Free From Corporate America
References and Book Recommendations, Part One: Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Note: Editor Jennifer Gabrielle assisted with the compilation and write up of these book references.

Jon Reed’s Intro: When I wrote Free From Corporate America, I intentionally kept any references and academic-style footnotes out of the text. My goal was to keep the ideas simple and to flow from chapter to chapter. My plan was to use the web site to provide more background on particular chapters as needed. Over time, I hope to add more links from the chapters themselves to other sources of information. For example, the assumption that more white collar work is being outsourced globally is widely accepted, but I hope to link to more studies that explore that assumption.

But for now, what I’d like to do is to share a few of the books that were most influential to my own. Many of the ideas in Free From Corporate America are not unique to me. One thing that I hope is original is how I have brought together a range of perspectives into a methodology that is my own. So, now is the chance to pay tribute to some key influences and also point readers to different resources to further their own thinking.

With that said, here is the first entry in my list of key resources, which I’ll be adding to in the future:

Book Title: The Rich Dad, Poor Dad Book Series

Author: Robert Kiyosaki

Reason for Selection: The Robert Kiyosaki books have been criticized for being too simplistic, and perhaps dangerously so. I don’t see it that way, though I think it’s important to combine Kiyosaki’s books with other perspectives that provide balance. However, Kiyosaki’s primary distinction between working as an employee versus working as an owner, and why it’s important to create assets that generate income, have never been more effectively explained. And if you get the companion books to the original, you can get deeper into the explanations that support his theories. I do have some other criticisms of Kiyosaki’s work. I always felt his definition of what constituted an asset was too narrow, for example. I suppose you could say I wrote my book because I felt that Kiyosaki left some important topics untouched. In some ways, I find his thinking limited, or perhaps narrowly focused on the acquisition of wealth without acknowledging  of the pitfalls of such a narrow approach – especially when many approaches to wealth acquisition are, if not morally bankrupt, at least shallow. His concepts, however, are powerful, and can be applied to a context broader or different than the one he lays out.

Related Web Sites and Discussion Threads:

More from Kiyosaki:

• Kiyosaki’s Yahoo! Finance column, “Why the Rich Get Richer”: If his books aren’t enough, you can catch Kiyosaki’s financial solutions and advice on Yahoo! every other Tuesday. While everyone else is busy criticizing, you can read what he has to say and decide for yourself.

• Kiyosaki on YouTube: See Kiyosaki in action, explaining the basic concepts of why it’s better to be the boss than an employee. Warning: this is framed by an admittedly cheesy soundtrack and setting, so don’t be surprised when Kiyosaki parcels out his nuggets of wisdom from an armchair in front of a roaring fire.

Criticism for the book:

• John T. Reed, real-estate investor and writer: This is apparently the scathing review to read, since it’s mentioned so often in other reviews as the most acridly critical of Kiyosaki’s advice.

• Rob Walker on Slate.com, “If I Were a Rich Dad”: A less scathing review, Walker points to reasons why the book has managed to become so popular despite its contested advice.

What other folks are saying:

• N. Gifford’s “Bring the Cash Flow” blog entry, “John T. Reed vs. Robert Kyosaki”: Check out Gifford’s post and readers’ comments to see what others have to say on the topic. (Hint: it’s somewhere between the two.)

• Personal finance blog “Get Rich Slowly”: This entry offers readers the opportunity to ask Kiyosaki their questions. You’ll find a range of lovers and haters alike.

• MSN Money message board thread, “Is Kiyosaki a hoax? Is he helping or hurting people?”: Over 300 people responded to this thread, offering a variety of interesting points on the topic.

Want to buy Free From Corporate America or see reviews of the final published version from readers like yourself? The printed book is now available on Amazon.com with product reviews.

You can also get a discounted version of the final book in eBook (PDF) format, or you can pick up a copy on the Kindle. The published version of the book is significantly enhanced from the web version available on this site.