Rich Dad Poor Dad

I once borrowed the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki from Wilson sometime back in 2001.

Though I found the book interesting, it left me with quite a number of questions, especially regarding the integrity of the facts stated.

For example, “if ‘Rich Dad’ is so rich, just who is he, and why haven’t we heard more about him from other sources?” (yes, I know, not all rich people live their lives in the spotlight, but after this book came out, surely he had no choice? Wasn’t anyone else curious? Why weren’t there any interviews with him about the book?)

Another thing that bothered me immensely was Kiyosaki calling his biological dad “Poor Dad”. Asians not estranged from their fathers typically do not call their fathers “poor”. I know I‘d lose some sleep if my son wrote a best-selling book that called me “poor”, and started calling the neighbour’s dad “dad”.

But of course, he’s a best-selling author, and I’m not, so who am I to argue? Millions of people couldn’t be wrong, could they?

I thought this way until I came across this page called John T. Reed’s analysis of Robert T. Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

From the page:

As to the whereabouts of Rich Dad—at one point, Kiyosaki tells Smart Money that he died in 1992. Poor man.

Later, he says Rich Dad is still alive, but a reclusive invalid. Uh huh.

Later, he tells Smart Money that Rich Dad was a composite of several persons.

Finally, he gets angry at Smart Money. “Is Harry Potter real? Why don’t you let Rich Dad be a myth, like Harry Potter?”

I never heard of John Tweed before this. I had thought him to be one crazed reader taking his jealousy to the extreme. It was only after I read the page where he addresses the jealously issue (people wrote to him calling him jealous of Kiyosaki), that I felt he had some credibility.

On that page he also gives some (rather detailed) background information on himself as well. (Of course, even with what he says, I’m pretty sure there’s a tinge of jealousy in him; he is human, after all, and a non best-selling one at that.)

John Tweed’s analysis is really, really long, and starts off feeling like a pointless rant; but it gets better towards the end, where he starts explaining his reasons behind his scathing remarks. I especially liked the part where he wrote about how people “got hurt” by Rich Dad Poor Dad.

This man is doing damage. I got an email from a surgeon. Her 17-year-old son read Rich Dad Poor Dad and now does not want to study or go to college. He just wants to get rich and believes Kiyosaki’s pitch that education is a waste of time. He now puts down and criticizes his mom for not being richer. I never knew a surgeon who was fighting the pigeons for something to eat. And this particular surgeon says she finds her profession extremely rewarding in non-monetary ways as well.

All in all, I wouldn’t say that I wouldn’t totally not recommend the Rich Dad Poor Dad book — it did get me interested in personal finance, if anything due to the positive, upbeat way he wrote it — but keeping in mind that the book may contain many elements of untruths sold as truths, you’d better have more than your normal share of salt on this one.