Book · Robert Kiyosaki
Cashflow Quadrant
Personal recommendation by Marshall Delpé. Not made by Marshalldelpe.com.
Cashflow Quadrant
Book · Robert Kiyosaki·
A four-box map that shows whether you own a business or the business owns you.
What it does: Maps four ways people earn money—Employee (E), Self-employed (S), Business owner (B), Investor (I)—and explains in plain terms why the left side of the quadrant (E and S) trades time for money, while the right side (B and I) builds income that compounds without you being the bottleneck.
Who it's for: Anyone stuck in employment or self-employment who has not yet built income that works independently of their direct time and labor input.
Why I use it: This book reframed how I think about income and effort. Most people optimize hard within the wrong quadrant—working longer hours, getting a higher salary, building a bigger client base—without ever questioning which quadrant they are in. The map is the first tool. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. My goal is B and I. The book is also where I first understood that taxes are written for business owners and investors, not employees.
Tradeoffs: Kiyosaki's writing is repetitive and some of his specific investment claims are dated or oversimplified. Take the framework seriously. Apply your own judgment and research on the execution. The concepts carry; the specifics require verification.
Alternatives: Rich Dad Poor Dad (Kiyosaki) is the entry point and the more widely read book—start there. The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco is a harder-edged version of similar principles with more tactical application. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber applies the S-to-B transition specifically to small business owners.
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Read it so you can spot the person at work who already did.
What it does: Robert Greene distils 3,000 years of history — Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Bismarck, Louis XIV, con artists and courtesans — into 48 laws describing how power is gained, held and lost. Each law comes with historical stories of people who followed it and people who broke it, plus the reversal: when the law doesn't apply.
Who it's for: Anyone who works with people — in a hospital, a company, a negotiation or an investment deal — and wants to understand the unspoken dynamics at play. Especially useful if you've ever been blindsided by office politics or someone else's agenda.
Why I use it: I read it as a field guide to human behaviour rather than a playbook. It helps me recognise manipulation when I see it, protect my reputation, and stay calm instead of reacting. Laws like "Never outshine the master", "Guard your reputation with your life" and "Say less than necessary" have saved me from mistakes at work. It pairs well with Munger's psychology of human misjudgment, which you'll find in Poor Charlie's Almanack.
Tradeoffs: Some of the laws are ruthless, and following them literally can cost you trust and relationships. It's long and repetitive in places, and it's best read defensively — to understand power — not as permission to be cold or deceptive. The stories are selective history, not rigorous research.
Alternatives: The Laws of Human Nature and Mastery by Robert Greene, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (the warmer approach), Influence by Robert Cialdini (the research-backed version).
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend what I actually use.
The Art of War
Book · Sun Tzu·
Ancient battle advice that works surprisingly well on salary negotiations.
What it does: An ancient Chinese treatise on military strategy, traditionally credited to the general Sun Tzu, written around the 5th century BC. In 13 short chapters it covers planning, positioning, deception, intelligence and when to fight — and when not to. Its core idea: the best victory is the one won without fighting.
Who it's for: Anyone dealing with competition or conflict — in business, negotiation, investing, sports or office politics — who wants timeless principles about preparation, patience and knowing the terrain.
Why I use it: It is short enough to reread every year, and every reread lands differently. "Know the enemy and know yourself" maps directly onto investing and staying within your circle of competence, and the emphasis on avoiding unnecessary battles is a reminder that the strongest position is often the one where you never have to fight. It pairs naturally with The 48 Laws of Power.
Tradeoffs: The aphorisms are compressed and sometimes cryptic, so translation quality matters a lot. It is easy to over-apply military metaphors to everyday life, and the original is about war, not business — the connections take reflection to make.
Alternatives: The 48 Laws of Power and The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene, The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, and On War by Carl von Clausewitz.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend what I actually use.