《富爸爸穷爸爸》第32章

inutes。　He　knew　what　was　wrong　by　simply　listening　to　the　engine。 I　was　amazed。
The　sad　truth　is；　great　talent　is　not　enough。
I　am　constantly　shocked　at　how　little　talented　people　earn。　I　heard　the　other　day　that　less　than　5　percent　of　Americans　earn　more　than　100；000　a　year。　I　have　met　brilliant；　highly　educated　people　who　earn　less　than　20；000　a　year。　A　business　consultant　who　specializes　in　the　medical　trade　was　telling　me　how　many　doctors；　dentists　and　chiropractors　struggle　financially。　All　this　time；　I　thought　that　when　they　graduated；　the　dollars　would　pour　in。　It　was　this　business　consultant　who　gave　me　the　phrase；　〃They　are　one　skill　away　from　great　wealth。〃
What　this　phrase　means　is　that　most　people　need　only　to　learn　and　master　one　more　skill　and　their　ine　would　jump　exponentially。　I　have　mentioned　before　that　financial　intelligence　is　a　synergy　of　accounting；　investing；　marketing　and　law。　bine　those　four　technical　skills　and　making　money　with　money　is　easier。　When　it　es　to　money；　the　only　skill　most　people　know　is　to　work　hard。
The　classic　example　of　a　synergy　of　skills　was　that　young　writer　for　the　newspaper。　If　she　diligently　learned　the　skills　of　sales　and　marketing；　her　ine　would　jump　dramatically。　If　I　were　her；　I　would　take　some　courses　in　advertising　copywriting　as　well　as　sales。　Then；　instead　of　working　at　the　newspaper；　I　would　seek　a　job　at　an　advertising　agency。　Even　if　it　were　a　cut　in　pay；　she　would　learn　how　to　municate　in　〃short　cuts〃　that　are　used　in　successful　advertising。　She　also　would　spend　time　learning　public　relations；　an　important　skill。　She　would　learn　how　to　get　millions　in　free　publicity。　Then；　at　night　and　on　weekends；　she　could　be　writing　her　great　novel。　When　it　was　finished；　she　would　be　better　able　to　sell　her　book。　Then；　in　a　short　while；　she　could　be　a　〃bestselling　author。〃
When　I　first　came　out　with　my　first　book　If　You　Want　To　Be　Rich　and　Happy；　Don"t　Go　to　School？　a　publisher　suggested　I　change　the　tide　to　The　Economics　of　Education。　I　told　the　publisher　that　with　a　title　like　that；　I　would　sell　two　books：　one　to　my　family　and　one　to　my　best　friend。　The　problem　is；　they　would　expect　it　for　free。　The　obnoxious　title　If　You　Want　To　Be　Rich　and　Happy；　Don"t　Go　to　School？　was　chosen　because　we　knew　it　would　get　tons　of　publicity。　I　am　proeducation　and　believe　in　education　reform。 Otherwise；　why　would　I　continue　to　press　for　changing　our　antiquated　educational　system？　So　I　chose　a　title　that　would　get　me　on　more　TV　and　radio　shows；　simply　because　I　was　willing　to　be　controversial。　Many　people　thought　I　was　a　fruitcake；　but　the　book　sold　and　sold。
When　I　graduated　from　the　U。S。　Merchant　Marine　Academy　in　1969；　my　educated　dad　was　happy。　Standard　Oil　of　California　had　hired　me　for　its　oiltanker　fleet。　I　was　a　third　mate；　and　the　pay　was　low　pared　with　my　classmates；　but　it　was　OK　for　a　first　real　job　after　college。　My　starting　pay　was　about　42；000　a　year；　including　overtime；　and　I　only　had　；　to　work　for　seven　months。　I　had　five　months　of　vacation。　If　I　had　wanted　to；　I　could　have　taken　the　run　to　Vietnam　with　a　subsidiary　shipping　pany；　and　easily　doubled　my　pay　instead　of　taking　the　five　J　months"　vacation。
I　had　a　great　career　ahead　of　me；　yet　I　resigned　after　six　months　with　the　pany　and　joined　the　Marine　Corps　to　learn　how　to　fly。　My　educated　dad　was　devastated。　Rich　dad　congratulated　me。
In　school　and　in　the　workplace；　the　popular　opinion　is　the　idea　of　〃specialization。〃　That　is；　in　order　to　make　more　money　or　get　promoted；　you　need　to　〃specialize。〃　That　is　why　medical　doctors　immediately　begin　to　seek　a　specialty　such　as　orthopedics　or　pediatrics。　The　same　is　true　for　accountants；　architects；　lawyers；　pilots　and　others。
My　educated　dad　believed　in　the　same　dogma。　That　is　why　he　was　thrilled　when　he　eventually　achieved　his　doctorate。　He　often　admitted ？？that　schools　reward　people　who　study　more　and　more　about　less　and　less。
Rich　dad　encouraged　me　to　do　exactly　the　opposite。 〃You　want　to "　know　a　little　about　a　lot〃　was　his　suggestion。　That　is　why　for　years　I　worked　in　different　areas　of　his　panies。　For　awhile；　I　worked　in　his　accounting　department。　Although　I　would　probably　never　have　been　an　accountant；　he　wanted　me　to　learn　via　〃osmosis。〃　Rich　dad　knew　I　would　pick　up　〃jargon〃　and　a　sense　of　what　is　important　and　what　is　not。　I　also　worked　as　a　bus　boy　and　construction　worker；　as　well　as　in　sales；　reservations　and　marketing。 He　was　〃grooming〃　Mike　and　me。　That　is　why　he　insisted　we　sit　in　on　the　meetings　with　his　bankers；　lawyers；　accountants　and　brokers。　He　wanted　us　to　know　a　little　about　every　aspect　of　his　empire。
When　I　quit　my　highpaying　job　with　Standard　Oil；　my　educated　dad　had　a　hearttoheart　with　me。 He　was　bewildered。　He　could　not　understand　my　decision　to　resign　from　a　career　that　offered　high　pay；　great　benefits；　lots　of　time　off；　and　opportunity　for　promotion。　When　he　asked　me　one　evening；　〃Why　did　you　quit？〃　I　could　not　explain　it　to　him；　as　much　as　I　tried。　My　logic　did　not　fit　his　logic。　The　big　problem　wasthat　my　logic　was　my　rich　dad"s　logic。
Job　security　meant　everything　to　my　educated　dad。　Learning　meant　everything　to　my　rich　dad。
Educated　dad　thought　I　went　to　school　to　learn　to　be　a　ship"s　officer。　Rich　dad　knew　that　I　went　to　school　to　study　international　trade。　So　as　a　student；　I　made　cargo　runs；　navigating　large　freighters；　oil　tankers　and　passenger　ships　to　the　Far　East　and　the　South　Pacific。　Rich　dad　emphasized　that　I　stay　in　the　Pacific　instead　of　taking　ships　to　Europe　because　he　knew　that　the　〃emerging　nations〃　were　in　Asia；　not　Europe。　While　most　of　my　classmates；　including　Mike；　were　partying　at　their　fraternity　houses；　I　was　studying　trade；　people；　business　styles　and　cultures　in　Japan；　Taiwan；　Thailand；　Singapore；　Hong　Kong；　Vietnam；　Korea；　Tahiti；　Samoa　and　the　Philippines。　I　also　was　partying；　but　it　was　not　in　any　frat　house。　I　grew　up　rapidly。
Educated　dad　just　could　not　understand　why　I　decided　to　quit　and　join　the　Marine　Corps。　I　told　him　I　wanted　to　learn　to　fly；　but　really　I　wanted　to　learn　to　lead　troops。　Rich　dad　explained　to　me　that　the　hardest　part　of　running　a　pany　is　managing　people。　He　had　spent　three　yea