By Paola, 17, junior
Recently, I read Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens: The Secrets About Money That You Don’t Learn in School! Robert T. Kiyosaki, a successful businessman who enjoys sharing tips and experiences with others, wrote this book. The original book for adults is Rich Dad Poor Dad. I’m going off to university soon and will be all on my own, so I figured this was the best time to start learning about money.
In the book, Kiyosaki shares his experiences as a child trying to make money. He tells readers about how his “rich dad,” who was actually his friend’s father, taught him the basics of investing money and how to work to learn, not to earn.
His “poor dad,” or his biological father, always worked to earn and told him that as long as you can pay for what you have you’ll be all right.
From the beginning, Kiyosaki explained that he didn’t mean to offend anyone with the “rich dad” or “poor dad” thing. It was meant to differentiate between the two, though neither was rich nor poor.
His friend’s dad invested his money in a smart way, through stocks and other means. He not only taught Kiyosaki and his friend how to invest their money correctly, but how to keep track of it. He teaches teenagers to use money to their advantage and not just to have it sitting there for when they need it.
Before reading the book, I just thought of money as a source of survival, used to pay for food, clothing, recreation, etc. I learned the value of a dollar at a young age from my parents, who don’t give me an allowance. They discuss money with me sometimes but only as it relates to college and such. At school, no one teaches students about money. I think there should be an elective class to teach kids about managing money.
I found the book very useful because I’m starting to earn income, mainly from odd jobs. I don’t invest the money yet because I don’t feel it’s necessary at the moment. I put my money in a bank account and plan to use it for emergencies, presents, etc. At least now I’m aware of how to be careful with my money. I suggest this book to anyone who wants to become smart about money or learn a little more about how to make money. It’s also an easy read and won’t take long to finish.