My dad saw the money in- volved in politics and so he ran for lieutenant governor to try and stop that financial abuse. Now it has cost him his position in the government. He knows the laws are written in favor of the rich." "Well, that is another subject on money. But not our sub- ject today," said rich dad. Why Investing Is Not Risky "I've already made up my mind," I said. "I have not fol- lowed up on any of the jobs for pilots. I will soon begin look- ing for a job with a company that has sales training, so I can overcome my fear of rejection and learn to sell, or communi- cate, as you recommended." "Good," said rich dad. "Both IBM and Xerox have excellent sales training programs. If you're going to be in the B quad- rant, then you must know how to sell as well as market. You also have to have a very thick skin and not mind people saying 'No' to you. But you also have to be able to change their mind if it is appropriate to do so. Selling is a very necessary, basic skill for anyone who wants to become rich, especially in the B quadrant and very often in the I quadrant." "But I have one burning question," I said. "Ask it," said rich dad. 156 Rich Dad's Guide to Investing "How can you say investing is not risky when most people say investing is risky?" "Easy," said rich dad. "I can read financial statements and most people cannot. Do you remember me saying to you years ago that your dad was word literate but not financially literate?" I nodded, saying, "I remember you saying that very often." "Financial literacy is one of the most important investor ba- sics, especially if you want to be a safe investor, an inside in- vestor, and a rich investor. Anyone who is not financially literate cannot see into an investment. Just as a doctor uses X-rays to look at your skeletal system, a financial statement al- lows you to look into an investment and see the truth, the facts, the fiction, the opportunities, and the risk. Reading a fi- nancial statement of a business or individual is like reading a biography or an autobiography." "So one of the reasons many people say investing is risky is simply that they have never been taught to read financial statements?" I asked in surprise. "And that is why you began by teaching Mike and me to read financial statements starting when we were nine?" "Well, if you remember, you told me when you were just 9 years old that you wanted to be rich. When you told me that, I began with the basics: never work for money, learn to spot opportunities not jobs, and learn to read financial statements. Most people leave school looking for jobs, not opportunities; they have been taught to work hard for earned income rather than passive income or portfolio income; and most have never been taught how to balance a checkbook, much less read and write a financial statement. Small wonder they say in- vesting is risky.