| As an entrepreneur, I'm a great believer in | | | | speculative moves. While that may have been a |
| feeding the mind with relevant literature. And so | | | | sagacious move in the late 90's, the sub-prime |
| with that in mind I take the time to review books | | | | disaster of the 'noughties' has shown that even |
| which might help you in your quest for financial | | | | property investing is vulnerable to economic ebbs |
| independence and success in your home based | | | | and flows. |
| business. | | | | He goes on to laud those who invest in mutual |
| Here I'm reviewing a book written in 1997 by | | | | funds saying that a "low-risk folio of investments |
| Robert Kiyosaki called 'Rich Dad Poor Dad'. | | | | is better than no portfolio." But tell that to the |
| The book is centered around the advice given by | | | | millions of people who have seen the value of |
| both his father and the entrepreneurial father of | | | | their paper go the way of the worm recently. |
| his friend Mike, and documents the contrast in | | | | Robert dishes up a lot of great principles and |
| approaches, and the attitudes towards, finances | | | | words of wisdom though - gleaned from his Rich |
| of these two patriarchs. | | | | Dad and its these points rather than his |
| While Robert's father was an academic with | | | | investment preferences that make this book |
| conservative views on how to plan a career, | | | | worth considering for the aspiring entrepreneur. |
| Mike's dad had very different views and it's this | | | | Much of what he writes challenges the very |
| polarity that makes for very interesting reading. | | | | culture of western academia and it's refreshing to |
| "Study hard, specialize in one skill, and get a good | | | | see someone turn our ingrained career strategies |
| retirement pension!." was the advice of Robert's | | | | on their heads and make a compelling case in |
| father, while Mike's dad's encouragement was, | | | | favor of financial education in our schools. |
| "Don't specialize, but learn a little bit about a lot of | | | | And this thinking goes beyond school and launches |
| things, so that one day you can run your own | | | | head-long into our places of work; |
| business." | | | | "Don't go to work for what you can earn, but for |
| The book illustrates how the thinking of the | | | | what you can learn." he explains, supporting |
| 1950's, when a person could have a job for life, is | | | | moving from job to job to gain experience over |
| still prevalent today, and Robert argues that this | | | | staying in the same job and becoming a specialist. |
| way of thinking has been rendered ineffective in | | | | It's not surprising that his book has sold so many |
| the information driven world in which we live. | | | | copies as it would appeal to the person who is |
| Robert's provocatively titled book caused quite a | | | | questioning their career choices and considering |
| stir in America but has sold over 28 million copies. | | | | starting their own home based business. |
| While the author has many interesting things to | | | | So to sum up; Rich Dad Poor Dad, is an easy |
| share with the reader, some of his investment | | | | read of 200 pages with some great principals for |
| strategies are just as subject to the economic | | | | building wealth. But like anything else, you need to |
| winds of change as any other. In one chapter he | | | | decide for yourself which investments suit you |
| mentions property being his foundation for | | | | and suit the time you're living in. |
| investing, the cash flow of which feeds his more | | | | |