Rich Brother, Rich Sister: Two Different Paths to God, Money and Happiness [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Robert Kiyosaki (Author), Emi Kiyosaki (Author), Sandra Burr (Reader), Jim Bond (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

Together, then apart, then together again, as a brother and a sister discover the riches of life. Rich Brother Rich Sister combines the inspirational, true life stories of Robert Kiyosaki and his sister Emi Kiyosaki (Venerable Tenzin Kacho) into a book that will reaffirm your belief in the power of purpose, the importance of action, and the ability to overcome obstacles in a quest for a rich life. In 1962, the United States detonated an atomic bomb ten miles off the coast of Christmas Island in the South Pacific. From that moment, two people, born of the same parents into the same household with the same childhood experiences, found themselves on distinctly different paths toward God, money, and happiness. Robert became a world-famous entrepreneur, author, and teacher of all things financial. Emi became a highly devout Buddhist nun, author, and teacher of all things spiritual. Their lives took them from the Big Island of Hawaii to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, to the hippie communes in Haight-Ashbury and to a monastery in India, to private encounters with Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller, to a seat at the foot of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and ultimately back together again. Robert faced death in war, and Emi faced it in the form of cancer. They took risks, made mistakes, learned life’s lessons, and found their own truths. They discovered the peace, the happiness, and the wealth that come through living the lives they were meant to live, the way they were meant to live them. This book will inspire you along your own life’s journey as you search for your own truths, purpose, and path to wealth – both financial and spiritual – to achieve all the riches of life that were meant for you...and for us all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this absorbing memoir, a departure in everything but title for Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad), the investment guru and his Buddhist sister Emi narrate their life stories in terms of spiritual wealth. Switching off within chapters, the fourth-generation Japanese-American siblings describe their 1960s Hawaii upbringing, noting their independent rebellious streaks and attempts to challenge their parent's Christianity and the small-town lifestyle. Robert shipped off to Vietnam, a marine helicopter pilot with a reputation for hell-raising, before returning to the states to become a successful entrepreneur and student of visionary thinker Buckminster Fuller. Emi, meanwhile, became a single mother and an anti-war activist before discovering Buddhism, becoming ordained by the Dali Lama and working as a chaplain for the US Air Force Academy. Sister and brother reunited in 2007, when Robert offered financial support for Emi's heart surgery; the spiritual bond they discovered, and its lessons, led to this book. Emi now sees the need for "better bridges for our spiritual life and livelihood," while Robert finds that life is a quest for one's "spiritual family," a process that necessitates "finding the things in life worth dying for."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Born and raised in Hawaii, Robert Kiyosaki is a fourth generation Japanese-American. After serving in the Vietnam War, Robert went to work in sales for Xerox, and in 1977 started a company that brought the first nylon and Velcro "surfer" wallets to market. He founded an international education company in 1985 that taught business and investing to tens of thousands of students throughout the world. In 1994, he sold his business at the age of 47, retired and wrote Rich Dad, Poor Dad and co-authored Why We Want You to Be Rich with Donald Trump.

Barbara Emi Kiyosaki is Robert's sister. While Robert took the path of war during the Vietnam era, Emi took the path of peace, exploring alternative and spiritual journeys. Emi raised on daughter, Erika; wanting to deepen her studies and practice in Tibetan Buddhism, Emi became a Buddhist nun when Erika was sixteen. Emi was ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1985.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged Lib Ed; Library edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423372883
• ISBN-13: 978-1423372882
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,042,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not wholly successful but intriguing memoir of a brother and sister, December 29, 2008

By 

K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rich Brother Rich Sister (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Having just finished this book, I think the title- Rich Brother, Rich sister: Two Different Paths to God, Money and Happiness is an apt one. For those who may already be familiar with Robert Kiyosaki, here is what this book is NOT - a guide to business success, written primarily from his viewpoint.

Instead, it seems to be an attempt to reveal more about the Kiyosaki family and how both Robert, a successful businessman and financial guide, and his sister, Emi - a spiritual director at the Dhargve Ling Buddhist Center in California - found meaning in different ways. A major focus of this book seems to be about how they rediscover what they have in common and reconcile some of the extremely different ways they approach life and living.

Emi discovers some benefits, including peace and well being, that can come from money while Robert shares some of his spiritual views, from going through EST to having Buckminster Fuller as a mentor. Emi's early life is turbulent and she makes her way through the hippie movement, an early marriage and birth of a child before finding her way to the Dalai Lama and a spiritual path that deepens and grows.

The main problem with all this? For me, it was the flow of the book. In theory, going back and forth between the two views of brother and sister could have worked well, especially given Robert Kiyoaski's reputations as a financial guru.

But to me the book was both overly long and often a confused jumble, hard to follow. At the very end of the book, Robert Kiyosaki tries to tie God and money together and then there is a list of his previous books. Of course, Emi (his sister) also puts in her viewpoint and it should all balance nicely. For me, however, it did not.

I did find the personal disclosures of Kiyoaski's wild ways and war adventures (early in his life) to be interesting and intriguing, as well as the revelations about the Kiyosaki family. For those seeking spiritual growth and/or information about financial stability and/or balancing financial health with spiritual well being, it could provide some food for thought but I was left with far more questions than answers or guidelines.

45 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Would not categorize as inspirational reading, but an autobiography, January 4, 2009

By 

Dean! (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rich Brother Rich Sister (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

It hurts me to give this Two Stars, since I love the Rich Dad Poor Dad book so much, but it's the only justice I can give to this book and prevent you from buying something you thought would be an uplifting or inspirational read.

This book is essentially an autobiography of Robert Kiyosaki and his sister Emi (referred to as Tenzin, a name given by the Dalai Lama when she became ordained) as they took different paths to "God, Money, and Happiness". They state there's a biological family that everyone has, and also a spiritual family that most people don't have; unfortunately the theme doesn't really carry through - the book's overall message is simply...unclear.

Some things that simply did not make sense:
1. You learn that Robert was kicked out of the Merchant Marines (honorably discharged) for improper use of government property (flying military helicopters (with high-pressure scuba tanks onboard) to remote islands in Hawaii to impress women) for what I feel is a court-martial offense. Also, he purposely missed a ship returning to sea because he was tired of fighting for the government - veterans call that "desertion" which is another court-martial offense.
2. He makes millions, then loses everything, twice.
3. He goes homeless in 1985 with his "soulmate" he had to chase for 6 months, yet retires in 1994, then he writes Rich Dad, Poor Dad about growing up with a Poor Dad
4. His "Poor Dad" I find out is Superintendent of Schools of Hawaii and went to Stanford, Chicago, and Northwestern, was a valedictorian, and was a community leader in Civil Defense, and prior to his death received an award as one of the top 2 educators in Hawaii history.
5. He doesn't give much regard to higher education, yet his dad was a recognized educator and his sister has a Master's degree.
6. He states success in business is not the same as success in academics, but see points #2 and #3 above!
7. He says he would never work for a tobacco company as a principle, because lung cancer is what accelerated his father's death, yet in the same paragraph he states he enjoys a fine cigar every now and then ?!
8. Though Robert and his wife helped Emi with her high medical bills for her own chemotheraphy, she also got help from a government agency, which he's not a big fan of the US. Govt. at all. I didn't like that he stated Barack Obama would not/could not help the Middle Class - where does that political opinion fit in with the vision of the book? What is the vision of the book?
9. Then, through out the book, all you hear about is EST (Erhard Seminar Training) and Dr. Buckminster Fuller. He put himself through it, his Dad through it, his sister, etc, yet see #2 and #3 above. Also he states he cheated on his first wife Janet, well after the EST seminars.

My soapbox to Mr. Kiyosaki:
1. If you're going to preach trustworthiness and integrity, you have to establish credentials. You lose all respect when apparently you proclaim you are a changed man in 1974, you take EST seminars, yet you lose millions on 2 businesses, cheat on your wife in 1981, and go homeless in 1985 - all after these "EST" seminars that you stated changed your life.

2. Your "Poor Dad" (top 2 educator in Hawaii history) seemed like a pretty good dad.

3. You state you and wife will "never give to the needy or poor" only to trusted organizations that manage their money well, but what about education, ala, your father's legacy ?

4. On a hunch since it felt like "Product Placement" throughout the book, I did some research and turns out Robert Kiyosaki teaches those exact EST/Money & You seminars, ie. he's promoting his own seminars. They collaborate a lot with the Fuller Institute (ala. Dr. Buckminster Fuller).

Final Thought:
1. What is this book? What was the intent? Autobiography or inspirational ? Whatever it is, it reads very.... scattered. The Robert, then Emi dialogue is very disjointed and doesn't flow well. The repeating of the same things from 1974 from chapter to chapter and going backwards and forwards in time is confusing and disrupts flow.
2. Finally, there's a "Change of Heart" chapter that makes no sense, and ME coming from a military and medical background, basically you state that a cardiologist was trying to take your money by giving you immediate surgery and you needed to find alternative health - you don't find this discrediting to medical professionals with 12+years of medical schooling/experience ? You state you needed the surgery *anyway* and 1 month later, you're back in the hospital because you didn't change your ways?? Maybe people don't fundamentally change...ever. As far as my military opinion - you were discharged (should have been dishonorable) and you admitted to "desertion" by not boarding your ship under order.
3. I don't think my final thoughts leave me as a convinced reader in the end... :(

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What a Jumble...., December 27, 2008

By 

Elisa 20 - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rich Brother Rich Sister (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

The premise of this book is a challenge at best--to integrate entrepreneurial motivational money man Robert Kiyosaki's life stories (and, arguably, life lessons) together with those of his sister, an ordained Buddhist nun. And, from their supposedly parallel-in-many-ways values and ideas (although following such obviously different actions) to yield some meaningful insights for the reader.

Too bad it doesn't really work out that way.

Part of the reason it doesn't is the "why" this book was written--because Robert's sister, Emi, had medical problems, couldn't cover the big deductible/co-pay, he'd loaned her money for it, but wanted her to see how to become financially independent herself by co-writing a book.

I don't think that's a very good reason to write a book--certainly not much of a reason to read one--and it leads to the fundamental problem of this book. This is, that the two people have very little in common and whatever insights they have acquired independently don't mesh together at all, despite the chapters trying to impose chronological or thematic unity as each tells his/her own story for half of every chapter.

The book also suffers from overly consistent "tone" in that I never feel we really hear Emi's voice (and hers are, in my opinion, the more interesting insights and experiences.) It also suffers from a slant toward Robert's lifestyle and choices, a kind of flowing, "Isn't he awesome and successful!" message. It's a little too easily accepted that all of us are impressed by--and covetous of--lots and lots of money. But that really isn't always the case.

This goes along with Robert's seeming looking down on his "Poor Dad" and Mom--two well educated, hard-working professionals (his dad was Hawaii's Superintendent of Schools) who supported their 4 children but apparently were never financially secure.

While both reveal personal mistakes and embarrassments, there are still important moral areas that go unaddressed--Emi's life as a largely absentee parent; Robert's never, ever confronting the deaths of not just his Marine buddies, but in his role (as a self-proclaimed "warrior") in the deaths of many innocent Vietnamese people.

In the latter instance, bragging about the past, while claiming to be embarrassed by it, doesn't really work. (Also, while Emi includes quite a bit about Buddhist teachings, Robert doesn't really give any practical advice about making money.)

This book -might- still have succeeded if they'd taken their individual life choices and biases and just followed them through, laid them out without trying to show "look how similar they are". Because....they aren't really similar. They're not similar at all.