor Dad?

For any book discussion

El1mination

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As people that have read Millionaires Fastlane, what do you all think of Rich Dad Poor Dad? Is it worth a read? Do you agree with what the author says?
 
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Worth a read. Mostly agree. Decent intro to not trading your time for money content.

Accumulation that isn't directly teathered to your effort is the foundation of wealth.
 

Awakened2022

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As people that have read Millionaires Fastlane, what do you all think of Rich Dad Poor Dad? Is it worth a read? Do you agree with what the author says?
Funny that you should ask when I have just finished reading it for the second time.While it doesn't give you the slap to the face that The Millionaire Fast lane does, it teaches important business principles.For instance, paying yourself first as an insurance against laziness and complacency,the need for financial intelligence, and those who are interested in Real Estate will find it a gem.
 

FierceRacoon

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The idea of Slowlane is a key contribution of TMF .

The idea that it's a Process is even more key. I have seen a very intelligent and high-earning professional read a bunch of books like that and decide to get "passive income from real estate." In the end he lost a lot of money and a lot of time fixing one of the properties, because he had been sold on the idea that it was easy. He had spent decades honing his craft that made him mid-6 digits per year, but decided to start making 6-figure investments after just maybe 50 hours of research and due diligence, with no real entrepreneurial experience.

Then, "paying yourself first" sounds cute, but ultimately changing the order of the addends does not change the sum, 2+3 = 3+2. Of course, it can be helpful psychologically if you have a spending addiction, but starting a business to reach financial independence -- or building up passive income from real estate to the same end -- requires SO MUCH MORE in terms of time and effort and discipline.

So, I think the book is ultimately destructive and just sells a dream to naive people.
 
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Bounce Back

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Then, "paying yourself first" sounds cute
Spot on - anyone who has or has tried scaling a business knows there are many times you sacrifice paying yourself extra, more (or sometimes even at all) because to do that would mean not paying someone else which means you are doing some work you could have offloaded. Do that enough and you just bought yourself a job.
 
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Tiago

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To me one of the biggest takeaways of the book is to not only track your income and expenses, but create your own financial statement.

I've been doing that for the past 5 months and it's been incredibly helpful: The Personal Financial Statement: Your Foundation for Being Rich

Also, I've switched from investing for capital gains vs investing for cash flow. To me it makes much more sense.

 

David Fitz

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He's a good salesman and I like that book, some good stuff in there that taught me not to consume and waste money on cars.
 
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El1mination

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Funny that you should ask when I have just finished reading it for the second time.While it doesn't give you the slap to the face that The Millionaire Fast lane does, it teaches important business principles.For instance, paying yourself first as an insurance against laziness and complacency,the need for financial intelligence, and those who are interested in Real Estate will find it a gem.
Alright thanks, I think I'll give it a read
 

Jon822

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I guess I'm in the minority here but after I finished reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", I thought it was trash. And no, I'm not exaggerating for shock value or humor. 99% of the book was irrelevant stories to reach a sell-able page number threshold and the remaining 1% was common sense conclusions. "So to conclude this chapter with a summary that is in no way connected to the irrelevant childhood story I just rambled about for 30 pages, making more money is better than making less."

The entire book can be summarized in one line: rich people view money differently than poor people. And while the details behind this can be incredibly valuable, I don't recall anything of the sort. It was just vague cliches: all hat, no cattle. I commend the author on the financial success of the book but I have no idea why so many people found it valuable. To me, reading RDPD after reading any of the Fastlane books is an action fake.
 
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El1mination

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I guess I'm in the minority here but after I finished reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", I thought it was trash. And no, I'm not exaggerating for shock value or humor. 99% of the book was irrelevant stories to reach a sell-able page number threshold and the remaining 1% was common sense conclusions. "So to conclude this chapter with a summary that is in no way connected to the irrelevant childhood story I just rambled about for 30 pages, making more money is better than making less."

The entire book can be summarized in one line: rich people view money differently than poor people. And while the details behind this can be incredibly valuable, I don't recall anything of the sort. It was just vague cliches: all hat, no cattle. I commend the author on the financial success of the book but I have no idea why so many people found it valuable. To me, reading RDPD after reading any of the Fastlane books is an action fake.
Interesting, thank you for writing this as I guess now I won't waste my time reading it. It also looks like you got a thank you from MJ so I guess that's what he think of it.
 
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Jon822

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MJ either agrees with my full stance on the book or he agrees that it is an action fake after reading his. Either way, you're not losing anything by avoiding the book and your time is better spent taking action. I'm glad you found value in my response!
 

MJ DeMarco

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Interesting, thank you for writing this as I guess now I won't waste my time reading it. It also looks like you got a thank you from MJ so I guess that's what he think of it.

I enjoyed the book and found value in it.

It wasn't any revelation from me as it only confirmed what I already knew. However the expensive seminars and paid coaching and various other gimmicky things tacked onto RK's publishing empire (note: publishing empire, not RE empire) is when I lost interest in anything he had to say.
 

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We must look at this book, or any book, critically. You've to think about what the author said and skipped. Labelling a book bad or good doesn't help. You've to know why you think it is bad or good. I suggest reading it. It is not a long read. Then listen to this. If Books Could Kill Podcast - Rich Dad Poor Dad
 
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biophase

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Interesting, thank you for writing this as I guess now I won't waste my time reading it. It also looks like you got a thank you from MJ so I guess that's what he think of it.
I still think it is worth a read for you.

Even though @Jon822 doesn’t remember much from it, it could be different for you.

I read it in 2002 and as of today I don’t remember much from it either. But I know it changed my trajectory in 2002.
 

Awakened2022

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I still think it is worth a read for you.

Even though @Jon822 doesn’t remember much from it, it could be different for you.

I read it in 2002 and as of today I don’t remember much from it either. But I know it changed my trajectory in 2002.
My two main takeaways from the book are:
Your profit is made when you buy, not when you sell.

God does not need to receive, but man needs to learn to give.

While the investment advice he gives may not apply to this shit hole I call my country, the book has piqued my interest in Real Estate, and I am thinking I should consider it an investment vehicle when I make some money worth investing.

I guess OP has nothing to lose by reading the book. After all, it isn't that long.
 

Andy Black

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AnNvr

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I might share my 2 cents, although I am going to gain some negative reaction.

The book is well written and he is a great preacher, but he also sells what is convenient for him, not for you.

I like to match the integrity of the author with the book he/she has written, and concerns about Kiyosaki's business practices are just a Google search away (i.e. : This Legal Dispute Says Everything About the Shadiness of Personal Finance Gurus )

When I read Unscripted , I was impressed by the integrity of the person behind that book backed by testimonials from forum members who have achieved wealth by following his guidelines, enhanced by the the feedback from those who know him personally.

No courses.
No seminars.
No band wagons.

Can I say the same of Kiyosaki? No.
 

datagod

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What I think... Latest news: 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' author says he's in $1 billion debt
 

heavy_industry

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I'm looking forward to the second edition of the book:

Rich Dad - Poor Dad - @BizyDad
 
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MJ DeMarco

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atest news: 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' author says he's in $1 billion debt

Well if you have $2B in assets, I guess that's not too shabby.
 

MJ DeMarco

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but a lot of the reviews say that it is the same information from TMF

Can you show me where in TMF I discuss the 3As?
A productocracy?
A paycheck pot?
Kinetic execution?
Model Citizenry?
An in-depth overview of value skew?
The various BS stories we sell ourselves?

Go ahead I'll wait...

I can list about 3 dozen other things but I won't bother.

Simply put, the reading comprehension of the average person is no comprehension.

Are the books rooted in the same philosophy?

Yes.

Are they the same?

About the same as a Lambo Urus (the SUV) and a Lambo Huracan (the sports car)

If you let other people do your thinking, you'll end up with the results of "other people" .
 

El1mination

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Can you show me where in TMF I discuss the 3As?
A productocracy?
A paycheck pot?
Kinetic execution?
Model Citizenry?
An in-depth overview of value skew?
The various BS stories we sell ourselves?

Go ahead I'll wait...

I can list about 3 dozen other things but I won't bother.

Simply put, the reading comprehension of the average person is no comprehension.

Are the books rooted in the same philosophy?

Yes.

Are they the same?

About the same as a Lambo Urus (the SUV) and a Lambo Huracan (the sports car)

If you let other people do your thinking, you'll end up with the results of "other people" .
I didn't say all of it was the same, obviously that would make no sense to write 2 books about the same thing. But I read a review that all of the new information the book provided could be summarized in about 20 - 30 pages. And the book is above 400 pages, so I would rather spend me time reading other books with completely new information to me. I didn't mean for what I said to offend you I was just saying that It's not at the top of my priority list. Also there was a common theme of many people saying that a lot of the information was recycled, and the book was above 400 pages so I wasn't letting others doing the thinking for me, I could see that the theme of the book was similar to TMF .
 

EvanOkanagan

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Depending on where you are in your life, this book can be either a waste of time or a game-changer.

I read this when I was 19 or 20 and it really gave me a paradigm shift in my thinking, so I'm for it.

If I were to re-read it now who's to say if I'd get much value from it, but it definitely helped put my life it a positive trajectory at that time.
 
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BrightAhead

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Me too. It was one of, if not the, first business books I read and it made me think differently.
I agree. It was the first time I thought about things differently. I also agree it was not as shocking as TMF. It was a good introduction to the idea that time for money is not a great trade.

Although I found value at the time, my hot take is that if you have read TMF, there is no need to read that book at all. You could for fun and to tick one off the list.
 

Radar

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As people that have read Millionaires Fastlane, what do you all think of Rich Dad Poor Dad? Is it worth a read? Do you agree with what the author says?

Based on what I have read from the comments, and my own experience, here are the takeaways that you should know:
  1. People forget the material in the book.
  2. Some have found real estate knowledge and financial knowledge from it.
  3. Some consider it to be an action-fake.
  4. There is a lot of fluff (stories that don't align with the conclusions)
So, ultimately, as I am sure you can see there is conflict. What I would say, based on my knowledge from reading the books from MJ and from what I have read in the comments is to use it when you need it.
So, when you are looking into a real estate venture, perhaps give the book a read/listen, or have a look into some videos online that allow you to gather some of the key points.
As mentioned somewhere in MJ's book of unscripted , when the time comes, you must learn to solve the problem that is faced in front of you. That is when you should read this book.
However, "curiosity over what the book is about and whether or not you should read it", doesn't quite fall under the category of an immediate problem to be solved.

So, the simple answer is yes, read when you are ready and, No, don't read if you don't have an immediate need to.

I hope that helps and let me know if you need any clarification on anything. Have a wonderful day.
 

El1mination

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Based on what I have read from the comments, and my own experience, here are the takeaways that you should know:
  1. People forget the material in the book.
  2. Some have found real estate knowledge and financial knowledge from it.
  3. Some consider it to be an action-fake.
  4. There is a lot of fluff (stories that don't align with the conclusions)
So, ultimately, as I am sure you can see there is conflict. What I would say, based on my knowledge from reading the books from MJ and from what I have read in the comments is to use it when you need it.
So, when you are looking into a real estate venture, perhaps give the book a read/listen, or have a look into some videos online that allow you to gather some of the key points.
As mentioned somewhere in MJ's book of unscripted , when the time comes, you must learn to solve the problem that is faced in front of you. That is when you should read this book.
However, "curiosity over what the book is about and whether or not you should read it", doesn't quite fall under the category of an immediate problem to be solved.

So, the simple answer is yes, read when you are ready and, No, don't read if you don't have an immediate need to.

I hope that helps and let me know if you need any clarification on anything. Have a wonderful day.
That was a really good way of explaining it. I definitely don't have any intent in real estate right now and have a bunch of other knowledge I should learn before reading this book as it's not that important to me right now. Thanks for the reply
 
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ZCP

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@El1mination
One person says it is good 'I'll Read it!'.
Another says it is trash 'I won't Read it!'.
Come on.
If you change your mind that quickly and easily with that little information, get a job. Entrepreneurship is not for you.

Think for yourself.
Read ALL of those books and report back what YOU think.

RDPD changed my life and got me here.
Each of @MJ DeMarco 's books has a message and important info.
In addition to the 29 other books on my desk at home, the 17 others on my shelf, and the countless others I have read and passed on to others. Pull up YT and look for best business books. Read the top 25 over and over.

"But @ZCP, I don't have time to read all these books.' .... Bullshit.
Then you are not committed to learning and getting better.

Learn from others that have already done it. Read.
Then apply what they teach you to YOUR own life.
Not every book will have the right info at the right time.

I'm rereading books from the Traction (Wickman) series right now to prepare for our company Annual L10 planning meeting. Learning new things I didn't see the first time I read the book.
 

El1mination

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@El1mination
One person says it is good 'I'll Read it!'.
Another says it is trash 'I won't Read it!'.
Come on.
If you change your mind that quickly and easily with that little information, get a job. Entrepreneurship is not for you.

Think for yourself.
Read ALL of those books and report back what YOU think.

RDPD changed my life and got me here.
Each of @MJ DeMarco 's books has a message and important info.
In addition to the 29 other books on my desk at home, the 17 others on my shelf, and the countless others I have read and passed on to others. Pull up YT and look for best business books. Read the top 25 over and over.

"But @ZCP, I don't have time to read all these books.' .... Bullshit.
Then you are not committed to learning and getting better.

Learn from others that have already done it. Read.
Then apply what they teach you to YOUR own life.
Not every book will have the right info at the right time.

I'm rereading books from the Traction (Wickman) series right now to prepare for our company Annual L10 planning meeting. Learning new things I didn't see the first time I read the book.
Weren't you complaining a little while ago about me being aggressive? This seems very aggressive to me. Also, I never said I wasn't going to read it, I said it wasn't in my best interest reading it right now. Right now I'm reading Unscripted and I'm focusing my time on reading one book at a time so so I can absorb all the knowledge. I don't see the need for insults and being rude. Also I already said I'm not interested in real estate and if it's a real estate book, there is no point in me reading it now when I have better things to learn. I don't know what's so hard for you to understand about that.
 

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