My Honest Rich Dad Poor Dad Review

We will receive a commission if you make a purchase through our affiliate link at no extra cost to you. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.

I’ve read many personal finance books and several of my favorites include The Intelligent Investor, The Automatic Millionaire, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, The Millionaire Next Door, and How Rich People Think.

Being a fan of Warren Buffett and his insightful financial quotes, I initially wanted to read Warren Buffett: 43 Lessons for Business & Life.

However, given the plethora of books available and knowing that Rich Dad Poor Dad stands out as one of the most popular personal finance books, I chose to read it next.

I have to say it was a good read, so today I am going to write about my honest review of Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Rich Dad Poor Dad is a book written by Robert T. Kiyosaki and published in 1997.

Honestly, it was on my to-read list for the longest time, but I never got to it until more recently (I actually read this several years ago since my last update in this post for 2024). I’d like to thank one of my subscribers who encouraged me to read this book because she was curious about my thoughts on it.

The first thing I asked myself was, “Why didn’t I read this book sooner?”

I could’ve been many millions or even billions of dollars richer in my 20s! Ha, just kidding!

But all jokes aside, it surely would’ve made a HUGE difference to my life if I had just read this book earlier! Well, better now than never, right?

 

Related posts about building wealth:

• How To Become a Millionaire in Your 20s and 30s: How I Accumulated My First Million Dollars in Net Worth By Age 33
• How To Get Out of Debt: How I Paid Off $70,000 in Student and Car Loans
• Earn Extra Money: How I Made Over $1,000,000 with These Side Hustles (Outside of my 9-5 Job)

 

Rich Dad Poor Dad Book Review

Overall, my thoughts on Rich Dad Poor Dad are very positive because it’s a very inspiring book, and I’m the type of person who loves inspiration! And you know what? Sometimes, we just need some inspiration to push us outside of our comfort zones.

The beginning of the book was my favorite because it starts with the story of Kiyosaki’s childhood and how he and his best friend, Mike, wanted to learn how to become rich! For his entire life, Kiyosaki has observed the differences between his rich dad (Mike’s dad) and his poor dad (his biological dad).

In short, the book may not provide concrete personal finance tips, but it offers motivation and inspiration to get you thinking.

Not just that, but it will also change your mindset on how you view money. Kiyosaki emphasizes a huge difference between having money work for you versus you working hard for your money. 

And no, he doesn’t give you the typical advice of investing your savings in the markets and letting them grow over time. Though that is sound advice, Kiyosaki emphasizes more on “thinking big and bold! Don’t be a Chicken Little!”

 

My overall rating of Rich Dad Poor Dad:

With that said, I give Rich Dad Poor Dad an overall rating of 4.5/5. I admit there were a couple of parts where I wasn’t able to connect with the author (I mention these points later in the post). But, for the most part, I absolutely agree with his overall view. Not to mention, his passionate and encouraging voice made me love the book even more!

 

Rich Dad Poor Dad Audiobook

For those interested in audio, you can also check out the Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook via Amazon here.

 

The Rich Dad vs. Poor Dad:

As mentioned, the book tells the story of Kiyosaki and his two dads — one rich and one poor.

Poor Dad:

The poor dad is his biological father who is highly educated. His poor dad believes in pursuing a formal education (i.e., a Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D., etc.), getting into a high-paying company with nice benefits, and working until retirement.

Rich Dad:

On the other hand, his rich dad (his best friend’s dad) believes in pursuing “financial literacy” through experience and self-learning.

His rich dad is not a fan of formal education, nor does he take the linear approach to making money (i.e., hourly wage, salary, etc.). His approach is non-linear, smart, and efficient.

Kiyosaki’s rich dad says it’s unfortunate that school doesn’t teach or train us on how we should manage our money to improve our lives.

Generally speaking, we were raised to believe that talking about money is taboo. No one likes to talk about money. And that’s why 57% of Americans don’t have enough savings to cover $1,000 in emergencies. Yikes!

If only we spent as little as 30 minutes per day reviewing our finances and becoming more financially literate, we’d be a million times better off! Imagine the potential to make $1,000 a day just by dedicating some time to understanding our finances better.

Instead, we’re taught (by poor dad) that money is evil, that it’s the root cause of all problems, that it’s here to destroy your life, and that you don’t need much money to live. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I’ve heard enough of those excuses.

Rich dad would argue that money is a tool, and it just magnifies who you are. It shouldn’t change or control a person. Instead, it should allow you to buy back time and improve your life.

 

Lifestyle Inflation:

The book reiterates that we’re just trained to go to school and focus on getting good grades within our field of study. Once that’s done, we hop on board with the masses and work for an employer who pays us a regular salary along with some other nice perks. That’s cool, I suppose, and we’re happy with that (for now)…

But that state of happiness doesn’t last very long.

Kiyosaki says humans by nature are greedy, emotional, and impatient.

So within time, when we get raises or promotions, we end up spending more. The more we make, the more we spend. As a result, lifestyle inflation kicks in, and we have nothing saved in our assets column.

Rich dad says you either end up 1) offsetting your income with your expenses (in most cases, the poor), or 2) building up your liabilities column (usually the middle-class because they get themselves into debt so that they can buy more of what they think makes them happy).

It’s a never-ending paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and we eventually want more and more.

But what the masses don’t understand or see is that they cannot sustain this inflated lifestyle because they’re working hard (and not smart) for their money.

Rich dad says the cycle typically goes like this:

Get paycheck —> spend —> eventually get promoted and paid more —> spend more (e.g., upgrade to bigger houses, cars, boats, vacations, etc.) —> no assets that generate income for you

And the end result?

Hmm, I guess there is no end…

The masses become trapped in the “Rat Race” with no savings and no investments.

According to Yahoo Finance, over 65% of Americans don’t have a penny for emergency savings, and more than half could end up struggling in retirement.

If you really want to get out of the hamster wheel, consider these passive income ideas here. Honestly, anyone can start with NO experience. You don’t need a college degree either!

 

Your home is not an asset. It is a liability.

Speaking of savings and investments, Kiyosaki does not consider your primary residence an asset. In his view, if your home carries a mortgage and does not generate any income, then it is not an asset but a liability. The same applies to your financed vehicles. In the end, he’s saying that you’re just borrowing to consume.

In my personal opinion, your house is considered an asset if:

1) It generates an income stream and/or

2) If you are set on selling it down the road and using that money to invest in growth and/or income-generating assets.

In some cases, people have their mortgage paid off but never plan to sell because they are set on living there forever. In this case, I personally wouldn’t consider this an investment either because, again, it would only be used for consumption. Also, for the sake of simplicity, we will not assume any HELOCs or the use of debt to make money either.

 

Earning power comes with your knowledge, not your degree.

In my personal experience, I was taught by my dad (another poor dad) to do what everyone else (i.e., the masses) does in order to succeed in life. By the way, my dad knows he’s poor, and he calls himself poor all the time, so I have no shame writing this.

Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way, and I honestly wish I was more “financially literate” and exposed to personal finance and self-development books when I was still in school. But I only have myself to blame.

 

Related post: How To Really Save Money When You’re Poor (Living on a Low Income)

 

So, here’s my advice to you:

No matter what financial stage you’re in, I strongly recommend you to beef up your education in “financial literacy” if you’re aspiring to build wealth or become rich.

Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT stop learning once you’re done with school. The day you graduate from University should be the beginning of your real learning journey, not the end. While you’re acquiring new knowledge, you also need to apply what you learned. Even if it means taking a little bit of risk sometimes.

 

Here’s what Robert Kiyosaki said in the book:

“Once we leave school, most of us know that it is not so much a matter of college degree or good grades that count. In the real world, outside the academics, something more than just grades is required. I have heard it called many things; guts, chutzpah, balls, audacity, bravado, cunning, daring, tenacity, and brilliance. This factor, whatever it is labelled, ultimately decides one’s future much more than school grades do.”

 

5 Reasons Why You Won’t Be Rich

Aside from the points I mentioned above, one of my favorite parts of Rich Dad Poor Dad was near the end when Kiyosaki writes:

“Once people have studied and become financially literate, they may still face roadblocks to becoming financially independent.”

Why?

Answer: People may still not be able to build wealth because of the following five reasons:

1. Fear (this one is my favorite, which I will discuss more in the next section)
2. Cynicism
3. Laziness
4. Bad habits
5. Arrogance

 

Rich Dad Poor Dad Quotes

I was inspired by many of the money and financial quotes in Rich Dad Poor Dad.

This section, especially his point about fear, caught my attention because I can see that far too many people are “Chicken Little” about everything in life. This is especially true when it comes to losing money.

“For most people, the reason they don’t win financially is because the pain of losing money is far greater than the joy of being rich.”

People generally like to play it safe, and that’s why they’ll never see gains.

Kiyosaki says you can play it safe and never lose a dime, but don’t expect to win either.

He went on to say that most people are afraid of losing, so they lose. Those who take risks aren’t afraid to lose because they know that in order to win, you have to lose. In other words, winners are not afraid of losing.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Failure inspires winners. Failure defeats losers.”

After finishing Rich Dad Poor Dad, this point was my biggest takeaway because I was able to relate to it. I admit that there are things I fear in life—we all do—but I’ve been diligently working on them to let them go.

 

Rich Dad Poor Dad Criticism

Overall, the book got me very excited, and I absolutely loved it!

But, there were parts of the book I just wasn’t so fond of. At times, I just didn’t feel like I was in sync with him. Maybe because my mindset isn’t the same as his when it comes to certain ideas.

For one, he is mainly biased towards real estate investing and small-cap stocks. Secondly, he’s not a fan of buying blue-chip stocks or funds (though he didn’t say it was a bad thing).

Now, I’m not against real estate investing or small-cap stocks (I actually have an interest in both). But, he made it sound like it was child’s play!

In the book, Kiyosaki gave a lot of examples of his experience with real estate investing.

For example, he mentioned a real estate deal where he made $50,000 within five hours without putting in much effort. Like, come on! Both you and I know that the majority of people are not “sophisticated” investors, so they can’t relate to those types of examples.

My question to him was: So, how can I replicate your success? Where do I even start?

He also mentions that it’s the mind that sees opportunities, and not the eyes. I understand where he’s coming from in terms of the mind. But again, I just didn’t like how he made it sound so simple.

 

Ask Yourself Open-ended Questions

Despite some personal examples that I couldn’t relate to directly, I still had a great time reading the book. There were still so many nuggets of wisdom that I still bring with me to this day. Trust me, as long as your mind is open, you will be motivated to think outside the box and ask, How can I become happy and rich? How do I escape this rat race?

Many people get discouraged easily, especially when they feel like their efforts aren’t giving them the results they want. That makes it easy for us to think, “I can’t.” But with this book, you will start viewing your obstacles as open-ended questions.

I believe that this piece of knowledge is the most important thing you can learn from the book. For example, instead of thinking, “I can’t afford this,” you should start asking yourself, “How can I afford this?”

The key here is avoiding any negative talk. Start reframing your thoughts into questions. That way, your mind will start looking for answers and opportunities to solve your problems. Once you get used to this mindset, you’ll realize that you were just limiting yourself all along.

 

Rich Dad Poor Dad Review Summary

Rich Dad Poor Dad is not a guide to managing your personal finances, but it will motivate and inspire you to take action.

It also gives you a lot of insights into the key differences between having money work for you versus you working for your money. You need to know that the latter will NEVER make you rich, even if you’re earning over $100 per hour.

In the book, you’ll also spot the huge differences in behaviors of the rich (i.e., rich dad) versus the poor and middle-class (i.e., poor dad).

Here’s a recap of some differences:

• formal education vs. self-education. Not to say that formal education is bad, but most people stop learning at that point.
• being able to distinguish an asset from a liability
• asset column vs. debt column. Which column are you going to build?
• instant gratification vs. patience
• fear of losing vs. being unafraid of losing (i.e., joy of winning)
• negatively stating “I can’t afford this” instead of asking “How can I afford this?”

 

Honestly, there’s SO much more I want to talk about in this book, but that would become a 10,000-word post. It’s better for you to read the book and truly develop a rich mindset. There may be parts where you disagree with his views. It’s normal because we’re not all the same person. For example, I couldn’t relate to a few of the examples that I mentioned above. But, you can still learn a lot from him and his book! From my experience and what I’ve seen, it’s important to not be arrogant or ignorant but to have an open mind.

“If you don’t go through life with an open mind, you will find a lot of closed doors.”

 

Don’t wait like I did. I honestly wish I read this book sooner than later.

You can click on the book to learn more from Amazon. Change your mindset about money today!

You can also purchase the e-book version on Amazon when you download the FREE Kindle reading app here. You can read Kindle e-books from any device including your PC, smartphone, tablet, etc.

 

FAQs About Rich Dad Poor Dad

Many people have questions about Robert Kiyosaki’s best-selling book, ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad,’ so I’ll answer the most frequently asked ones here.

 

1. Is Rich Dad Poor Dad actually worth reading?

“Is Rich Dad Poor Dad worth reading?” is a common question that I get. If you look at Rich Dad Poor Dad reviews online, you’ll see that there are varying thoughts on it, but it’s still hailed as a must-read for people who want to learn more about personal finance and wealth-building.

From my perspective, it’s worth reading so you can have a different look at the whole financial education talk. I already have a solid foundation on personal finance when I read this book, but I still found myself gaining an improved mindset and belief system.

Some might argue that it lacks depth or detailed financial guidance, but many people who have read the book rave about the foundational ideas and insights it gives.

But if I have to be honest, the only way you’ll know if it’s worth reading is if you try it yourself. What someone else finds not worth it might be worth it for you. We all have different thoughts about the book, so it’s best for you to formulate your own.

 

2. Does Rich Dad Poor Dad actually teach you anything?

If you’re expecting a step-by-step guide on personal finance, let me tell you that you won’t think this book is worth it. It doesn’t go into how you can make a budget or how to change your bad money habits. But does that mean the book won’t teach you anything?

While it’s not a detailed guide, it can teach us a lot. It provides us with insights into financial philosophies that help us shift our money mindset. The book has a lot of ideas that many people would disagree with, which is exactly the reason why you’re going to learn a lot from it. We can’t learn from something that we already know or agree with.

One way he challenges a widely accepted belief is by saying that a home, most people’s biggest investment, is not an asset. This perspective shifts the conventional understanding of a “dream home.”

Instead, Kiyosaki talks about how important it is to buy things that can make you money, like houses or apartments you can rent out (not for consumption). He says it’s better to choose these kinds of properties that give you steady money over the expensive ones that just cost more to keep up.

He also warns about the trap of borrowing money to buy things that lose value fast, like fancy cars on loan.

Again, The book doesn’t give you step-by-step advice on how to invest, but it teaches you a different way to think about money and what you own. It does a great job of encouraging you to aim for real, lasting wealth instead of just buying expensive stuff just to keep up with the Joneses and please people who don’t even care about you.

 

3. Is Rich Dad Poor Dad still valid?

Although the book was written in 1997, it remains a timeless classic. My book review of Rich Dad Poor Dad proves that it has pieces of advice that are still relevant in today’s world.

Since it’s not a detailed guide and mostly talks about general money philosophy, it’s easy to incorporate the ideas into what’s currently happening. Our understanding of money from mainstream media is already carved into our minds since it was passed down from generation to generation, so the fact that this book defies the general public’s idea of wealth means that it will continue to challenge us to understand modern financial dynamics deeper.

 

4. What are the six lessons in Rich Dad Poor Dad?

This Rich Dad Poor Dad book review touches on many valuable lessons on personal finance imparted to us by the book. But it’s these six lessons that you should focus on implementing in your life:

• Prioritize making passive income over earned income. The rich make money work for them.
• It’s crucial to have financial literacy. If you know basic terms like assets, liabilities, and cash flow, you can make more informed financial decisions.
• Your top priority should be your personal financial growth.
• Taxes have a history, and the wealthy often benefit from understanding how to use corporate structures.
• Rich people create their own opportunities.
• If you want to be rich, you have to prioritize continuous learning. Acquire various skills to gain a stronger foundation for wealth-building.

 

Over to you, readers, what do you think of this Rich Dad Poor Dad review? Have you read Rich Dad Poor Dad? Are you open-minded about the things he says? What do you think?

 

Did you enjoy this post? If so, don’t forget to spread the love on Pinterest! 🙂