"Rich dad, poor dad" by Robert t. Kiyosaki
"Rich dad, poor dad" by Robert t. Kiyosaki Another book I read this summer is “Rich dad, poor dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki - an Italian translation of the American bestseller that is not very well known in Italy. I found it in a second-hand market, where I normally find interesting books by obscure authors.
I had put it aside and only picked it up when I was running short of things to read, but once I started it, I finished it very quickly. Like many American self-help books, it’s well-structured in 6 lessons that help you make money - a quintessentially American pursuit, but also an established goal of many people in this day and age. If you can approach this book with an open mind it can teach you something useful.
The book "Rich dad, poor dad"
I liked the juxtaposition between the poor dad who represents a person who goes to university, works hard and remains trapped in the "hamster’s cage" and the person that, even though they may have gone to university themselves, goes beyond classic academic studies and finds ways to make money with the aim of freeing themselves from their money obsession.
A bit like those platitudes where a person that is truly poor in spirit is not someone who is poor in material terms but someone who is spiritually impoverished - the aim is not to be consumed by money but to have enough money to not be obsessed by money anymore.
I find this approach very interesting from the perspective of a person’s career and professional development. Nowadays youngsters, and even people who are not so young, are fully at the mercy of their employers and can become slaves. If they end up losing their jobs and not being able to find another one in a hurry, they can find themselves in serious trouble and can put their whole lives at risk from multiple perspectives.
It’s best to think of your “Assets” as Robert suggests, be clear about what they are and insist on those: work, learn, study while all along thinking about acquiring assets that “work” for you.
So instead of focusing on enlarging the house you are living in or buying other houses, it’s best to use your money productively, by investing in stocks and shares as well as the property market. Achieving that goal in practice might not be so simple, because you’ll need the flair or inclination to be a successful investor.
But it’s a book I recommend to open your mind and encourage you to consider that lack of money is often used as a generic excuse for not starting a business and not taking control of your own destiny.
…and what about GoodGoing! ?
Very often, when supporting my clients, I extend my analysis to the overall financial situation of a person that is thinking about the new work-related project.
It’s essential to have a solid basis or at any rate have the speed and creativity to invest your money wisely.
In this regard being an employee doesn’t help, as it can hinder a person’s creativity and lead to them experiencing more suffering and frustration than would be normal during periods of professional transition.
Unfortunately, based on what I see every day, for most people in Italy and in Milan, if you have a job, you’re almost certainly an employee in a company, as the alternatives are usually only fallbacks …
That’s why a book written from an American’s perspective could be thought-provoking and could help you open your eyes.
