Guru Ratings
Robert Kiyosaki
Bad.
Remember my ratings criteria. I’m not judging these gurus on “global” or moral values, but very specific criteria. Many of my favorite books would be rated “bad” by my criteria for self-help (probably, because they are not self-help books). My ratings don’t reflect how well an author met his own goals, but how well they met my criteria for useful, accurate self-help.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad (2000)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad gives basic money advice via a tale about Kiyosaki’s two dads. One worked for money. The other made money work for him. Kiyosaki says you should leave the rat race and generate passive income through investments, real estate and small businesses. That’s fine.
But then, Kiyosaki:
- bashes education
- gives bad investment advice
- lies about the market
- lies about himself
John T. Reed wrote a thorough take-down of Kiyosaki and his book. He called it “one of the all-time worst financial books ever written.”
Kiyosaki’s other books are no better.