5 comments about Rich Dad's Prophecy: Why the Biggest Stock Market Crash in History is Still Coming...and How You Can Prepare Yourself and Profit From It!.

1. There is nothing to see (read) here. You know now what you will get from this book. Spend your money elsewhere on Amazon.



2. Kiyosaki does a great job explaining the decline to come. Par for the course, the author is less than clear with his advice. If you have not read "The Second Great Depression" or other books like it I do highly recommend this volume. However, your money may be better spent on a more technical manual on how to profit during a declining market.



3. Robert Kiyosaki is a motivational speaker that also happens to sell books. If you are looking for a "How To", then you're in the wrong place. The Rich Dad, Poor Dad author seems to always strive to make you think about your financial future, and Rich Dad's Prophecy is no different.
   
   Using scare tactics to elicit a response from you, this book strives to tell you that the stock market is a bad place to invest your money, and presents reasons for this opinion. However, looking historically, this has not been the case. One of Kiyosaki's main points is that the market will crash because all of the baby boomers will be drawing out their money at a rate that the stock market won't be able to handle.
   
   Kiyosaki's point could be a valid one, but there is too much wealth in the world (that is not controlled by the United States' small group of retiring workers) for this speculation to be factual. Read Kiyosaki's book for the motivation it will provide if you need it. Don't read Kiyosaki's book if you're looking for ideas on how to invest your money (unless you're thinking of building a motivational book series with your "Pay Yourself First" funds).
   http://rhapsodiesofross.blogspot.com/2008/06/rich-dad-richer-dad.html



4. The premise of the phrophecy is that the baby boomers will pretty much take their money out of the stock market suddenly and cause it to crash. I suspect the market is far more vast than considered and the baby boomers' 401ks combined represents only a few drops in the bucket. If the market crashes, it won't be because of this prophecy's premise.



5. In his latest book "Prophecy", Robert T. Kiyosaki predicts a major stock market crash in the near future. This, he says, is a result of the baby boomers (mostly) saving for their retirement via stock investments and given that a large number of them will retire from 2016 onwards their investments will have to be cashed in as it will be needed and as a result the market will fall if not crash. Apart from that, RK says, that most baby boomers may not actually see their money ever again as more often than not most of it is invested in their own companies, i.e., the ones they work for, and if their employer goes down the drain so will their funds saved for retirement. Kiyosaki uses the demise of Enron as an example to demonstrate this.
   Granted, there is nothing really new about all this. If you have spent any time working in the financial field you would know about this - although over the years I felt that people tend to stick their heads in the sand and hope that this will not happen or somehow go away
   
   Apart from complaining about the existing system and the financial illiteracy of the vast majority of the market participants (and that would appear to be the main problem), Kiyosaki in Part II of the book sets out a game plan on how to build your own financial ark.
   
   What I like about Kiyosaki's book is that he is pointing his finger straight at what could potentially happen and he does it in rather convincing style. There is indeed a good deal of information here that Kiyosaki has mentioned in his previous books, but I am not terribly upset about this as it serves to reinforce the message. Besides, if you haven't read any of the previous Kioysaki books, you would be stuck in the middle of nowhere if Kiyosaki left out the previously published information.

3 comments about The Entrepreneur's Success Code (Audio Business Course).

1. "The Entrepreneur Success Codes" with Donald Trump and Jeff Burrows is a terrific product that could help any entrepreneur grow a business and run their business more effectively. Burrows does a nice job of explaining how to put proven business systems in place that let you run your business -- instead of having your business run you. As an entrepreneur, I related to that, totally; I found this product well worth my time and money. For $39, I got a lot more out of this product than I've gotten out of many $2500 seminars and entrepreneurship expos.



2. I really enjoyed this product because it gave me real actionable information that I could use right away.



3. I found "The Entrepreneur's Success Code, How to run a high performance business and have a life", really amazing. It's the "...and how to have a life" part that really caught my interest. It's a study course that encourages you to ask questions of yourself such as:
   What is abundance?
   What are my personal objectives in my life?
   What does money mean to me?
   
   It helps you:
   Transfer you inner wisdom to your business.
   Create a business (or find a vocation) that serves your life.
   Be certain your work allows you to become who you really are.
   
   These are not things I expected in something that had anything to do with Donald Trump. Surprise! Surprise! You'll never be all you can be if your life is not in sync with your inner self. This course shows you how you can do it.

5 comments about Rich Dad Poor Dad Classics - Boxed Set (Rich Dad Poor Dad; Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant, and Rich Dad's Guide to Investing).

1. I highly recommend these books, especially to teens. Mr. Kiyosaki points out why most people are in debt and a very few are on their way to becoming wealthy. It is a matter of attitude and personal discipline that makes the difference. His second book, Cash Flow Quadrant, does a fine job of putting in simple terms the four ways that people make money. Different personalities, ambitions and fears determine which quadrant you will gravitate to. The author points out the pros and cons of each quadrant and urges his readers to become knowledgible in all four. His continuous hammering of the difference between an asset vs a liability, good debt vs bad debt, and positive vs neagtive cash flow help the reader form a firm foundation upon which to build one's finances. I am now reading these books together with my 15 year old, and have bought copies for my older 20-something children.



2. I agree with the person that said it lacked details. You come away knowing that you're supposed to acquire assets while reducing your liabilities, and eventually somehow begin and sell corporations for profit. The author didn't explain how an ordinary person goes about this process...mostly it seemed like him bragging that he was able to do it.
   
   What I take away from this audio-CD could probably have been reduced down to 4 tracks on 1 disc. Sad, but true.



3. A must read for those who want learn to manage their personal finances; Robert does not provide all the answers, but his books get you thinking...once you begin to think you can find the practical solutions that will work for you to improve you financial situation today. The new idea may be as small as forgoing using your visa to pay for that outfit because you now know the difference between good credit and bad credit or as big as purchasing your first postive cash-flow rental property.



4. These books are a must for everyone!! He writes so well, and you can see that what he says is so true however, it doesn't seem to occur to you before you read the book. My whole life and way of thinking has changed since reading this set of books and I am buying the rest of his books as I can.



5. Rich Dad, personal finance- my last purchase was a total of 11 Rich Dad books, I am living in the Philippines and have just received the books shipped through an agent in the US. I find all of the series to be interesting and informative, well written for simple minded people like me. I am pleased with my purchase.

5 comments about Power of Story: Rewrite Your Destiny in Business and in Life.

1. I have been aware for some time that the way we think about ourselves and the decisions that we make is based on a programming of our sub-conscience mind. This programming has been established from the time we were born through today by a filtering system that we have through our relationships with customs, culture, family, friends, peers, colleagues and education whether thru Academia or Hard Knocks.
   
   Dr. Loehr, in Part One, not only identifies these filters that make up what he and others have called `My Story', showing that if our story is not changed, we are destine to continue on with our life as it is. This "Slow Death", as he calls it, is made up of questions we ask ourselves:
   
   "How did it come to this?
   What am I doing?
   Where am I going?
   What do I want?
   Is my life working on any meaningful level? Why doesn't it work better?
   Am I right now dieing, slowly for something, I'm not willing to die for?
   WHY AM I WORKING SO HARD, MOVING SO FAST, FEELING SO LOUSY?"
   
   This is not just for the individuals themselves, it includes the business we own or work for, showing `Your Story' around; work, family, health, happiness and friends.
   
   After showing the process of identifying `Your Story' now, through writing it down, Dr. Loehr, in Part Two, presents `The Resources, Procedures and Practices' that enable one to write, indoctrinate and live `Your Best Life' possible.
   
   Jim Loehr's writing style is not only involving for the reader; the examples (Including his own.) are those that most everyone can relate to. It is an informative, magnetic, yet easy to read volume for self evaluation and improvement.
   
   This process is not without work and accountability, yet gives a person a whole new outlook on who they are and what they are here for, should they follow through.
   
   This book is not only for those who are oblivious to this phenomenon of how story controls our lives. I also recommend this information and instruction for others who are aware of it (Like Me.), to have a better understanding and procedure on `How To Make My Story Better'!
   
   Dr. D. P. Gatten [...]



2. This is a very thought provoking and life changing book. Jim Loehr first brings us face to face with the stories that we tell ourselves. Your first reaction is that you don't tell yourself stories. But you do. We all do. And often the stories we tell ourselves are crafted to fit our excuses for why we do or don't do things. As long as we are telling ourselves stories that are not based in reality, we will continue to live according to the story line we are telling ourself.
   
   The book is not just about stories, it is actually a step by step manual for finding out your old story, discovering where it is wrong and then developinig a new story based around your purpose in life.
   
   When most people list their priorities in life, they go something like this: God, family, work and other. But when they really examine their lives, they have made their career the most important thing in their lives. They devote most of their energy to their career and never have enough left for the other things in their lives. They tell themself one story but live another.
   
   There is another very important lesson in the book. We all think that time is our most important asset. As Jim points out, it is not time but the energy we bring to the time we devote to any activity. He gives countless examples of people spending time with family but not fully engaged. The energy is not there.
   
   If we are not physically fit, we do not have sufficient energy to accomplish the tasks we set out to do.
   
   This is not theory. Jim runs the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, FL and the book is filled with examples from the work he has done with thousands of people.
   
   The book is well written, easy to read and a real eye-opener.
   
   There is a step by step plan for the individual to come face to face with their old story, write their new one and change their lifestyle so that they bring their life into harmony.
   
   Well worth reading. You will never be living your ideal life until you get your life aligned with your story. This book tell you why and shows you how. The rest is up to you.



3. What stories do you tell yourself about your life? That you must spend every waking hour at the office? That you have no time for exercise? That self-fulfillment is an impossible dream? If this is your internal dialogue, then you should not be surprised if it is also your external reality. Acclaimed performance psychologist Jim Loehr spells out a program that will enable you to discard your old negative stories and develop new positive ones that will make your life better. He shows you how to turn these new stories into your new reality. Plus, he explains why physical energy is crucial in this changeover, and what you must do to stay constantly energized. getAbstract believes that anyone who is stuck in a rut will benefit from reading Loehr's inspirational book and putting his transformational principles to work.



4. The Power of Story gives you the opportunity to challenge your current story and decide how you will define your story from this point forward. If the traditional self-help books have not produced results, perhaps it is now time for you to consider digging deeper to create the story of your life. Well...are you ready to write the next chapter...your way?? If you are willing, you will be guided by author Jim Loehr who has worked with Olympic and Professional athletes and the Captains of industry.
   Why not take the next step...and see what happens!



5. A lot of good ideas and theories for self-improvement, but just not great writing. This book was not meant to be read, it was meant to be heard in the seminar. I am sure Jim Loehr's seminar is wonderful, and very helpful to many people wanting to amke changes in their lives, but was not adapted very well to be read in my opinion.

5 comments about Crash Proof: How To Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse.

1. If you follow this investment advice in early 2008 you could lose 50~60% of your money. Unfortunatally I did. So be careful!



2. First, this book has the wrong title. The majority of the book's argument and purpose is to explain how fragile the US economy is and how the indications of failure are just the beginning of a larger dollar collapse and implosion of our economy. Since we aren't crash proof, the idea is to move your assets into precious metals, foreign stocks, and liquidity for quick strikes on opportunities. It's a radical thought that may have value in these increasingly radical times.



3. I read the book and invested my IRA in his firm. My life's saving was invested into a "Capital Secured" manner. I lost 40%. His book and his advice are hog wash.



4. Peter Schiff has a remarkable track record for divining the future. His videos, available on Youtube, display back bone and wisdom in standing up to the tide of popular opinion. The guy shows poise and self control in the face of overwhelming contrary positions. I too held the same opinion, "The economy is in trouble!". I wasn't sure what to do about it. And it was through a chance hit, that I discovered Peter Schiff. Unlike me, Peter has the answers to, "What do you do to protect yourself?" I don't agree with all of Peter's conclusions, but the book served as a catalyst and platform for further thinking on the subject. I adopt the strategies of Peter's that I like and was able to think of additional things that I wanted to do. Thanks Peter. Great book. Did you collect your "penny" from that snob? (One of the tube videos)



5. Peter Schiff is a professional doomsayer who strongly makes the case that the American economy is going to hell in a hand basket. Fast.
   
   He lays out this case in his book, CRASH PROOF. Given the backdrop of recent months, it is hard to say he is wrong. The book came out @ February of 2007 so Schiff is prescient in a number of realms.
   
   If doom and gloom is your cup of tea, you have come to the right book. Schiff sees over consumption, inflation and misguided government policies as providing a recipe for economic and financial disaster. My gripe is that the book's title oversells and does not really constitute truth in advertising. I estimate that only about one-fourth of the book is prescriptive in offering ways to "crash proof" yourself and your finances. Schiff's solutions revolve around three themes: invest in foreign securities, buy gold and maximize your liquidity.
   
   It just so happens that Schiff's firm can address the foreign securities need and he peppers his final chapter with "plugs" for his investment company.

1 comments about The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.

1. I ordered 2 of the cds and recieved someone's elses order. I sent it back and called and told the costomer service I did not recieve the correct order. I was given a refund ( wich I did nor ask for and never received the coeerect order--- still waiting!!!! C james Hyslop

5 comments about Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich.

1. A great follow-up by Jim Cramer to his book "Real Money." In "Real Money" (read that one first), Jim explains some of the basic ideas you can use to stay slightly ahead of the market. Jim often says (in his books and on TV) that he doesn't believe in a pure "buy and hold" strategy, but rather "buy and homework." In Real Money he explains some ways you can know the time to BUY... in this book he adds more detail, and further explains all of the required HOMEWORK you have to do before buying, and what you have to do to know when to SELL SELL SELL. His style is entertaining, and his language is straightforward. A great book for those small investors looking for plain talk and a way to understand the market.



2. I've heard all Jim's books and I remain a huge fan of his teachings. I have utilized his advice for my investment strategy.



3. This guy is nothing short of a genius in my opinion, I've purchased all of his books I'm pretty sure and have NEVER been dis-appointed with them. He's a 5 STAR AUTHOR all the way.



4. I listened to the audio version of this book. Or at least I tried to. The first 30 minutes were completely hype. No content whatsoever. I got so tired of his voice, the way he talks, and all the hype that I couldn't continue the book. Sorry. I hear his earlier books were better.



5. Some have said that a New York accent is the most effective method of birth control known to man. If that is true, listening to Jim Cramer may be in the second slot. It has all the appeal of a fingernail scratching a blackboard ...
   
   It could alternatively be titled, "Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Listen to it, Get Annoyed" I listened to the entire book on CD and IT FEELS LIKE CRAMER IS CONSTANTLY YELLING AT YOU!!!!!!
   
   Egads, pass me the Ibuprofen...

5 comments about Sales Success - The Techniques of Effective Sales, from Connecting to Closing! (Audio Success Suite).

1. Since opening up my 2 man company - I was looking for something more than a book to help and motivate us. Books were not the way for us.
   The DVDs are totally worth their value ten fold.
   The speakers are truly inspirational and hit the target in their speeches. I listen to them in the car, in my player.
   It doesn't only apply to sales people, anyone who is striding towards any goal in their life could deeply benefit from these DVDs.



2. Do you want a few quick tips to be a successful sales person? Do you want to get inspired and motivated to pursue your self-development goals? You should listen to this audio deck. Though the compilation is called "Sales Success", it is useful for anyone who aspires to be successful. You don't have to be a sales person.
   
   The CDs cover all topics including selling techniques, leadership, communication, networking, negotiation, and memorizing people's names. You would also get to know the different styles of persuasion. I like the ones from Zig Ziglar & Patricia Fripp. Imagine going to a convention where all these great speakers are present in the stage talking just to YOU. That is the experience you would get from listening to this collection.
   
   These CDs are good ones to listen to while driving your car or when going for a morning walk/jogging.



3. If you are in sales this is a great course for a weekend. The tips you will pick up will help you close more deals.



4. It's not a bad four disk set, I sometimes still throw in the Hopkins disc to work on different closes, but the set leaves a little to be desired. Instead of breaking the discs down into different tracks, each disc is just one track. This makes it extremely difficult when you're enrolled in "automobile university" and want to review just certain portions of the material.



5. This format expertly blends sales motivation with cutting edge ideas, effective strategies and proven marketing tips. The wisdom and insight that this program places at your fingertips is invaluable in these recessionary times. The audio format allows you to literally "sharpen your sales ax" while you are driving to visit clients. As a professional sales trainer I must provide my audiences with powerful yet affordable concepts that will have an instant impact on their sales success. The ideas, tactics and concepts in this book will provide me with an arsenal of proven sales success principals. Time tested ideas that my clients can use immediately to close more deals, shift market-share and reinvest their time for maximum ROI. I will enthusiastically recommend this program in my future sales training.

5 comments about The Little Book That Beats the Market.

1. Very insightful, and excellently written. Despite the name this is not another shallow book, full of cliches and nothings. In a really entertaining fashion Greenblatt explains in very simple easy to understand illustrations, what stocks are, how they are traded and the basic principles of the stock market and market fluctuations. He then builds on these principles to teach the fundementals of wealth building that most successful investors utilize. Alot of basic principles that somehow a lot of smart investors forget. Great reading for the experienced, and novice alike! This book should really be required reading in high school and/or college.



2. I read every chapter of this book while at Borders except the last one, so I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of the "Magic Formula" website that seems to generate so much controversy. I can, however, clarify a glaring misconception in what Goldblatt wrote in his book.
   
   Contrary to what many of the reviewers wrote (especially the negative reviewers), Goldblatt was not insisting that people focus only on Return on Assets and P/E ratio. Goldblatt was also not insisting on a definition of "capital" (within his concept of "return on capital")that leads to an over-emphasis on services over manufacturing. He illustrated perfectly his two pieces of investment data in the following ways:
   
   First, Return on Capital can be best interpreted as a return on invested capital. If it costs $1 million to build a retail store and that store, within a year, generates $2 million, then the ROC is 100%.
   
   Second, his other measure is really a profit-yield per share. You get this measure by taking the amount of profit generated by a firm, dividing it by the number of shares outstanding, and then dividing that by the share price times 100. So, if a company has a $1 million profit and it's selling a million shares for $10 a share, then the profit-yield per share is 10%.
   
   These two concepts seem to form the core of value investing in that they discipline a person to invest in the market as if they were buying a business or a partnership share in the business. The relevant question in any such investment is always "how much will my partnership share make?"
   All other factors are just risk management.
   
   The trick is finding data to generate these statistics. I don't know how well Goldblatt's website does that.



3. This brief text is a good read for the novice investor who wants to learn more about equity valuation. Basically, it distills the drivers of stock values into two components: return on assets and earnings yield. Buy stocks with strong numbers in both of these categories and, over time, you will outperform the market. Only problem with this approach is that stock values are based on expectations of FUTURE performance. Stocks often have high earnings yields today because professional stock pickers expect their finances to degrade in the future. Forecasting future performance is what is most important. The author fails to stress this concept.
   
   For the novice investor, the author is able to explain some of the more fundamental concepts of equity valuation in a straightforward manner. Yet, this text would be only one of a several books someone should read before trading individual stocks instead of purchasing mutual funds.



4. Great info with a humorous touch and a link to data to use in applying what you learn. I am not going to apply it until a more normal market comes along though.



5. First book I ever read about the market. Very simple and to the point. Great place to start your reading about investing.

5 comments about Rich Dad's Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, that the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! (Rich Dad).

1. Excellent book for starters on the way to financial freedom or people who would prefer to be inspired by common sense approach intellect that provides a base to slingshot their financial freedom and start getting out of the rat race



2. Rich Dad's Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!
   
   Robert Kiyosaki has openned my eyes: after being 15 year working for several companies as Corporate Treasurer, Senior Operations Controller and responsible for starting-up several buisness units for my employer, I finally was inspired by Kiyosaki's Guide to investing and how you can create your own money, creating assets without buying them, going through a transformation process "trash to cash".
   
   I look at Financial Statements from a different perspective, not as a means of informing someone else of the company's performance, but as someone who would be an inside investor.
   
   This book is really great!!



3. I really liked this book. If you liked Rich Dad, Poor Dad, then you should get this book. It is very informative and interesting.



4. I like Robert Kiyosaki's idea of an eight-part model for a business. He calls it the BI Triangle, which says that a business is a system of systems. The BI Triangle is a big leap forward for all aspiring entrepreneurs. It establishes finite boundaries on what it takes to run a successful business. As far as I know, no other writer has been able to express these boundaries so succinctly.
   
   The BI Triangle's power comes from its unprecedented combination of comprehensiveness, finiteness and simplicity. Before Mr. Kiyosaki, nearly all business books were written by two categories of writers:
   
   1)Overly-specialized, non-comprehensive-thinking employee-or-consultant-gurus who couldn't see the forest for the trees, or
   2)Overly-generalized, non-educator-entrepreneurs who could see the forest but couldn't describe it in a way that was understandable to others.
   
   Seldom (if ever) is a business book written by an entrepreneur who also happens to be an educator. As a result, the business sections of most bookstores are vast collections of specialized "marketing" books written by self-proclaimed marketing gurus, "strategy" books by strategy gurus, "sales" books by sales gurus, and so on. None of these overly-specialized authors have been able put the entire concept of business together into a universal, comprehensive and succinct package - none except Robert Kiyosaki.
   
   This lack of succinct comprehensiveness within the business world is the main reason why entrepreneurship has been so scary for so many. This must have been how the mariners of Europe felt before the voyages of Columbus. Starting a new business, just like sailing off into the sunset, used to seem like a never-ending dangerous quest into an unknown (and unknowable) abyss. That's why most mariners used to stay within sight of the shore. To them, the risk of sailing into the sunset was infinite because the scope of possible outcomes was also infinite. This isn't surprising since many of them thought the earth was an infinitely-extended flat plane.
   
   But something amazing happened when Columbus returned from his adventures. He proved to his fellow mariners that the earth was finite, not infinite - he showed them that the earth was actually a sphere, and not an infinitely extended plane. The others quickly understood the meaning. That is, a spherical earth meant that it was now impossible to sail off into oblivion. In one swift stroke, this knowledge massively reduced the risk (and the fears) of sailing into the sunset. What was unknown and unknowable became knowable and most importantly, doable.
   
   Robert Kiyosaki is the Columbus of the business world. He has shown that a business, like the earth, is also a finite entity. Just as there are definite boundaries to the earth itself, there are also definite boundaries to a business. This is a monumental finding - don't be fooled by its simplicity.
   But there is an important difference between the boundaries of the earth and the boundaries of a business: the former is mainly physical, and the latter is mainly metaphysical. In other words, the boundaries of the earth can be apprehended by the senses; the boundaries of a business can only be apprehended by the mind.
   
   The key to understanding Mr. Kiyosaki's ideas is the ability to see with the mind's eye. The business world of the Information Age is a collection of inherently invisible, inaudible and weightless principles. To apprehend them we must learn how to transcend the obvious physical inputs from our senses. For example, it's "obvious" that the sun "moves" across the sky. It's "obvious" that the earth is flat. But is that really happening? The mind's eye reveals a different reality. If you want to succeed in business, then learn to embrace the version of reality from the mind's eye, not from the senses. Robert Kiyosaki's books are an excellent place to start.
   
   If you really want to understand the way Kiyosaki thinks, then I suggest you read Buckminster Fuller's books as well.



5. I have read most of the books in the Rich Dad series, and this last one has been on my bookshelf for seven years. I finally read it this week, looking for some insight into the current (10/10/2008) stock market and financial crisis.
   
   This book was harder to understand and less complete than the other books in the Rich Dad series, and the chapters on the different classes of investors was basic to me, but that is probably because I've attended a half-dozen Rich Dad seminars over the years, read the other books in the series and I've played the Cashflow game, which I highly recommend.
   
   However, I don't particularly recommend this book. This is the only Rich Dad book in which I found the writing to be stilted and phony, particularly when Kiyosaki is recreating his childhood and young adulthood interactions with his 'Rich Dad.' Instead of speaking to me deeply as the earlier books did, I found the first part of this book to be highly irritating, preachy and annoying.
   
   Any other Rich Dad book is worth buying, except for this one. Rich Dad Poor Dad will set your life on fire and change the way you think about wealth and money. This one will put you to sleep.