rich dad poor dad-第9节

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ddenly；　as　Mrs。　Martin　was　saying　goodbye　to　Mike　and　me；　I　saw　something　she　was　doing　that　I　had　never　seen　her　do　before。　I　mean；　I　had　seen　her　do　it；　but　I　never　took　notice　of　it。
Mrs。　Martin　was　cutting　the　front　page　of　the　ic　book　in　half。　She　was　keeping　the　top　half　of　the　ic　book　cover　and　throwing　the　rest　of　the　ic　book　into　a　large　brown　cardboard　box。　When　I　asked　her　what　she　did　with　the　ic　books；　she　said；　〃I　throw　them　away。　I　give　the　top　half　of　the　cover　back　to　the　ic…book　distributor　for　credit　when　he　brings　in　the　new　ics。　He's　ing　in　an　hour。〃
Mike　and　I　waited　for　an　hour。　Soon　the　distributor　arrived　and　I　asked　him　if　we　could　have　the　ic　books。　To　which　he　replied；　〃You　can　have　them　if　you　work　for　this　store　and　do　not　resell　them。〃
Our　partnership　was　revived。　Mike's　mom　had　a　spare　room　in　the　basement　that　no　one　used。　We　cleaned　it　out；　and　began　piling　hundreds　of　ic　books　in　that　room。　Soon　our　ic…book　library　was　open　to　the　public。　We　hired　Mike's　younger　sister；　who　loved　to　study；　to　be　head　librarian。　She　charged　each　child　10　cents　admission　to　the　library；　which　was　open　from　2：30　to　4：30　p。m。　every　day　after　school。　The　customers；　the　children　of　the　neighborhood；　could　read　as　many　ics　as　they　could　in　two　hours。　It　was　a　bargain　for　them　since　a　ic　costs　10　cents　each；　and　they　could　read　five　or　six　in　two　hours。
Mike's　sister　would　check　the　kids　as　they　left；　to　make　sure　they　weren't　borrowing　any　ic　books。　She　also　kept　the　books；　logging　in　how　many　kids　showed　up　each　day；　who　they　were；　and　any　ments　they　might　have。　Mike　and　I　averaged　9。50　per　week　over　a　threemonth　period。　We　paid　his　sister　1　a　week　and　allowed　her　to　read　the　ics　for　free；　which　she　rarely　did　since　she　was　always　studying。
Mike　and　F　kept　our　agreement　by　working　in　the　store　every　Saturday　and　collecting　all　the　ic　books　from　the　different　stores。　We　kept　our　agreement　to　the　distributor　by　not　selling　any　ic　books。　We　burned　them　once　they　got　too　tattered。　We　tried　opening　a　branch　office；　but　we　could　never　quite　find　someone　as　dedicated　as　Mike's　sister　we　could　trust。
At　an　early　age；　we　found　out　how　hard　it　was　to　find　good　staff。
Three　months　after　the　library　first　opened；　a　fight　broke　out　in　the　room。　Some　bullies　from　another　neighborhood　pushed　their　way　in　and　started　it。　Mike's　dad　suggested　we　shut　down　the　business。　So　our　ic…book　business　shut　down；　and　we　stopped　working　on　Saturdays　at　the　convenience　store。　Anyway；　rich　dad　was　excited　because　he　had　new　things　he　wanted　to　teach　us。　He　was　happy　because　we　had　learned　our　first　lesson　so　well。　We　had　learned　to　have　money　work　for　us。　By　not　getting　paid　for　our　work　at　the　store；　we　were　forced　to　use　our　imaginations　to　identify　an　opportunity　to　make　money。　By　starting　our　own　business；　the　ic…book　library；　we　were　in　control　of　our　own　finances；　not　dependent　on　an　employer。　The　best　part　was　that　our　business　generated　money　for　us；　even　when　we　weren't　physically　there。　Our　money　worked　for　us。　Instead　of　paying　us　money；　rich　dad　had　given　us　so　much　more。

CHAPTER　THREE　
Lesson　Two：Why　Teach　Financial　Literacy？

In　1990；　my　best　friend；　Mike；　took　over　his　father's　empire　and　is；　in　fact；　doing　a　better　job　than　his　dad　did。　We　see　each　other　once　or　twice　a　year　on　the　golf　course。　He　and　his　wife　are　wealthier　than　you　could　imagine。　Rich　dad's　empire　is　in　great　hands；　and　Mike　is　now　grooming　his　son　to　take　his　place；　as　his　dad　had　groomed　us。
In　1994；　I　retired　at　the　age　of　47；　and　my　wife；　Kim；　was　37。　Retirement　does　not　mean　not　working。　To　my　wife　and　me；　it　means　that　barring　unforeseen　cataclysmic　changes；　we　can　work　or　not　work；　and　our　wealth　grows　automatically；　staying　way　ahead　of　inflation。　I　guess　it　means　freedom。　The　assets　are　large　enough　to　grow　by　themselves。　It's　like　planting　a　tree。　You　water　it　for　years　and　then　one　day　it　doesn't　need　you　anymore。　It's　roots　have　gone　down　deep　enough。　Then；　the　tree　provides　shade　for　your　enjoyment。
Mike　chose　to　run　the　empire　and　I　chose　to　retire。
Whenever　I　speak　to　groups　of　people；　they　often　ask　what　I　would　remend　or　what　could　they　do？　〃How　do　they　get　started？〃　〃Is　there　a　good　book　I　would　remend？〃　〃What　should　they　do　to　prepare　their　children？〃　〃What　is　the　secret　to　success？〃　〃How　do　I　make　millions？〃　I　am　always　reminded　of　this　article　I　was　once　given。　It　goes　as　follows。

THE　RICHEST　BUSINESSMEN

In　1923　a　group　of　our　greatest　leaders　and　richest　businessmen　held　a　meeting　at　the　Edgewater　Beach　hotel　in　Chicago。　Among　them　were　Charles　Schwab；　head　of　the　largest　independent　steel　pany；　Samuel　Instill；　president　of　the　world's　largest　utility；　Howard　Hopson；　head　of　the　largest　gas　pany；　Ivar　Kreuger　president　of　the　International　Match　Co。；　one　of　the　world's　largest　panies　at　that　time；　Leon　Frazier；　president　of　the　Bank　of　International　Settlements；　Richard　Whitney；　president　of　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange；　Arthur　Cotton　and　Jesse　Livermore；　two　of　the　biggest　stock　speculators；　and　Albert　Fall；　a　member　of　President　Harding's　cabinet。　Twenty　five　years　later　nine　of　them　（those　listed　above）　ended　as　follows。　Schwab　died　penniless　after　living　for　five　years　on　borrowed　money。　Instill　died　broke　living　in　a　foreign　land。　Kreuger　and　Cotton　also　died　broke。　Hopson　went　insane。　Whitney　and　Albert　Fall　were　just　released　from　prison。　Fraser　and　Livermore　mitted　suicide。

I　doubt　if　anyone　can　say　what　really　happened　to　these　men。　If　you　look　at　the　date；　1923；　it　was　just　before　the　1929　market　crash　and　the　Great　Depression；　which　I　suspect　had　a　great　impact　on　these　men　and　their　lives。　The　point　is　this：　Today　we　live　in　times　of　greater　and　faster　change　than　these　men　did。　I　suspect　there　will　be　many　booms　and　busts　in　the　next　25　years　that　will　parallel　the　ups　and　downs　these　men　faced。　I　am　concerned　that　too　many　people　are　focused　too　much　on　money　and　not　their　greatest　wealth；　which　is　their　education。　If　people　are　prepared　to　be　flexible；　keep　an　open　mind　and　learn；　they　will　grow　richer　and　richer　through　the　changes。　If　they　think　money　will　solve　problems；　I　am　afraid　those　people　will　have　a　rough　ride。　Intelligence　solves　problems　and　produces　money。　Money　without　financial　intelligence　is　money　soon　gone。

Most　people　fail　to　realize　that　in　life；　it's　not　how　much　money　you　make；　it's　how　much　money　you　keep。　We　have　all　heard　stories　of　lottery　winners　who　are　poor；　then　suddenly　rich；　then　poor　again。　They　win　millions　and　are　soon　back　to　where　they　started。　Or　stories　of　professional　athletes；　who；　at　the　age　of　24；　are　earning　millions　of　dollars　a　year；　and　are　sleeping　under　a　bridge　by　age　34。　In　the　paper　this　morning；　as　I　write　this；　there　is　a　story　of　a　young　basketball　player　who　a　year　ago　had　millions。　Today；　he　claims　his　friends；　attorney　and　accountant　took　his　money；　and　now　he　works　at　a　car　wash　for　minimum　wage。

He　is　only　29。　He　was　fired　from　the　car　wash　because　he　refused　to　take　off　his　championship　ring　as　he　was　wiping　off　the　cars；　so　his　story　made　the　newspaper。　He　is　appealing　his　termination；　claiming　hardship　and　discrimination　and　that　the　ring　is　all　he　has　left。　He　claims　that　if　you　take　that　away；　he'll　crumble。

In　1997；　I　know　so　many　people　who　are　being　instant　millionaires。　It's　the　Roaring　'20s　one　more　time。　And　while　I　am　glad　people　have　been　getting　richer　and　richer；　I　only　caution　that　in　the　long　run；　it's　not　how　much　you　make；　it's　how　much　you　keep；　and　how　many　generations　you　keep　it。

So　when　people　ask；　〃Where　do　I　get　started？〃　or　〃Tell　me　how　to　get　rich　quick；〃　they　often　are　greatly　disappointed　with　my　answer。　I　simply　say　to　them　what　my　rich　dad　said　back　to　me　when　I　was　a　little　kid。　〃If　you　want　to　be　rich；　you　need　to　be　financially　literate。〃

That　idea　was　drummed　into　my　head　every　time　we　were　together。　As　I　said；　my　educated　dad　stressed　the　importance　of　reading　books；　while　my　rich　dad　stressed　the　need　to　master　financial　literacy。

If　you　are　going　to　build　the　Empire　State　Building；　the　first　thing　you　need　to　do　is　dig　a　deep　hole　and　pour　a　strong　foundation。　If　you　are　going　to　build　a　home　in　the　suburbs；　all　you　need　to　do　is　pour　a　6…inch　slab　of　concrete。　Most　people；　in　their　drive　to　get　rich；　are　trying　to　build　an　Empire　State　Building　on　a　6…inch　slab。

Our　school　system；　having　been　created　in　the　Agrarian　Age；　still　believes　in　homes　with　no　foundation。　Dirt　floors　are　still　the　rage。　So　kids　graduate　from　school　with　virtually　no　financial　foundation。　One　day；　sleepless　and　deep　in　debt　in　suburbia；　living　the　American　Dream；　they　decide　that　the　answer　to　their　financial　problems　is　to　find　a　way　to　get　rich　quick。

Construction　on　the　skyscraper　begins。　It　goes　up　quickly；　and　soon；　instead　of　the　Empire　State　Building；　we　have　the　Leaning　Tower　of　Suburbia。　The　sleepless　nights　return。

As　for　Mike　and　me　in　our　adult　years；　both　of　our　choices　were　possible　because　we　were　taught　to　pour　a　strong　financial　foundation　when　we　were　just　kids。

Now；　accounting　is　possibly　the　most　boring　subject　in　the　world。　It　also　could　be　the　most　confusing。　But　if　you　want　to　be　rich；