If you need some inspiration, get your hot little hands on this book today...

So I've been in a little funk the past couple of days, but I found myself guffawing out loud this afternoon after picking off my bookshelf an item that I bought almost the very week it came out in 1997. What an inspiring, rollicking fun read!

The book in question was originally titled "How to Succeed in Business by Breaking All the Rules" by Dan Kennedy. In paperback I think it became "No Rules". Talk about motivation! This book defines motivation. Run out to your library or bookstore and get it now if you want an entrepreneurial boost and if you really feel like laughing out loud today.

The very fact this book never made it (to my knowledge) to The New York Times Bestseller List is testament to the fact that thinking like the masses is a losing proposition.

John

I understand how breaking the rules can be really
stimulating to say the least.

I've been reading over and again a little book
called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". This book explains
why being like the masses traps everybody.

That trap in this book is called social
conditioning.

If someone wants to read something radically
different about how we live, read this book.

It's been a New-York Times best seller for months
and someone can have it for a few bucks at E-Bay
or at: http://www7.richdad.com/home.m .

Good reading.




the biz out of an idea

I know I'm gonna catch flack for recommending this, but I think that it IS important that you DON'T think like the masses and accept what RK is saying on face value.

Goto:
http://www.johntreed.com

And click on his guru ratings board, then read the article on RK.

You'll have to come to your own conclusions, after reading the article.

Robert Kiyosaki's reply

http://www.mastermindforum.com/kiyosakiresponsetoreed.htm

It's a reply, so you've gotta hand it to the guy for at least responding.

But it's a politician's reply. He doesn't really address any of the real issues that JTR brings up.

(That's John T. Reed, not Jack Russell Terrier for you dsylexics in the group.) ;)

Read the review of Dolf De LaRoos (RK's collaborator on the Real Estate book) on the JTR's site.
- Adam.

--------------------------------------------------
> But it's a politician's reply. He doesn't
> really address any of the real issues that
> JTR brings up.

You have to remember that john treed was the first
to issue a critique.
Koyisacki had the right to answer the way he liked.

I went to http://www.johntreed.com and I don't
see anything looking like a guru rating board or
even any board at all.

Maybe he shut it down for some time?

I see only real estate and football coaching stuff
there, the kind of things that denote a strong
obedience to social standards and avoidance
to take any risks.


www.johntreed.com

Here you go. :)

http://www.johntreed.com/Reedgururating.html

> Here you go. :)

>
> http://www.johntreed.com/Reedgururating.html
-------------------------------------------------
I went down that link, and while that gururating
directory could look impressive, I repeat:

"Why should I take his advice at face value?"

This directory looks like a "look how I'm smart,
I can demolish anybody" scheme.

Not much more than an ego trip to me.

It's looks like a real-estate branch office
manager telling his sales employees what to think.

That is my perception.

Otherwise, is there anything truly scientific in any of this for you?

Is rating gurus a scientific procedure?

I prefer following my own opinions than relying
slavishly on someone else's.

> "Why should I take his advice at face
> value?"

My question is: Why aren't you applying the same skepticism towards RK's book?

You might also want to look into Eric Hoffer's book, "True Believer".

- Adam.




Browning Direct

Hi Mario,

I take John Reed's "reviews" with a grain of salt.... After all, John Reed sells his own property investment books, so he's in competition with those he "criticizes".

I read his review of Robert Kiyosaki a long time ago, and I think he completely misunderstood what RK was trying to do. I don't think "Rich Dad Poor Dad" is a real estate investment book. Instead, RK was trying to change the way people think.... Rich Dad Poor Dad was about changing your thinking process.

Of course, if you judge a non-property investment book on how well it teaches property investment, it will rate poorly. It's like judging Seinfeld on how good a drama it is - Seinfeld is not meant to be a drama, so it will rate poorly if that's how you choose to judge it. But I don't think a property investment book was what RK had in mind.

I feel I've benefited from Robert Kiyosaki's stuff.... Rich Dad Poor Dad was a very big catalyst in causing me to truly make the leap into entrepreneurship. I was already thinking and musing about it, but Rich Dad Poor Dad helped to "push me over the edge" and finally take the plunge.... :)

The way I judge business help books at first is mostly by the author.... What have they done? Have they "walked the walk"?

To my knowledge, Robert Kiyosaki has done so.... By his own account, he started a business with a partner that made those velcro "surf wallets". However, after doing well, the company eventually folded after his partner ran away with a lot of the money. Nevertheless, Robert Kiyosaki ended up later making a second fortune through property investment. He's now made a "third" fortune through his books - but to my understanding, he was already rich before he started writing.

Adam Katz's view may be different - he is already a successful entrepreneur, and probably his thinking processes do not need "changing" - he already thinks the way an entrepreneur does. But your average employee does not.... (This is no disrespect to Adam - I have a lot of respect for Adam's business accomplishments and for his opinions.)

RK's insights, about buying assets, NOT liabilities, is really simple yet also very powerful. He turns something which often seems complicated, into something very simple and easy to understand. The average person often does NOT understand the difference between an "asset" and a "liability"! If it's only for that insight, the book (in my opinion) is well worth reading....

Plus the story is quite entertaining too.... (There's the salesman in him coming out!) :)

- Dien