Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Robert Kiyosaki’s account of the two father figures who shaped how he thinks about money, in its 20th anniversary edition.
Short answer: for the Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook vs book choice, we say read it on Kindle (56% confidence, close call). The printed book has illustrations, charts and study sessions, which favours print. The book is told in one voice and read by one narrator, which favours audio, and the audiobook comes with a PDF. Print comes out narrowly ahead.
Read it on Kindle
Read it for the illustrations and charts, including the cash flow chart, and the nine study sessions, which are easier to use on the page. Listen if you'd rather hear it, as Kiyosaki tells his own story in the first person and Tom Parks reads it all in one voice, with a PDF included.
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Confidence 56%, which puts it in the close call band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above. Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Tom Parks | Tom Parks |
| Length | 8 hours 22 minutes (8h 22m), unabridged | 8 hours 22 minutes (8h 22m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 5h 35m | about 5h 35m |
| At 2x | about 4h 11m | about 4h 11m |
| Audio publisher and date | Brilliance Audio, 14 May 2019 | Brilliance Audio, 14 May 2019 |
| PDF companion | Yes, in your Audible library | Yes, in your Audible library |
| Audiobook price | £12.96 on Audible UK | $18.68 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £5.87 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Plata Publishing 25th anniversary paperback, 336 pages | Plata Publishing 25th anniversary paperback, 336 pages | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.70 from 2,349 ratings | Performance 4.83 from 15,660 ratings |
This is the 20th anniversary edition, sold on both stores. The original 2012 recording, read by Tim Wheeler, runs 6h 9m and has no PDF listed. No English 25th anniversary audiobook was found. What the PDF contains is not confirmed.
Ratings and prices checked 2 November 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 2 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Robert T. Kiyosaki
- Genre
- Personal finance
- First published
- 1997
- Length
- 336 pages (25th anniversary edition)
- On audio
- 8 hrs 22 mins, Tom Parks
- Extras
- PDF with the audiobook
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), 7 points. Reading: story depends on images or layout (9), 9 points. 56% of the confirmed points favour reading, so the verdict is read it on Kindle at 56% confidence (close call).
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Tom Parks, Brilliance Audio, 2019, 8h 22m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- Original 2012 recording, read by Tim Wheeler (6h 9m)
- What you miss
- The charts in the text (a PDF comes with the audiobook; its contents are not confirmed)
What this book actually is
Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert Kiyosaki’s personal finance book, first self-published in 1997. Wikipedia describes it as “autobiographical parables”: Kiyosaki contrasts the money lessons of his own father, the poor dad, with those of a friend’s father, the rich dad. Whether rich dad was one real person has long been questioned.
The 20th anniversary edition adds sidebars that look back from today at the lessons. Critics dispute much of the advice: John T. Reed says it contains “a large amount wrong advice”, and Slate calls the narrative “fablelike” (both via Wikipedia).
The case for reading it
The printed book has “illustrations and charts”, including the cash flow chart that Shortform describes, and nine study sessions (library record). On the page you can study a chart and turn back to it.
At 336 pages it is a short read, written in a plain, fable-like style.
The case for listening to it
Kiyosaki tells the whole book in the first person, and one narrator reads it, which is easy to follow by ear. A PDF comes with the audiobook in your Audible library.
At 8 hours 22 minutes it comes down to about 5 hours 35 minutes at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Brilliance Audio publishes the 20th anniversary edition (14 May 2019), read by Tom Parks at 8 hours 22 minutes, on both stores. It comes with a PDF; what the PDF contains is not confirmed.
The original 2012 recording, read by Tim Wheeler, runs 6 hours 9 minutes and has no PDF listed. No English 25th anniversary audiobook was found on Audible UK or US.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards audio if you mainly want the stories and lessons and are happy to open the PDF that comes with it. Lean towards print if you want to work through the charts and study sessions.
Audiobook
- Read by Tom Parks
- 8h 22m, or about 5h 35m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; comes with a PDF
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
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One author voice and a 688-page book pull towards listening; about 1,100 endnotes in print (per one review) pull towards reading.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook?
Tom Parks reads the 20th anniversary edition. Tim Wheeler reads the original 2012 recording.
How long is the Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook?
The 20th anniversary edition is 8 hours 22 minutes. The original recording is 6 hours 9 minutes.
Is the Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook abridged?
No. Both English editions on Audible UK and US are unabridged (as of November 2026).
Does the Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook have a PDF?
Yes. The 20th anniversary edition comes with a PDF in your Audible library.
Which Rich Dad Poor Dad audiobook should I buy?
The 20th anniversary edition is longer because it adds updates, and it comes with a PDF. The original recording is 6 hours 9 minutes.
How many pages is Rich Dad Poor Dad?
The 25th anniversary paperback from Plata Publishing has 336 pages.
Is there a Rich Dad Poor Dad film?
No film had been announced as of November 2026.
Should I read or listen?
Read, at 56%, a close call. The print book has charts and study sessions, while the audiobook has one clear voice and a PDF.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said read it on Kindle. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Open Library, the Lake Agassiz Regional Library catalogue, Shortform, bookstores.com and Wikipedia.
- Verdict last reviewed: 2 November 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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