Throughout the book, Kiyosaki emphasizes the paramount importance of financial education as a central theme. Kiyosaki’s own upbringing, with contrasting influences from his poor dad and rich dad, highlights the transformative impact of the financial education he received on his financial future. Kiyosaki argues that traditional education often neglects teaching essential financial concepts, leaving individuals ill-prepared to navigate the complexities of money management. Kiyosaki contends that the lack of financial education perpetuates a cycle of financial illiteracy, leading people to make uninformed financial decisions and struggle financially. However, Kiyosaki highlights that there are lessons to learn even from those struggles, writing, “My friends who are in dire financial straits do not like talking about money, business, or investing. They often think it rude or unintellectual. So I also learn from my friends who struggle financially. I find out what not to do” (150).

Kiyosaki believes that financial education is the key to breaking free from financial constraints in order to achieve financial independence. He defines financial literacy as the ability to understand financial statements, evaluate investments, and make informed financial choices, which “allows one to read numbers, and numbers tell the story” (154). However, throughout the text, Kiyosaki takes issue with the lessons about money taught in school—get good grades to get a good job, for instance.