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How Come That Idiot's Rich and I'm Not?
In How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? bestselling author Robert Shemin reveals for the first time the inner-circle secrets of the mega-wealthy. Have you ever wondered why some people attract wealth while others stay financially trapped and in debt? The key is wealth-friendly, upside-down thinking. Stick with all the old moneymaking rules and stay broke. Break them and get rich. This is the book that shows you how.
We’ve all read about the college kid who made millions on a brainstorm, or the couple who made a fortune in real estate, or the guy in his thirties who waved good-bye to his boss and now lives on his investments. But until now, how they did it—the rules they followed or flouted, the tricks they stumbled on—have remained a mystery.
That’s about to change. Whether you’ve been trying to get rich but haven’t quite made it yet, or just need the confidence to dream big, this is the book for you. As experienced as Shemin is at showing high-net-worth individuals how to get richer, his real love is helping self-described “financial disasters” earn millions. And he uses his own odds-defying story to illustrate the outside-the-box thinking that gets the job done. Here, you’ll learn how to:
• set only one powerful success goal—and make it a big one
• play while your money goes to work
• stop building someone else’s business and start building your own
• live and think like a millionaire while you’re becoming one
• use the power and “smarts” of other Rich Idiots to help you join the Rich Idiot Club
• add OPI (other people’s ideas), OPT (other people’s time), and OPE (other people’s experience) to do less and make more
• tap into timeless secrets that unlock the energy and spiritual power of money
Learn which three assets you must own to become a Rich Idiot and how to obtain them with little or no money of your own. Learn why Rich Idiots outearn almost all the so-called wealth experts and how you can, too. Above all, learn how doing just one thing a day will bring you to your big goal.
In this book, the first to show you what it really takes to achieve financial abundance, Shemin illustrates in a fun, witty way how going against the grain is, in fact, the surest way to gain. Spend just a few pages with Robert and his Rich Idiot friends and you’ll be convinced that “if they could do it, I can do it.”
From the Hardcover edition.
We’ve all read about the college kid who made millions on a brainstorm, or the couple who made a fortune in real estate, or the guy in his thirties who waved good-bye to his boss and now lives on his investments. But until now, how they did it—the rules they followed or flouted, the tricks they stumbled on—have remained a mystery.
That’s about to change. Whether you’ve been trying to get rich but haven’t quite made it yet, or just need the confidence to dream big, this is the book for you. As experienced as Shemin is at showing high-net-worth individuals how to get richer, his real love is helping self-described “financial disasters” earn millions. And he uses his own odds-defying story to illustrate the outside-the-box thinking that gets the job done. Here, you’ll learn how to:
• set only one powerful success goal—and make it a big one
• play while your money goes to work
• stop building someone else’s business and start building your own
• live and think like a millionaire while you’re becoming one
• use the power and “smarts” of other Rich Idiots to help you join the Rich Idiot Club
• add OPI (other people’s ideas), OPT (other people’s time), and OPE (other people’s experience) to do less and make more
• tap into timeless secrets that unlock the energy and spiritual power of money
Learn which three assets you must own to become a Rich Idiot and how to obtain them with little or no money of your own. Learn why Rich Idiots outearn almost all the so-called wealth experts and how you can, too. Above all, learn how doing just one thing a day will bring you to your big goal.
In this book, the first to show you what it really takes to achieve financial abundance, Shemin illustrates in a fun, witty way how going against the grain is, in fact, the surest way to gain. Spend just a few pages with Robert and his Rich Idiot friends and you’ll be convinced that “if they could do it, I can do it.”
From the Hardcover edition.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
54 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Robert Shemin
32 books29 followersRobert Shemin, JRobert SheminD, MBA, is one of the country’s most successful full time real estate investors and leading experts in the critical areas of buying and selling great deals, landlording, wealth building and asset protection.
Mr. Shemin has been involved in over one thousand real estate transactions totaling more than fifty million dollars. He has renovated hundreds of houses and duplexes and owned and managed more than 150 rental properties–many of which he still owns and manages today.
He has been featured on CNN, Montel Williams, Leeza, HGTV and National Public Radio and highlighted in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications. He often speaks to groups of 30,000 to 67,000 people and shares the stage with Donald Trump, Tony Robbins, and Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki.
Mr. Shemin has been involved in over one thousand real estate transactions totaling more than fifty million dollars. He has renovated hundreds of houses and duplexes and owned and managed more than 150 rental properties–many of which he still owns and manages today.
He has been featured on CNN, Montel Williams, Leeza, HGTV and National Public Radio and highlighted in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications. He often speaks to groups of 30,000 to 67,000 people and shares the stage with Donald Trump, Tony Robbins, and Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
February 17, 2014
I'll bet this book makes a great seminar. Shermin is a speaker who goes around teaching people these concepts for a living, and that's how this book reads. For a seminar, it's pretty good: dynamic, not too detailed, and filled with SHARPs (a Decker acronym that stands for "Stories, Humor, Analogies, References and Quotations").
But the problem is this isn't a seminar. It's a book. And books are held to a different standard. Before I talk about what I did and didn't like about the content, let me go over the presentation. Books, unlike seminars, should contain details. If you say, "An article in the New York Times said x," well then, you should say somewhere in the book where the NYT said that. What was the name of the article? The date it was published? Its author? This is the first non-fiction book I've read that didn't include a "Notes" or "Bibliography" section. On top of not adequately referencing his sources, Shermin throws around statistics that he doesn't provide any background for at all (like his chart that shows how normal people spend their money versus rich idiots). I have an economics background, and this is plain unacceptable. If you're going to make an assertion, you have to be able to back it up. This is something other business books (like anything by Jim Collins) do very well, and that eases my skeptical mind. Oh, and the quotations. If you're going to quote someone, don't just take pretty quotations and insert them into your book. This might work for seminars, but it doesn't work for books. A quotation needs context otherwise it's just trite.
I realize, though, that this isn't a problem for everyone. This could be fairly unique to me. Maybe I'm the outlier who gets bothered by these things. So let's talk about the content.
These are Shermin's laws to go from being a RUB (right side up and broke) to a rich idiot:
1. Everything you know is wrong, but Shermin's going to tell you what's right
2. The universe abides by spiritual laws, and you must follow them to be rich
3. Have just one goal (to become a rich idiot)
4. Live like you're rich today even if you're not
5. Don't be afraid to rely on others
6. Get the right assets
7. Get into the right kind of debt
8. Go into real estate
9. Invest in stocks
10. Start your own business
11. Act
Some of these are obviously not bad advice. Relying on others, having confidence in yourself, setting a goal: these are all good things to do. Others are ridiculous.
This review is already kind of long, so I'm just going to focus on the one that bugged me the most: the spiritual laws. Ohh, the spiritual laws. (Shermin did include a disclaimer that said people like me shouldn't read that chapter. This, unfortunately, really piqued my curiosity, and I just had to check it out. Like I said, this was unfortunate.) Back to what I was saying earlier in this review, Shermin states, "Many Rich Idiots know with certainty that these spiritual laws govern their wealth." Saying it doesn't make it true; I'm going to need a bit more than that. But anyway. The two laws of spiritual wealth according to Shermin are: (1) accept the help others offer, and (2) if you give money away, the universe will pay you back. I'm fine with the first one; after all, there's nothing wrong with accepting help when you need it and relying on others. It's the second one. Shermin goes on to list all these examples of people who gave to charity or friends and then the universe swiftly "repaid" them with even more money. First of all, we all know that good things don't necessarily happen to good people. There's some confirmation bias going on here. Second of all, um, post hoc ergo propter hoc. Just because you donated money to a friend's charity doesn't mean the check you received in the mail the next day from a guy you had forgotten owed you money came because of the donation. This section is for people who like The Secret. I am obviously not one of them.
And because this is already too long, here, in highlighted form, are my other problems with the book:
1. Despite his assertions to the contrary, it definitely feels as though he has something against education
2. This book was written in 2008. This was a pre-recession world. I worked in leasing during this time and, oh, have things changed. For one, the credit markets have tightened. Although interest rates have lowered, it is much, much more difficult to get loans today even with good credit. A good chunk of this book relies on using other people's money. Well, you're going to need to rely on friends because it'll be pretty hard to rely on banks. Shermin couldn't have foreseen this, so this isn't really his fault. I'm just pointing out that some of the tips in this book don't stand the test of time, and it hasn't even been five years.
3. Although he says relationships are important, one of his tips is to ditch friends who make the same amount of money as you in your RUB state. He says, "People around us influence the level of wealth we attain." (The same logical fallacy again!)
Maybe this book just wasn't for me. Different things work for different people. This method worked for Shermin, and I'm sure there are those who benefited from his tips.
I received my copy of this book through 12 Books.
But the problem is this isn't a seminar. It's a book. And books are held to a different standard. Before I talk about what I did and didn't like about the content, let me go over the presentation. Books, unlike seminars, should contain details. If you say, "An article in the New York Times said x," well then, you should say somewhere in the book where the NYT said that. What was the name of the article? The date it was published? Its author? This is the first non-fiction book I've read that didn't include a "Notes" or "Bibliography" section. On top of not adequately referencing his sources, Shermin throws around statistics that he doesn't provide any background for at all (like his chart that shows how normal people spend their money versus rich idiots). I have an economics background, and this is plain unacceptable. If you're going to make an assertion, you have to be able to back it up. This is something other business books (like anything by Jim Collins) do very well, and that eases my skeptical mind. Oh, and the quotations. If you're going to quote someone, don't just take pretty quotations and insert them into your book. This might work for seminars, but it doesn't work for books. A quotation needs context otherwise it's just trite.
I realize, though, that this isn't a problem for everyone. This could be fairly unique to me. Maybe I'm the outlier who gets bothered by these things. So let's talk about the content.
These are Shermin's laws to go from being a RUB (right side up and broke) to a rich idiot:
1. Everything you know is wrong, but Shermin's going to tell you what's right
2. The universe abides by spiritual laws, and you must follow them to be rich
3. Have just one goal (to become a rich idiot)
4. Live like you're rich today even if you're not
5. Don't be afraid to rely on others
6. Get the right assets
7. Get into the right kind of debt
8. Go into real estate
9. Invest in stocks
10. Start your own business
11. Act
Some of these are obviously not bad advice. Relying on others, having confidence in yourself, setting a goal: these are all good things to do. Others are ridiculous.
This review is already kind of long, so I'm just going to focus on the one that bugged me the most: the spiritual laws. Ohh, the spiritual laws. (Shermin did include a disclaimer that said people like me shouldn't read that chapter. This, unfortunately, really piqued my curiosity, and I just had to check it out. Like I said, this was unfortunate.) Back to what I was saying earlier in this review, Shermin states, "Many Rich Idiots know with certainty that these spiritual laws govern their wealth." Saying it doesn't make it true; I'm going to need a bit more than that. But anyway. The two laws of spiritual wealth according to Shermin are: (1) accept the help others offer, and (2) if you give money away, the universe will pay you back. I'm fine with the first one; after all, there's nothing wrong with accepting help when you need it and relying on others. It's the second one. Shermin goes on to list all these examples of people who gave to charity or friends and then the universe swiftly "repaid" them with even more money. First of all, we all know that good things don't necessarily happen to good people. There's some confirmation bias going on here. Second of all, um, post hoc ergo propter hoc. Just because you donated money to a friend's charity doesn't mean the check you received in the mail the next day from a guy you had forgotten owed you money came because of the donation. This section is for people who like The Secret. I am obviously not one of them.
And because this is already too long, here, in highlighted form, are my other problems with the book:
1. Despite his assertions to the contrary, it definitely feels as though he has something against education
2. This book was written in 2008. This was a pre-recession world. I worked in leasing during this time and, oh, have things changed. For one, the credit markets have tightened. Although interest rates have lowered, it is much, much more difficult to get loans today even with good credit. A good chunk of this book relies on using other people's money. Well, you're going to need to rely on friends because it'll be pretty hard to rely on banks. Shermin couldn't have foreseen this, so this isn't really his fault. I'm just pointing out that some of the tips in this book don't stand the test of time, and it hasn't even been five years.
3. Although he says relationships are important, one of his tips is to ditch friends who make the same amount of money as you in your RUB state. He says, "People around us influence the level of wealth we attain." (The same logical fallacy again!)
Maybe this book just wasn't for me. Different things work for different people. This method worked for Shermin, and I'm sure there are those who benefited from his tips.
I received my copy of this book through 12 Books.
October 20, 2019
کتاب بسیار ضعیفی بود و چند نکته خوبی هم که دراون بود مربوط به کتب کیوساکی بود
October 19, 2012
For someone like me who hardly knows shambles about investment, the money market, wall street or something Chinese sounding like equity funds, commodities or shares; I was under the fallacy that Robert Shemin's "How come THAT idiot'0s rich and I'm Not?" book would be the required dosage of Nirvana for my financial soul.
However, it was not the case.
Having to torture myself with a long drawn out boring program filled with the obnoxiously placed "spiritual laws of money" to the foolhardy mind bending laws of "attracting wealth to myself', to the even greater stinking assumption by the author that the readers of this nonsensical phlegm would be impressed with his terminologies like RUB (Rightside Up and Broke), OPI (other people's ideas), OPT (other people's time), OPE (other people's experience); to over-selling, over-boring and over-gagging his readers with over-marketing the over-failed multi-level marketing concept; to boring the socks off my legs and giving me a splitting headache by selling his own brand of "himself" to me countless number of times; I would for the life of me wonder why this is guy honestly is such an idiot!
Let us review this tragic waste of space, time, ink and paper.
The Rich Idiot mindset.
He claims that everything that you've ever learned about money is wrong and you need to completely change your mindset regarding wealth accumulation.
How?
By listening to him
In truth he doesn't tell you anything that is new or that isn't covered in most other personal finance books. He doesn't have innovative and new ideas, he simply repackages what is already out there, changes the names of a few financial principles, and calls it the Rich Idiot way.
A Robert Shemin here and a Robert Shemin there, Here a Robert, there a Robert, Every where a Robert
He repeatedly tortures the listener on multi-level marketing, keeps bugging you to go to his website so that you can sign up and receive some 'benefits.
Time management - The Shemin way.
Like every other moron I have listened to, they will once again tell you this How they work less, earn more and have plenty of time on their hands to do the things they love.
This doesn't make any sense.
Have you ever met any successful person who does not work?
This misguided concept is being advertized and marketed so aggressively that it has lost its charm.
He also advocates investing in the real estate business, having property manager work like a dog for you and have everyone else work harder for you.
This is all great - but only in theory.
Education is Hogwash - The Shemin belief.
Though he does not say it directly, he keeps indirectly demeaning the very foundation on which his nuts and bolts were put into place (something didn't sound very right there). I mean what are you trying to say? That being educated is the fastest way to fail? In as much as it sounds great that one needs to study only what he is going to specialize in, I think the author needs to know that we don't like on planet Pantooni.
Gratitude, Giving & Good Garbage
Shemin talks about giving back a percentage of your available cash to charity. This I believe is a personal choice and by no means a scientifically proven system to generate more cash. So where he is trying to get into our good books as a nice guy, I think he is trying too hard to make himself believe the same truth.
Goals .
Get ready to give the bugger a slap.
He tells you to throw away all of your goals because you only need one goal. That goal, of course, is to become a Rich Idiot.
How do you accomplish that?
Simple.
Set goals and accomplishing them, of course!
Action .
Here are a few of his "Rich Idiot" action steps...
- Forgive others, forgive yourself.
- Write yourself a wealth check
- Live rich today
- Set only one powerful success goal-and make it a big one.
- Play while your money goes to work.
- Stop building someone else's business and start building your own.
- Live and think like a millionaire while you're becoming one.
- Use the power and "smarts" of other Rich Idiots to help you join the Rich Idiot Club.
- If you rent buy your first house, if you own a house buy your next one
- Write your simple business plan
- Make a blessing list and say thank you for each one
So in a sad conclusion of me having wasted my money making this idiot rich, let me summarize.
Like so many others in the same genre, here is once again another “How to get rich book” from a so called expert. Most of the advice is half baked and full of BS and though the author tries his best to sound intelligent, he fails terribly, horribly and miserably to impress anyone but himself.
So what do I recommend?
Don't buy this book from this idiot.
Overall Rating
0 out of 10
Loy Machedo
loymachedo.com
However, it was not the case.
Having to torture myself with a long drawn out boring program filled with the obnoxiously placed "spiritual laws of money" to the foolhardy mind bending laws of "attracting wealth to myself', to the even greater stinking assumption by the author that the readers of this nonsensical phlegm would be impressed with his terminologies like RUB (Rightside Up and Broke), OPI (other people's ideas), OPT (other people's time), OPE (other people's experience); to over-selling, over-boring and over-gagging his readers with over-marketing the over-failed multi-level marketing concept; to boring the socks off my legs and giving me a splitting headache by selling his own brand of "himself" to me countless number of times; I would for the life of me wonder why this is guy honestly is such an idiot!
Let us review this tragic waste of space, time, ink and paper.
The Rich Idiot mindset.
He claims that everything that you've ever learned about money is wrong and you need to completely change your mindset regarding wealth accumulation.
How?
By listening to him
In truth he doesn't tell you anything that is new or that isn't covered in most other personal finance books. He doesn't have innovative and new ideas, he simply repackages what is already out there, changes the names of a few financial principles, and calls it the Rich Idiot way.
A Robert Shemin here and a Robert Shemin there, Here a Robert, there a Robert, Every where a Robert
He repeatedly tortures the listener on multi-level marketing, keeps bugging you to go to his website so that you can sign up and receive some 'benefits.
Time management - The Shemin way.
Like every other moron I have listened to, they will once again tell you this How they work less, earn more and have plenty of time on their hands to do the things they love.
This doesn't make any sense.
Have you ever met any successful person who does not work?
This misguided concept is being advertized and marketed so aggressively that it has lost its charm.
He also advocates investing in the real estate business, having property manager work like a dog for you and have everyone else work harder for you.
This is all great - but only in theory.
Education is Hogwash - The Shemin belief.
Though he does not say it directly, he keeps indirectly demeaning the very foundation on which his nuts and bolts were put into place (something didn't sound very right there). I mean what are you trying to say? That being educated is the fastest way to fail? In as much as it sounds great that one needs to study only what he is going to specialize in, I think the author needs to know that we don't like on planet Pantooni.
Gratitude, Giving & Good Garbage
Shemin talks about giving back a percentage of your available cash to charity. This I believe is a personal choice and by no means a scientifically proven system to generate more cash. So where he is trying to get into our good books as a nice guy, I think he is trying too hard to make himself believe the same truth.
Goals .
Get ready to give the bugger a slap.
He tells you to throw away all of your goals because you only need one goal. That goal, of course, is to become a Rich Idiot.
How do you accomplish that?
Simple.
Set goals and accomplishing them, of course!
Action .
Here are a few of his "Rich Idiot" action steps...
- Forgive others, forgive yourself.
- Write yourself a wealth check
- Live rich today
- Set only one powerful success goal-and make it a big one.
- Play while your money goes to work.
- Stop building someone else's business and start building your own.
- Live and think like a millionaire while you're becoming one.
- Use the power and "smarts" of other Rich Idiots to help you join the Rich Idiot Club.
- If you rent buy your first house, if you own a house buy your next one
- Write your simple business plan
- Make a blessing list and say thank you for each one
So in a sad conclusion of me having wasted my money making this idiot rich, let me summarize.
Like so many others in the same genre, here is once again another “How to get rich book” from a so called expert. Most of the advice is half baked and full of BS and though the author tries his best to sound intelligent, he fails terribly, horribly and miserably to impress anyone but himself.
So what do I recommend?
Don't buy this book from this idiot.
Overall Rating
0 out of 10
Loy Machedo
loymachedo.com
August 22, 2009
Yes, the book was a little self-serving at times (go to my website…blah, blah, blah), but I still enjoyed it. According to Robert, to become a rich idiot you have to change your way of thinking - an upside down way of thinking. Though, easier said than done, it did make sense to me and after some aha moments, it didn’t take me long to figure out why I wasn’t rich. His writing style is fun, simple and inspiring, which also makes this a good repeat read.
July 4, 2012
A good measure of any kind of helpful book is to find out whether or not that book gave you at least one piece of good advice or one good idea. Using that criteria, this book did an excellent job, because it gave me one good idea I had not tried before and am working on implementing it now.
The book itself is a collection of helpful ideas about ways to change your mindset to change your personal, professional, and financial future. It is written in a tone and narrative that seems to be reminiscent of more modern self-help books. The style reminded me of the works of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad series, and most of the books by Larry Winget. So you’ve got to have a thick skin about your life to want to read this book. That, in itself, should be a useful trait to have, as life pulls no punches. You will not feel good after reading this, but you should find some inspiration to make some lifestyle changes that were negatively affecting you.
Shemin broke up his work into three parts, titled, “ready,” “aim,” and “fire.” Part one is background information. Robert Shemin breaks his philosophy down into practical and spiritual laws that a person of means (he calls them “rich idiots”) follows to gain those means. Part two is about personal development and interpersonal communication. He spells out the path for improvement you must take to gain wealth. Part three is about action. Following the path of the third part is a step by step instruction for changing your life path on the way to riches.
There is only one true negative I have to share about this book. In several places, he refers you to his website for additional resources which was set up in relation to this book. The message he is trying to convey is in the book in its entirety, but the supporting documentation, rather than being fully included, is partially here, partially online. I always have problems with books doing this. For something to be truly timeless, all the information presented must be readily accessible, and usually in the book offering the information. Websites will be taken down, moved, and altered in such a way that if I want to go back and reference any of this in 10 years, I may not be able to do it. I have gone back with other books read in my past about a decade later and been able to find a point of reference because it was given in the book. This new trend of referring people to websites in a media that will very much outlast the website is a very cheap way of making its point and it sullies what is otherwise a useful book.
As I said, the book gave me one good idea I had not thought of, so to me, my time reading How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? has been a triumphant success. I read a lot of development books and this one did not have too much new for me. However, it *IS* a collection of ideas which a person who has not read a lot of self-development books will find to be very useful.
The book itself is a collection of helpful ideas about ways to change your mindset to change your personal, professional, and financial future. It is written in a tone and narrative that seems to be reminiscent of more modern self-help books. The style reminded me of the works of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad series, and most of the books by Larry Winget. So you’ve got to have a thick skin about your life to want to read this book. That, in itself, should be a useful trait to have, as life pulls no punches. You will not feel good after reading this, but you should find some inspiration to make some lifestyle changes that were negatively affecting you.
Shemin broke up his work into three parts, titled, “ready,” “aim,” and “fire.” Part one is background information. Robert Shemin breaks his philosophy down into practical and spiritual laws that a person of means (he calls them “rich idiots”) follows to gain those means. Part two is about personal development and interpersonal communication. He spells out the path for improvement you must take to gain wealth. Part three is about action. Following the path of the third part is a step by step instruction for changing your life path on the way to riches.
There is only one true negative I have to share about this book. In several places, he refers you to his website for additional resources which was set up in relation to this book. The message he is trying to convey is in the book in its entirety, but the supporting documentation, rather than being fully included, is partially here, partially online. I always have problems with books doing this. For something to be truly timeless, all the information presented must be readily accessible, and usually in the book offering the information. Websites will be taken down, moved, and altered in such a way that if I want to go back and reference any of this in 10 years, I may not be able to do it. I have gone back with other books read in my past about a decade later and been able to find a point of reference because it was given in the book. This new trend of referring people to websites in a media that will very much outlast the website is a very cheap way of making its point and it sullies what is otherwise a useful book.
As I said, the book gave me one good idea I had not thought of, so to me, my time reading How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? has been a triumphant success. I read a lot of development books and this one did not have too much new for me. However, it *IS* a collection of ideas which a person who has not read a lot of self-development books will find to be very useful.
April 3, 2012
I read this book as part of the 12 books in 2012 ( http://www.12booksgroup.com/ , on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1... )
The book describes what rich idiots do in comparison to RUB's (Right side up and broke) and how their thinking is different to others. I believe that the book in general has good examples on how to become a rich idiot and I agree with most principles. I believe the most revolutionizing concept for me is the "act as if", simply because it seems to be so much against my natural behavior.
Not all the concepts were new to me, but i don't think that this is a problem for the quality of the book. In my opinion, it is more about action and execution than big concepts, because (as is stated in the book) if you use all your time analyzing problem statements in a traditional fashion, you will be beaten by a bold rich idiot.
The main asset of this book is not necessarily the content, but rather the writing style, which I found funny and very convincing - you just feel Robert Shemin's huge passion and excitement in every line of the book.
Well, I believe that I will read more books by Robert and contribute to him being a rich idiot. Then time will show if i will become one myself, i certainly hope so...
The book describes what rich idiots do in comparison to RUB's (Right side up and broke) and how their thinking is different to others. I believe that the book in general has good examples on how to become a rich idiot and I agree with most principles. I believe the most revolutionizing concept for me is the "act as if", simply because it seems to be so much against my natural behavior.
Not all the concepts were new to me, but i don't think that this is a problem for the quality of the book. In my opinion, it is more about action and execution than big concepts, because (as is stated in the book) if you use all your time analyzing problem statements in a traditional fashion, you will be beaten by a bold rich idiot.
The main asset of this book is not necessarily the content, but rather the writing style, which I found funny and very convincing - you just feel Robert Shemin's huge passion and excitement in every line of the book.
Well, I believe that I will read more books by Robert and contribute to him being a rich idiot. Then time will show if i will become one myself, i certainly hope so...
December 17, 2008
I picked this book up several months back thinking that the book dealt with the human psychology involved with success and failure. Unfortunately, the book was not what I had expected.
Although, I found the book to be spiritually uplifting, it read a lot like a late night info-mercial. The kind where "You too can be rich, if you follow my plan."
There were a couple of insightful nuggets but overall, the book was a big disappointment.
Although, I found the book to be spiritually uplifting, it read a lot like a late night info-mercial. The kind where "You too can be rich, if you follow my plan."
There were a couple of insightful nuggets but overall, the book was a big disappointment.
April 7, 2008
I wasn't impressed, nor did I gain any insight about becoming any richer. This book may be good for people who love risk and have no problem with being completely direct with strangers. It also focuses heavily on playing with real estate which may not be the best advice considering the current market.
December 5, 2008
Not much new here.... lots of repetition and reminders to go to his web site: www.getrichwithrobert.com. Only recommended for beginners....
March 26, 2010
trashy self help book. but i did read it...
December 29, 2020
I have read about half this book, and I'm pretty sure I'm done with it. It is very heavy on the mindset that you should take if you want to pursue being wealthy and it is incredibly light on the details of how to accomplish the not insignificant task of actually building wealth. Instead, it seems to encourage you to believe in a *the secret* like idea that if you believe in a thing it will actualize in the world.
I give it 2 stars instead of 1 because I think the mindset thing is important but these days lots of people think they are worth more than they really are so I don't know if the advice is too timely.
I give it 2 stars instead of 1 because I think the mindset thing is important but these days lots of people think they are worth more than they really are so I don't know if the advice is too timely.
June 8, 2024
I expected more humor and entertainment from "How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not?". While the writing style is engaging, the content is disappointingly basic. It might be helpful for those who are entirely new to financial concepts or who need a motivational boost, but it offers little value for readers with any financial experience or success. The simplistic rules of thumb and promotion of MLM schemes are particularly irritating.
July 1, 2017
I will give this books 4 stars for so many reasons: 1- this book for anyone you do not need a business degree or MBA to read it , 2- it is written in a motivational way and not loaded with economical expressions, the book focus in 3 aspects , invest in stock markets, start your own business and real estate investing , nice book for beginners!
August 10, 2019
Too much self promotion.
Eventually he is right about the need of taking action,
not just fanancial action, but any action in any aspect of life.
That I will take from that book. The need of action, to be proactive.
All the rest of the book is no so important.
Eventually he is right about the need of taking action,
not just fanancial action, but any action in any aspect of life.
That I will take from that book. The need of action, to be proactive.
All the rest of the book is no so important.
August 29, 2023
The book felt condescending and called everyone a RUB so many times. Some of the ideas seem useful and make a lot of sense. In light of the dot com bust some of the predictions are interesting to read.
December 1, 2016
"How Come That Idiot's Rich and I'm Not", is really an awesome read. This book has real life Instruction for changing your life path to the direction of success!
July 11, 2017
An interesting approach if rich is a meaningful end-goal for you.
April 21, 2018
Книга, която не мога да кажа, че е вдъхновена от книгите на Кийосаки, защото когато се вдъхновяваш създаваш нещо ново. Тази на места е буквално "преписана". Има един-два интересни момента и толкова.
April 30, 2019
Just finished reading this book. I thought it had some great advice. Take what works for you and use it, disregard the rest.
May 16, 2019
Read this about 9 years ago and I remember thinking it was pretty good.
Probably the last book I read inside a library.
Probably the last book I read inside a library.
October 27, 2019
I believe it was funny, only the same illusion to become rich
October 17, 2020
Enjoyed listening to it.
April 27, 2021
Awesome and motivational
June 9, 2021
Loved this book,
This eye opener great book to read and take action.
This eye opener great book to read and take action.
December 25, 2021
Tiene muy buenls principios de construcción de riqueza
September 29, 2024
It s more of a motivational book to get you on the right path of ACTion towards your financial goals with vague to no specific examples about the subjetcs described in it...
January 1, 2023
this guy is way too voodoo for me: suggesting you wear a wealth talisman, saying there's a spiritual aspect to wealth, repeating your wealth/commitment affirmation twice a day...
he's got lots of catch phrases and examples to back them up but they don't always make sense (for example: 'fake it till you make it' advocates you ACT and DRESS wealthy to meet the right people but then his real life example is a poor woman who treated herself to tea at the plaza and then fesses-up to the maitre d' - who then gives her champagne and strawberries on the house and it starts a yearly ritual and relationship with (ummmm) - the maitre d'. i doubt that's the 'fake' you wanted to make) he also thinks bringing up donald trump is a going to impress readers - but that guy is an idiot; he'll sell his name anywhere and for any price. that is not financial credibility.
this shemin has made a lot of money thru real estate - but i doubt his ethics. at some point he even brags about signing 65 people from one of his seminars to (what amounts to) a pyramid scheme... but he only signed himself up once he had those names, and puts his name first. (he got a cheque for 8K for delivering those names) and his math is lacking - he brags that a woman 'made' $500K when she sold a $750K house for $1250K, but that doesn't take into account the larger mortage payments she had to make for 4 years, the higher property tax, and the higher upkeep the property needed (vs the 200K house she would have bought). oh, and he never mentions the risk of carrying such a large mortgage.
of course i wait to google him until after i read the book and see there are lots of complaints against him. ultimately, things worked out for him (and other 'from-nothings' like him) because he had nothing to lose and lots to gain. ie: low risk, high payoff. works well if you start as a highschool dropout with an empty bank account.
he's got lots of catch phrases and examples to back them up but they don't always make sense (for example: 'fake it till you make it' advocates you ACT and DRESS wealthy to meet the right people but then his real life example is a poor woman who treated herself to tea at the plaza and then fesses-up to the maitre d' - who then gives her champagne and strawberries on the house and it starts a yearly ritual and relationship with (ummmm) - the maitre d'. i doubt that's the 'fake' you wanted to make) he also thinks bringing up donald trump is a going to impress readers - but that guy is an idiot; he'll sell his name anywhere and for any price. that is not financial credibility.
this shemin has made a lot of money thru real estate - but i doubt his ethics. at some point he even brags about signing 65 people from one of his seminars to (what amounts to) a pyramid scheme... but he only signed himself up once he had those names, and puts his name first. (he got a cheque for 8K for delivering those names) and his math is lacking - he brags that a woman 'made' $500K when she sold a $750K house for $1250K, but that doesn't take into account the larger mortage payments she had to make for 4 years, the higher property tax, and the higher upkeep the property needed (vs the 200K house she would have bought). oh, and he never mentions the risk of carrying such a large mortgage.
of course i wait to google him until after i read the book and see there are lots of complaints against him. ultimately, things worked out for him (and other 'from-nothings' like him) because he had nothing to lose and lots to gain. ie: low risk, high payoff. works well if you start as a highschool dropout with an empty bank account.
July 17, 2012
Robert has a unique voice that seeps from the pages of his book. The voice speaks of sincerity, expertise, and experience. I wouldn't call the book a one in a kind but if you are stuck in your life wondering why all your hard work and plans haven't equated to wealth (monetary or otherwise) then this might be a good read for you. I think you could also read books by Kiyosaki, Trump, and others but Robert Shemin is really good at plain talk about I would describe this as a fun read.
Robert talks about the 3 pillars of wealth. After spending the first half of the book re-educating the reader on his/her perception of "rich," Shemin discusses the best practices in acquiring and building the three pillars. They are, Real Estate, Stocks, and Business.
One of key points that Robert drives in this book is the need to take action. This was a great reminder for me to begin with the end in mind and work toward a clear goal. As Robert teaches, each of us needs a clear action plan that we can act on every day.
Do you need some reminders about true "Rich Idiot" thinking? Check out this book.
NOTE: I read this book as part of the 12 Books Online Book Group.
Robert talks about the 3 pillars of wealth. After spending the first half of the book re-educating the reader on his/her perception of "rich," Shemin discusses the best practices in acquiring and building the three pillars. They are, Real Estate, Stocks, and Business.
One of key points that Robert drives in this book is the need to take action. This was a great reminder for me to begin with the end in mind and work toward a clear goal. As Robert teaches, each of us needs a clear action plan that we can act on every day.
Do you need some reminders about true "Rich Idiot" thinking? Check out this book.
NOTE: I read this book as part of the 12 Books Online Book Group.
December 27, 2011
Let's just say: I got this book for free, and I'm glad. I was at a conference where Shemin was a speaker - and he's very very good at that, by the way - and this book was a free takeaway. I honestly didn't make it all the way through, because the first two sections contained just a wee bit too much 'spiritally mystical money-making rules of the universe' for my tastes. (Read: all of it.) Glancing ahead, I suspect section three might have a few bits of actual, practical wisdom, but I somehow doubt they're different than any of the other real-estate books I've read. There have been a lot of them, though, and perhaps that's part of my problem. This may be more of a 'beginners' book, and I've read enough beginners books to be very aware, and frustrated, of the massive amounts of duplication that exists in them. So really, for a first-timer, this book is probably okay. I plan to go back to it in a little bit, when my frustration levels have gone down, and start at section three. Perhaps that might make my rating go up a bit.
Further updates as events warrant. :)
Further updates as events warrant. :)
June 29, 2010
I really love this book, and know how to appreciate it. I am surprised it got low ratings in quite a few reviews, but I usually rate in accordance to how it affected me. I felt Robert's simple, no frills way of writing shows an underlying humility that fits like a puzzle piece to everything he proposes in this book.
I am very eagle-eyed regarding contradictions, but alas, I found none here! His writing was as smooth as a parfait with fresh cream and fruits straight from the bushes. In other words, a breath of fresh air, easy to consume, palatable and suitable for anyone.
I am, I believe, still considered a RUB, and though I must say I somewhat failed because I didnt immediately take action, BUT I do have other plans for now, sans amassing riches, so, I think I will apply it to other areas. But the knowledge gained is so valuable because Shemin managed to pare them down to the very basics. He is an excellent teacher, and reading the book was just like having a conversation.
I am very eagle-eyed regarding contradictions, but alas, I found none here! His writing was as smooth as a parfait with fresh cream and fruits straight from the bushes. In other words, a breath of fresh air, easy to consume, palatable and suitable for anyone.
I am, I believe, still considered a RUB, and though I must say I somewhat failed because I didnt immediately take action, BUT I do have other plans for now, sans amassing riches, so, I think I will apply it to other areas. But the knowledge gained is so valuable because Shemin managed to pare them down to the very basics. He is an excellent teacher, and reading the book was just like having a conversation.
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