富爸爸、穷爸爸(英文版)-第2节

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t　and　Balance　Sheet　was　easy。　So　I　had　the　time　to　help　my　daughter　and　the　other　players　at　my　table　with　concepts　they　did　not　understand。　I　was　the　first　person…and　the　only　person　in　the　entire　test　group…to　get　out　of　the　〃Rat　Race〃　that　day。　I　was　out　within　50　minutes；　although　the　game　went　on　for　nearly　three　hours。
At　my　table　was　a　banker；　a　business　owner　and　a　computer　programmer。　What　greatly　disturbed　me　was　how　little　these　people　knew　about　either　accounting　or　investing；　subjects　so　important　in　their　lives。　I　wondered　how　they　managed　their　own　financial　affairs　in　real　life。　I　could　understand　why　my　19…year…old　daughter　would　not　understand；　but　these　were　grown　adults；　at　least　twice　her　age。
After　I　was　out　of　the　〃Rat　Race；〃　for　the　next　two　hours　I　watched　my　daughter　and　these　educated；　affluent　adults　roll　the　dice　and　move　their　markers。　Although　I　was　glad　they　were　all　learning　so　much；　I　was　disturbed　by　how　much　the　adults　did　not　know　about　the　basics　of　simple　accounting　and　investing。　They　had　difficulty　grasping　the　relationship　between　their　Income　Statement　and　their　Balance　Sheet。　As　they　bought　and　sold　assets；　they　had　trouble　remembering　that　each　transaction　could　impact　their　monthly　cash　flow。　I　thought；　how　many　millions　of　people　are　out　there　in　the　real　world　struggling　financially；　only　because　they　have　never　been　taught　these　subjects？
Thank　goodness　they're　having　fun　and　are　distracted　by　the　desire　to　win　the　game；　I　said　to　myself。　After　Robert　ended　the　contest；　he　allowed　us　fifteen　minutes　to　discuss　and　critique　CASHFLOW　among　ourselves。
The　business　owner　at　my　table　was　not　happy。　He　did　not　like　the　game。　〃I　don't　need　to　know　this；〃　he　said　out　loud。　〃I　hire　accountants；　bankers　and　attorneys　to　tell　me　about　this　stuff。〃
To　which　Robert　replied；　〃Have　you　ever　noticed　that　there　are　a　lot　of　accountants　who　aren't　rich？　And　bankers；　and　attorneys；　and　stockbrokers　and　real　estate　brokers。　They　know　a　lot；　and　for　the　most　part　are　smart　people；　but　most　of　them　are　not　rich。　Since　our　schools　do　not　teach　people　what　the　rich　know；　we　take　advice　from　these　people。　But　one　day；　you're　driving　down　the　highway；　stuck　in　traffic；　struggling　to　get　to　work；　and　you　look　over　to　your　right　and　you　see　your　accountant　stuck　in　the　same　traffic　jam。　You　look　to　your　left　and　you　see　your　banker。　That　should　tell　you　something。〃
The　computer　programmer　was　also　unimpressed　by　the　game：　〃I　can　buy　software　to　teach　me　this。〃
The　banker；　however；　was　moved。　〃I　studied　this　in　school…the　accounting　part；　that　is…but　I　never　knew　how　to　apply　it　to　real　life。　Now　I　know。　I　need　to　get　myself　out　of　the　‘Rat　Race。'　〃
But　it　was　my　daughter's　comments　that　most　touched　me。　〃I　had　fun　learning；〃　she　said。　〃I　learned　a　lot　about　how　money　really　works　and　how　to　invest。〃
Then　she　added：　〃Now　I　know　I　can　choose　a　profession　for　the　work　I　want　to　perform　and　not　because　of　job　security；　benefits　or　howmuch　I　get　paid。　If　I　learn　what　this　game　teaches；　I'm　free　to　do　and　study　what　my　heart　wants　to　study。　。　。rather　than　study　something　because　businesses　are　looking　for　certain　job　skills。　If　I　learn　this；　I　won't　have　to　worry　about　job　security　and　Social　Security　the　way　most　of　my　classmates　already　do。〃
I　was　not　able　to　stay　and　talk　with　Robert　after　we　had　played　the　game；　but　we　agreed　to　meet　later　to　further　discuss　his　project。　I　knew　he　wanted　to　use　the　game　to　help　others　become　more　financially　savvy；　and　I　was　eager　to　hear　more　about　his　plans。
My　husband　and　I　set　up　a　dinner　meeting　with　Robert　and　his　wife　within　the　next　week。　Although　it　was　our　first　social　get…together；　we　felt　as　if　we　had　known　each　other　for　years。
We　found　out　we　had　a　lot　in　common。　We　covered　the　gamut；　from　sports　and　plays　to　restaurants　and　socio…economic　issues。　We　talked　about　the　changing　world。　We　spent　a　lot　of　time　discussing　how　most　Americans　have　little　or　nothing　saved　for　retirement；　as　well　as　the　almost　bankrupt　state　of　Social　Security　and　Medicare。　Would　my　children　be　required　to　pay　for　the　retirement　of　75　million　baby　boomers？　We　wondered　if　people　realize　how　risky　it　is　to　depend　on　a
pension　plan。
Robert's　primary　concern　was　the　growing　gap　between　the　haves　and　have　nots；　in　America　and　around　the　world。　A　self…taught；　self…made　entrepreneur　who　traveled　the　world　putting　investments　together；　Robert　was　able　to　retire　at　the　age　of　47。　He　came　out　of　retirement　because　he　shares　the　same　concern　I　have　for　my　own　children。　He　knows　that　the　world　has　changed；　but　education　has　not　changed　with　it。　According　to　Robert；　children　spend　years　in　an　antiquated　educational　system；　studying　subjects　they　will　never　use；　preparing　for　a　world　that　no　longer　exists。
〃Today；　the　most　dangerous　advice　you　can　give　a　child　is　‘Go　to　school；　get　good　grades　and　look　for　a　safe　secure　job；'　〃　he　likes　to　say。　〃That　is　old　advice；　and　it's　bad　advice。　If　you　could　see　what　is　happening　in　Asia；　Europe；　South　America；　you　would　be　as　concerned　as　I　am。〃
It's　bad　advice；　he　believes；　〃because　if　you　want　your　child　to　have　a　financially　secure　future；　they　can't　play　by　the　old　set　of　rules。　It's　just　too　risky。〃
I　asked　him　what　he　meant　by　〃old　rules？〃　。
〃People　like　me　play　by　a　different　set　of　rules　from　what　you　play　by；〃　he　said。　〃What　happens　when　a　corporation　announces　a　downsizing？〃
〃People　get　laid　off；〃　I　said。　〃Families　are　hurt。　Unemployment　goes
up。〃
〃Yes；　but　what　happens　to　the　company；　in　particular　a　public　company　on　the　stock　exchange？〃
〃The　price　of　the　stock　usually　goes　up　when　the　downsizing　is　announced；〃　I　said。　〃The　market　likes　it　when　a　company　reduces　its　labor　costs；　either　through　automation　or　just　consolidating　the　labor　force　in　general。〃
〃That's　right；〃　he　said。　〃And　when　stock　prices　go　up；　people　like　me；　the　shareholders；　get　richer。　That　is　what　I　mean　by　a　different　set　of　rules。　Employees　lose；　owners　and　investors　win。〃
Robert　was　describing　not　only　the　difference　between　an　employee　and　employer；　but　also　the　difference　between　controlling　your　own　destiny　and　giving　up　that　control　to　someone　else。
〃But　it's　hard　for　most　people　to　understand　why　that　happens；〃　I　said。　〃They　just　think　it's　not　fair。〃
〃That's　why　it　is　foolish　to　simply　say　to　a　child；　‘Get　a　good　education；'　〃　he　said。　〃It　is　foolish　to　assume　that　the　education　the　school　system　provides　will　prepare　your　children　for　the　world　they　will　face　upon　graduation。　Each　child　needs　more　education。　Different　education。　And　they　need　to　know　the　rules。　The　different　sets　of　rules。〃
〃There　are　rules　of　money　that　the　rich　play　by；　and　there　are　the　rules　that　the　other　95　percent　of　the　population　plays　by；〃　he　said。　〃And　the　95　percent　learns　those　rules　at　home　and　in　school。　That　is　why　it's　risky　today　to　simply　say　to　a　child；　‘Study　hard　and　look　for　a　job。'　A　child　today　needs　a　more　sophisticated　education；　and　the　current　system　is　not　delivering　the　goods。　I　don't　care　how　many　computers　they　put　in　the　classroom　or　how　much　money　schools　spend。　How　can　the　education　system　teach　a　subject　that　it　does　not　know？〃
So　how　does　a　parent　teach　their　children；　what　the　school　does　not？　How　do　you　teach　accounting　to　a　child？　Won't　they　get　bored？　And　how　do　you　teach　investing　when　as　a　parent　you　yourself　are　risk　averse？　Instead　of　teaching　my　children　to　simply　play　it　safe；　I　decided　it　was　best　to　teach　them　to　play　it　smart。
〃So　how　would　you　teach　a　child　about　money　and　all　the　things　we've　talked　about？〃　I　asked　Robert。　〃How　can　we　make　it　easy　for　parents　especially　when　they　don't　understand　it　themselves？〃
〃I　wrote　a　book　on　the　subject；　〃　he　said。
〃Where　is　it？〃
〃In　my　computer。　It's　been　there　for　years　in　random　pieces。　I　add　to　it　occasionally　but　I've　never　gotten　around　to　put　it　all　together。　I　began　writing　it　after　my　other　book　became　a　best　seller；　but　I　never　finished　the　new　one。　It's　in　pieces。〃
And　in　pieces　it　was。　After　reading　the　scattered　sections；　I　decided　the　book　had　merit　and　needed　to　be　shared；　especially　in　these　changing　times。　We　agreed　to　co…author　Robert's　book。
I　asked　him　how　much　financial　information　he　thought　a　child　needed。　He　said　it　would　depend　on　the　child。　He　knew　at　a　young　age　that　he　wanted　to　be　rich　and　was　fortunate　enough　to　have　a　father　figure　who　was　rich　and　willing　to　guide　him。　Education　is　the　foundation　of　success；　Robert　said。　Just　as　scholastic　skills　are　vitally　important；　so　are　financial　skills　and　communication　skills。
What　follows　is　the　story　of　Robert's　two　dads；　a　rich　one　and　a　poor
one；　that　expounds　on　the　skills　he's　developed　over　a　lifetime。　The　contrast　between　two　dads　provides　an　important　perspective。　The　book　is　supported；　edited　and　assembled　by　me。　For　any　accountants　who　read　this　book；　suspend　your　academic　book　knowledge　and　open　your　mind　to　the　theories　Robert　presents。　Although　many　of　them　challenge　the　very　fundamentals　of　generally　accepted　accounting　principles；　they　provide　a　valuable　insight　into　the　way　true　investors　analyze　their　investment　decisions。
When　we　as　parents　advise　our　children　to　〃go　to　school；　study　hard　and　get