Rich Dad Poor Dad

Most financial advice is about being careful with money. Rich Dad Poor Dad is about understanding it differently.

Kiyosaki contrasts two father figures — his own educated, professionally successful father (the poor dad) and his friend's entrepreneurial father (the rich dad) — and shows how their beliefs about money produce completely different outcomes over a lifetime.

The core shift is simple: the poor dad works for money; the rich dad makes money work for him. Assets versus liabilities. Building income streams versus climbing ladders.

Not everything in the book is practical or accurate, and some of Kiyosaki's specifics are more aspirational than realistic. But the mental model it gives you — especially about the difference between earned income and passive income — is genuinely useful and not taught anywhere most people learn about money.

I read this before I understood much about investing, and it changed the questions I started asking.