5 comments about The Little Book that Saves Your Assets: What the Rich Do to Stay Wealthy in Up and Down Markets (Little Books. Big Profits).

1. This "Little Book" delivers a big message. It's another jewel from the David Darst collection.



2. I am obsessed with investment books, and have read everyone I can get my hands on. I have never read one that puts the potentially dry concepts of asset allocation into vivid stories so that investors of all sophistication levels can learn them. This should be required reading for every investor and prospective investor so that they can build plans that will give them the highest odds of success on their financial journeys. Thank you David for an instant classic.



3. As the book explains, asset allocation is tremendously important for long term returns. Most individual investors should be spending time figuring out asset allocation rather than worrying about picking stocks. This book shows you how to do it.



4. This book is one step short of basic. Total waste. Unless you are into similes.



5. David Darst has successfully managed to write a book that is informative and an easy read . Whether you are a novice investor or an experienced advisor " The Little Book That Saves Your Assets " should be on your desk at all times !

5 comments about Chain of Blame: How Wall Street Caused the Mortgage and Credit Crisis.

1. This book points fingers and names names and it is high time someone did that. The authors know their subject and the book is well researched and readable. I recommend this, even to someone who is new to the topic.



2. Well written, well researched and has the juicy stuff too. A broker standing on his desk yelling at the loan reviewers to go faster, faster, faster in approving loans (so he can get his commission). Great background on Angelo Mozila, the king of subprime, and a fun story about Lewie Ranieri, whose Texas employees thought they were getting a mob boss instead of a banker.
   
   It will make you laugh, and make you cry because government has given away the bank to the crooks again. These crooks are in suits and rob all of us with a pen. U.S. taxpayers, investors, and pension funds will be trying to choke down these bad loans and ABSs for a long time.



3. I really liked this book - it is well written and describes the main actors of the mortgage market meltdown in a very engaging way. Back in the mid-90s I was working as an analyst for a bank that participated in syndicates that underwrote warehousing lines of credit for - among others, for Countrywide - and provided other services for mortgage companies. The authors explain very well how the how the mortgage markets work: from the homebuyer to the (far removed) overseas investor. They point out where the system may (and did) brake and how the unrealistic assumption about ever appreciating real estate market made many quite smart people lose their wits.
   
   So, what we see in the course of the book are a lot of "greedy" business people. However, they did not operate in a vacuum and what is missing in the book is the "greedy" consumer. I'm not taking away any responsibility from unscrupulous mortgage brokers, but they dealt with the consumer that threw caution through the window, too. The "ticking bomb", i.e. ARM resets were described in the loan documents - many just chose to ignore them, basing their "hopes" on the same assumptions as the "savvy" business executives - growing real estate values and low interest rates...Ultimately, shouldn't we all be responsible for prudently managing our finances?
   
   The authors bring an example of foreclosure raved Slavic Village in Cleveland. It is a sad part of the book - but the question comes to mind: why do we need to approach mortgage borrowers like we would easily deceived children?
   
   I think, the book would be more valuable if it addressed this link of the chain, as well.



4. An easy & engaging read. It connected most, if not all, of
   the financial dots for me.



5. Do your eyes glaze over when commentators try to describe the financial products that were at the heart of the recent real estate boom? The mortgage boom? This book described the instruments clearly--and gives the reader a great sense of what was fundamentally wrong with the whole process. The title is "Chain of Blame," but there is plenty of blame to go around.
   
   The book is well written and lucid. Nonspecialists can understand it well. I heard talking heads on TV and radio described tranches, REITs, "liar loans," "warehouse line of credit," and so on. The authors describe these terms--and others--clearly and in such a way that the reader can begin to see what had happened--and why the meltdown in the mortgage world should not be seen as so surprising.
   
   It is also the story of clever businessmen and women, who could develop new tools for investment from subprime loans. Subprime loans, simply, are (Page 325): "A loan originated by a lender that is A- to D in quality. Consumers with the best credit ratings. . .are considered 'A' credit quality." In short, loans are being made to purchasers who carry some to a lot of risk. If they can't keep paying their mortgages, the house of cards can fall down. And that is, in short, what happened (although the story is quite a bit more complex than that).
   
   Among the innovators were pioneers such as Roland Arnall (of Ameriquest and Argent) and Bill Dallas (of Ownit Mortgage Solutions). Then, those who adopted practices of the innovators, such as Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide.
   
   The book makes pretty clear that a number of factors contributed to the mortgage problem. Regulators didn't get involved; Wall Street firms ignored the volatile nature of subprime loans in a desire to realize enormous profits; banks bought into the profitable business.
   
   Anyway, if the reader wants a well written, if not overly deep, analysis of the mortgage crisis, this is not a bad place to start.

5 comments about Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer).

1. While this book has some valid theory and elementary education on market cycles, there is without question a definitve arguement against anything that Jim Cramer writes or speaks. Now take this as you may, but for nearly 10 years I followed Jim like a hawk and I lost a lot of money. I thought it was me, I just didn't have it. Please look at this YouTube.com vidoe and decide for yourself.
   
   I am not affiliateed with either party.
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt8pd9xd2h4



2. "He explains what professional money managers do right that amateur investors do wrong." And has forgotten that its the amateurs that watch his program, read his books and heed his advice. Then when he reverses himself and a stock falls off a cliff overnight and "amateurs" lose much of their hard-earned money, he hides behind a disclaimer.
   
   Jim Cramer talked up Sirius Satellite Radio stock for a year, and on the night the merger with XM was made official, he compared the stock to lottery tickets. And the "amateurs" were supposed to see this coming?
   
   Jim Cramer should be ashamed of himself.



3. Marketspath is considered by some-as the masters of market timing. Since March 20, 2008-when we started tracking our etf pro-share trading system (we have been in business since 2004) we have made 43 etf pro-share trades and have recorded only 2 losing trades..with an unbelievable 95.63% accumulative profits.
   
   If you want to make consistant profits each and every week-the esy way..check out www.marketspath.com



4. A great book by Jim Cramer to explain some basics of how you can use some simple rules and ideas to invest in the stock market. Cramer explains in simple terms how to understand the market and use the ideas he used at his hedge fund for your benefit. It's not a "get rich quick" book, and explains that this isn't for people who have no time and little interest in stocks, companies, and business. But for those that have time and interest, this book is a great resource. My only real negative would be that there isn't a lot of in depth information about what he means by "homework" for your investments... but for that, you can read his next book "Mad Money," which does cover that topic in detail. If you have time and interest in doing your own investing, read this book and then follow it up with Mad Money.



5. I love the third book. The section of the new rules are fascinating. I have learned a lot.

5 comments about A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition.

1. This book lives up to its classic billing by delivering a rich array of data to support the authors arguments in an engrossing and entertaining style. The importance of really understanding the relevance of randomness to market action cannot be overemphasized. I truly appreciate the clarity and simplicity that this book has brought to my investing efforts.



2. Fantastic Book - full of common sense and ultmate truths. Read it in October 2007 when it was screaming at me "the market is in a bubble, get out!!" - unfortunately I listened but didnt act. Great book



3. This is great to have in your library to know the intimate working of the various markets and how they came to be. You can't invest in something wisely without knowing how it works!



4. The book is otherwise fabulous, but you should steer clear of the Kindle version. The Kindle handles charts poorly, and this book has a lot of them. Some are manageable, but many others contain small text that is so blurry that it might as well be written in Arabic. Quite honestly, it is not entirely clear to me how Amazon gets away with selling this item. The Kindle is great, but Amazon absolutely should not sell books that cannot actually be read on it.



5. This book helps to understand how the shares market works and its history.
   
   I think it may interest all people who wants to improve his knowleadge in
   
   investing.

5 comments about Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse (Lynn Sonberg Books).

1. Rare five star rating.
   
   This book is your action plan, your calling to protect your assets in the coming years. Peter Schiff was laughed at on CNBC for a long time. Now with Bear Stearns, Freddie, Fannie all dead and dying, people are starting to listen.
   Washington DC is broken, and no matter which idiot senator is elected this Fall, our troubles will not be over.
   
   For those who seem to be miffed that he mentions his brokerage so much, get over it. Sign up for his newsletter and you can take whatever recommendations Peter has to your own broker. The key is to reduce your position in dollar dominated assets...now! Protect your wealth from the most egregious tax of all: inflation...and the devaluation of the US dollar.
   
   You can't say you weren't warned.



2. This book is a fantastic crash course on economics. The information on the Federal Reserve is eye-opening. This is one of the best purchases I have ever made on a book. I highly recommend it to everyone. It is an easy, quick read, full of valuable information for anyone who has or plans to have investments.



3. Peter is easily one of the best forecasters of his generation. His honest approach to the current economic demise that we are facing is a breath of fresh air. Schiff, unlike most of his peers, is not a pom-pom waving cheerleader - he tells it like it is...and he's been almost bang on 100% right.
   The book is a must have for all who are looking for ways to protect their wealth in these uncertain times.



4. Contrarian investor Peter D. Schiff isn't just a bear. He's a sky-is-falling, bury-the-Krugerrands-in-the-backyard bear. Writing with John Downes, Schiff argues that the U.S. economy is going to hell, and that clueless consumers, opportunistic Wall Streeters and pandering politicians are carrying the handbasket. Schiff's screeching tone is a bit grating - until you realize that many of his predictions have proven accurate. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take him with a grain of salt, but this book was published in 2007, and in mid-2008, Schiff's forecasts of a weakening dollar, rising gold prices, a bursting real-estate bubble and strong foreign stock markets were spot-on. His pessimistic polemic could use more practical advice and less macroeconomic analysis, but still getAbstract recommends it to those who seek an alternative viewpoint.



5. I read this book from cover to cover, and found it to be very helpful and easy to understand. I contacted Peter's organization, Euro Pacific, and am considering having them help me with some investments.

5 comments about The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing.

1. What a wonderful job Jason Kelly did. The examples are in plain English, the formatting clear, the content well structured and appropriate. Great for beginners and probably good for investors with bad habits!The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing



2. This is a great little book for a beginning investor. I've purchased it for friends who've expressed an interest in learning about the process. It gives all the basics so that a person can further explore areas and methods of investing that fit their personal requirements from investments.
   
   It is not comprehensive. For instance, it doesn't talk about GARP (Growth at a Reasonable Price) methods. If it were it would be a much larger and more complex book, however. It serves its purpose quite well and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get started in investing with stocks.



3. This book is good for people who are not familiar with the stock market and the terminology behind it.



4. This is the second investing book that I've actually read. I've purchased many. I actually read The Millionaire Next Door and this one.
   
   This book was simple, easy to follow and easy to understand. I read it in two days while traveling, and I'm going to return to it over and over again as I venture on into the world of investing.
   
   I also ordered Jason's Mutual Fund guide as I am always overwhelmed with decisions when picking investments for my 401k.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't know much about stock investing, wants to seek larger returns and is overwhelmed by all the information out there.
   
   Jason cuts to the chase, speaks to both kinds of investors (value/growth), introduces you to the masters, then synthesizes in a way that actually make sense.
   
   I'm impressed, Thanks!



5. this was a good book to get your feet wet in the world of investing.

1 comments about Essentials of Investments with S&P bind-in card (Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate).

1. I received the textbook in a timely fashion, so I could use it for my class. It's not the best textbook I've used, but it was required, hence the 3 stars.

5 comments about The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (Revised Edition).

1. I have been reading the intelligent investor for a couple of days now and just finished chapter 4. The book can seem a bit long but it is not. The arguments are easy to understand and comprehend. Graham argues that investment, as great as it could be, also contains significant risks and for long periods of times have not outperformed bonds when considering inflation. He thinks every intelligent person should have no more that 75% in equities in best of times and should have up to 75% in bonds in bad times. It is definitely a book worth reading not only because he reaches sensible conclusions and warns you not to blindly follow pundits but simply because it gives you overview on market performance by analyzing the historical data that should be mandatory knowledge for everyone serious about investing.



2. Having being for some time a small investor with mixed results I was trying to learn more about the dynamics of the stock market. Benjamim Graham makes an excellent case for value investing which distinguishes true investors from speculators. It is as actual today (if not more then) as it was first written several decades ago. If you only read one book about stocks, be sure you pick this one. Highly recommended!



3. Whether you are an investor or speculator, this book provides more detailed information than any book I have read. To get the most from this book, one must be willing to devote time to absorb what the author is writing about. As it is a rather large book, it is easy to put aside; however if one is serious about the "market" the vital information is available in this book. I firmly believe if one will read and understand this information, your financial program will benefit. Sam Harris



4. Simple like that: if you are a layman investor and don't want to lose a dime, stop your investment actions right now and start reading this book immediately.
   
   I've started composing my stock portfolio a couple of months, before reading this book. At that time, I didn't know any of the Graham's wise lessons and took many decisions, some Graham-complying ones and some not. After six months, all bets on companies in a strong financial position, with a dividend payment history of more than 20 years, offering shares with a discount as consequence of the market fluctuation, and so on, proved to be right, even during crisis time.
   
   A must read book for anyone aspiring to be a fraction of what a true investor is.



5. The Intelligent Investor has helped me focus on the long term, to really internalize what sort of returns I should expect from my stock and bond investments and to temper my enthusiasm when the market gets exciting. Graham writes clearly, uses examples that are easily understood, and makes his points in an understated style. Though a bit dated -- Ben Graham met his greater reward more than thirty years ago and Jason Zweig focuses his commentary on the internet bubble and its aftermath -- the lessons set forth remain critical to value investing today. Just buy and read (and re-read) this book!

5 comments about When Markets Collide: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change.

1. I do not believe that this book is worth buying or reading
   because of three factors:
   
   1. It contains minimal advice for investors wishing to
   change their investment strategies.
   
   2. It is written for an audience for professional economists
   with advanced degrees.
   
   3. The editing of the text is very poor. Each chapter contained
   multiple references to something "that I will deal with in
   the next chapter" or "that I covered in previous chapter."
   A few of these references is understandable, but the text
   is so poorly written and edited that these references quickly
   became a distraction and a nuisance.
   
   I would strongly advise prospective readers to avoid this book.



2. This booke seemed to be a mosthy a discussion of emerging China and its interaction with the ecomonies in the developed countries. I believe that the book has increased my understanding on this subject a lot.



3. This book got my attention after I saw Alan Greenspan had commented on it on the back cover. Surprised at first as he rarely recommends books publicly, I decided to check into it. Sadly, the book was terrible. It is very convoluted and difficult to understand and didn't not present any non-elementary insight. Mohamed's book reminds me of a prof I had in college who would love to use big words but say absolutely nothing. Nothing is new here.
   
   Basically Mohamed El-Erian is a Oxford graduate turned PhD who late in his career entered the Investment Management game(he freely admits that). He managed the Harvard University's endowment fund and then recently quit and moved to the bonds management company PIMCO as a Co-CEO (seriously, who still thinks Co-CEO is a good idea). I suspect all of those people on the Back Cover who reviewed his book are his buddies from Harvard or PIMCO and probably everywhere else he works, knows, or pays. Even Alan Greenspan who now consults for PIMCO. I am willing to wager Mr Greenspan never even read his book but got paid a lot of money for "consulting" with PIMCO and now recommends the book of they guy who is paying his salary. Boy, Alan was a good economist. His book was excellent...
   
   This book should really be titled "When I wrote a book to impress my Harvard colleagues: Nothing new but noone will know because noone can understand it, sucka"



4. This book was awful. Part of the problem is that the author couldn't decide who his audience was and, as such, probably bored the pants off finance people and left regular folk scratching their heads at his absurdly opaque writing "style".
   
   A couple quick points if you are considering buying this book:
   
   1. It you read the newspaper most days, are reasonably intelligent and realize there is a big world with lotsa money beyond America's shores, this book will give you no new information on "when markets collide".
   
   2. If you have some (I mean A MINIMAL AMOUNT) of investment knowledge, you will be painfully disappointed by the lame chapter on how to profit from future "collisions". Really, the author just lays out a pretty mundane asset allocation plan (which is available for free on any number of websites) and then fills a couple dozen pages with worthless blather. Seriously, that's it.
   
   3. The writing really sucks. Others have commented on this so, rather than gives examples, I'll just reinforce what others have noted: the writing sucks. Whatever happened to editors?
   
   4. If you really want some ideas about investing internationally, try The World is Your Oyster by Jeff Opdyke (2008). Heaven forbid, he writes in plain ole' English and gives a lot of worthwhile advice. If you really want to understand where the world is headed, read Billions of Entrepreneurs, How China and India are Reshaping Their Futures and Yours, by Tarun Khanna (2008).
   
   5. If you really want some ideas about investing in general Peter Lynch's classics are still every bit as instructive (and humorous...and nicely written) and the biography of Warren Buffett, "Buffett", is incredibly instructive. Jeremy Siegel's "Stocks for the Long Run" is also pretty handy, although el-Erian makes some snide comments about it...but never quite gets around to justifying them...hmmm...some petty Harvard - Wharton rivalry?
   
   6. el-Erian's shout-outs to colleagues here and there get more tedious as the book goes on, particularly as he never seems to articulate how the work of these experts is relevant to creating an investment portfolio. Gee, thanks.
   
   7. Let me say it one more time: When Markets Collide is a worthless read.



5. I think this is an excellent book that makes you think. Mr. El-Erian certainly has a very deep understanding of the current economic and financial environment and is able to convey much of this understanding to his readers. I enjoyed the book very much.

5 comments about Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!.

1. I've read countless books on personal finance and creating wealth, but I must say Kiyosaki's is one of the better ones. Most finance books are pure finance and potential suggestions. They miss what precludes any great change in your life, and where most fail at; stepping back from your life as an employee and creating the proper mindset to get rich, (or achieve whatever financial goals you have). In other words, if you're head isn't in the right place from the beginning, the discipline and tools will not be enough to get you there. He feels that the single most important quality to achieve success is in the philosophy. How the wealthy think is what makes them different from the average worker or those just getting by.
   
   People who grind it out for the man day in day out need a complete brain makeover before they can see the forest for the trees. Kiyosaki had two father figures, a poor one (his real dad) and a rich one. His poor dad offer this worldview to his son; "Study hard so you can find a good company to work for." For him, talk of money was bad. Risk was bad. He argued that one's company is responsible to make sure all his needs were met. Finding the best job with the best company that offered the best benefits, to him, was best. His rich dad, on the other hand, encouraged talking about money around the dinner table, to teach the children how to think. He encouraged managing risk, rather than avoiding it. He argued against reliance upon an employer and for "total financial self-reliance" (16). Of course, Kiyosaki's book promotes the mindset of his rich dad.
   
   The book breaks down into six main lessons, which help the reader understand the mindset rather than a method. To close, Kiyosaki makes suggestions about how to begin. First, he combats the five main reasons people stay in their current life-style: fear, cynicism, laziness, bad habits, and arrogance. He then gives ten steps to begin this new mindset.
   
   Great book for its simplicity, original approach and value.



2. Kiyosaki's book does have some strengths, but also sends some mixed signals and has a lot of plain bad advice. Overall, the book is a bad choice.
   
   The good:
   - The story is interesting enough and certainly captures one's attention.
   - The motivational part. It does make you think about your financial life.
   
   The mixed:
   - "Leaving the Rat Race" -- spend less, invest more: excellent and much needed advice. Unfortunately, Kiyosaki's own bad example follows. He brags about his Rolex, luxury cars and such. Given the amount of time that he seems to spend promoting his stuff, maybe Kiyosaki himself is in the Rat Race -- albeit in a golden, roomier cage.
   - "Work to learn, not for the money". Again, good advice followed by bad examples. Learning at work is usually by DOING, not by being around or watching other people do. So, the Xerox case is fine, but all the others are just foolish.
   - "Assets and liabilities". Dubious "redefinitions": something that doesn't put money in your pocket can still be an asset (if it saves you money that would otherwise be spent -- say, a house...).
   
   The bad:
   - The whole "traditional education is bad for you" approach. No, it isn't. Harvard costs what it costs for a reason. The reason is more money for YOU down the road.
   - "Pay yourself first". Bad idea. If you're on a positive cash flow, it makes no difference. If you're not, it makes you incur in debt and thus INTEREST, which is a nice way to throw away money for zero added value.
   - Risk isn't always good, as Kiyosaki implies. The strategies discussed in the book are very unsound and will work only on a bullish market (if any).
   - Insider trading and tax evasion are illegal, period.
   
   And the naked, cruel truth that RDPD DOES NOT SAY:
   (because it isn't "best-seller material")
   - According to Kiyosaki's theory, all you have to do is "wake up the financial genius within you". In reality, there are two honest ways of making money in this world:
   1) WORKING. Ok, say you were lucky enough to have a truly great idea or talent. You still would have to work -- don't Steve Jobs, Madonna or Shaquille O'Neal work? Then again, not everybody will be THIS lucky -- and in this case, you are much better off being a highly paid EDUCATED worker. Just the opposite of what RDPD says. By the way, making money from real estate or IPOs or starting your own business will require a lot of work and knowledge, too. Even more than a white collar job.
   2) CAPITAL GAINS. Dividends and interest. Kiyosaki is right that it is possible to live on them. What he doesn't say is that it will take a TON of cash to make a decent living within manageable risk levels. And you must HAVE money to BEGIN WITH -- which means inherit it (but then you would not be reading RDPD, would you?) or, more likely, work and SAVE A LOT.
   Consider a 3% yearly interest rate above inflation, which is what low-work/low-risk will get. In order to have $5000/month BEFORE TAXES -- not exactly a high roller lifestyle -- you would need $2 million.
   Even somebody investing at 8% above inflation (and, may I add, 8% ON THE LONG RUN isn't that easy to achieve), starting from scratch and saving 50% of whatever comes in -- a very rigid discipline -- would take 33 years before being able to live on passive income. Make that a quarter, which is still above the savings level of most Americans, and you got 47 years.
   Don't believe me? Open up Excel or Calc and type:
   =NPER(8%;1;0;-12/8%)
   =NPER(8%;1;0;-36/8%)
   Still don't get it? Stop reading RPDP and go STUDY real, not fairy tale, economy.



3. What ppl don't understand is that you're never supposed to actually take things you read in books like this literally. If he says a certain investment is smart, or he made money a certain way, do your research and see if its right for you. Just like any book, the specific examples used are not as important as the message behind the book. I read all the criticisms of Robert Kiyosaki online, (just google him and the word scam). But to me its not about him, whether or not he has this or that, its about the fact that I his message is one that resonates with me.
   
   I'm a business student in college and I really learned a lot from this book, not just about money, but about life in general. People don't know this book is more about life and how you choose to live: a slave or free. Many of the things he's saying, "don't work all your life like your parents, ect."are all things I have thought about, but this book really articulated the ideas well and re-affirmed it.
   
   Don't buy this book if you literally want to learn to get rich, what you will get from this book is a good sense of the mindset you must be in to be rich. Its about being ambitious and thinking Rich, securing yourself financially so you can be free and do what you want. Would def recommend this to every and anyone, period. The bad reviews come from ppl who take the words literally and try to follow his instructions, go for the message, not the details.



4. This book was a real eye opener. I knew allot of the advice but hadn't thought of it in the way the author told us. Great helpful book.



5. Ok, let's skip the fact that by Kiyosaki's own admission, both dads were to a great extent fabricated.
   
   Let's skip the fact that many of the experiences in this book were either embellished or outright fabricated.
   
   Let's skip the fact that much of what he speaks of is in generalities without specific details.
   
   What remains are pleasant-sounding platitudes, lacking in the real-life specifics that most people need. To say that "The poor work for their money, while the rich have their moeny work for them" sounds nice, but is of very little help to someone lacking a compass.
   
   About the only thing that I agree with Kiyosaki on is the fact that our schools (at all levels) lack any kind of personal finance educational curriculum. This is an absolute travesty, but understandable when you consider that our nation is running record budget deficits. When debt is a way of life, people tend to accept it as a given in their own situation.
   
   I've known several people who are devotees of this book series. None (as in zero) have made a discernable difference in their lives. Most are also devotees of MLMs such as Amway, Quixtar and MonaVie...the common thread here being the desire to suceed (which is admirable), but the unwillingness to get the degree, the job and put in the time. Another Kiyosaki theme of "Become a real estate investor!" sounds great on paper, but without the education and training can potentially be a disaster. No one book (or series like this) can prepare someone for an entire career.
   
   If you want to learn how to handle money, try Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey or Lou Rukeyser. The fact that this series is a bestseller, does NOT necessarily mean the series has merit. It simply means that there is a market for baseless hope and optimism. I am sure Kiyosaki is laughing all the way to the bank.