Rich Dad's Advisors®: Who Took My Money?

April 15, 2004
The eighth book in the Rich Dad series reveals the financial wisdom of the rich, which is neither taught in schools nor discussed in the popular financial press. The authors begin with an example of the Zen master-student relationship that Kiyosaki had with his Rich Dad mentor. Kiyosaki had made the mistake of many inexperienced investors and bought into a mutual fund he knew nothing about; his Rich Dad let him stay with the bad investment for months to learn the lesson of patience. Kiyosaki also learned that the common advice to "invest for the long term, buy, hold and diversify" is not really advice but actually a sales pitch, and it teaches very little about how to become a smart investor. The reason most people continue to choose mutual-fund investing is because it is so easy, and that is also why it is inherently risky. Kiyosaki and his coauthor emphasize investing in asset classes other than equities, such as a business venture, real estate, and paper assets like hedge funds and options. These approaches require more thought, education, and effort than does simply handing one's money over to a financial company and allowing a stranger to control it, but the risks are lower and the potential financial rewards can be much greater. Certain to be in demand at the circulation desk.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)