Book Description
When Legendary Negro League player Buck O'Neil asked sports columnist Joe Posnanski how he fell in love with baseball, Posnanski had to think about it. From that question was born the idea behind BASEBALL AND JAZZ. Posnanski and the 94 year old O'Neil decided to spend the 2005 baseball season touring the country in hopes of stirring up the love that first drew them to the game. This book is just as much the story of Buck O'Neil as it is the story of baseball. In a time when disillusioned, steroid–shooting, money hungry athletes define the sport, Buck O'Neil stands out as a man that truly played for the love of the game. Posnanski writes about that love and the one thing that O'Neil loved almost as much as baseball: jazz. BASEBALL AND JAZZ is an endearing step back in time to the days when the crack of a bat and the smoky notes of a midnight jam session were the sounds that brought the most joy to a man's heart.
Customer Reviews:
Buck: Almost too good to be true.......2007-09-23
Like many baseball followers, my admiration for Buck O'Neil can be traced to Ken Burns' documentary on baseball. How a black man could live through the era in which Buck lived with the attitudes he has is beyond me. (I am white, not American but lived in the US in the 60s and 70s.) Mr Posnanski's book is is a little too sugary, uncritical and unprobing for my liking. I cannot but help to think that with a little probing there is probably bit more to Buck's attitudes than is presented. However, if you want a feel-good book about this topic, this is the dream book.
On the road with Buck.......2007-09-10
A splendid collection of stories, told by one of our most valuable citizens, and conveyed by a very talented listener and writer.
I Knew Buck O'Neil.......2007-08-24
A great read of a great human being, and baseball man. I would see Buck several times a year in the '80s at the Detroit Tigers, Joker Marchant Stadium, when he was a scout with the Kansas City Royals. He was a pleasant a man you could ever meet. I am pleased to have known the man, even if only those brief moments I was able see and to talk to him.
Buy this book, and read a great tribute of this man and to the Negro Leagues of the past.
A year in the life of Buck O'Neil.......2007-08-23
I found the book very readable and never really got bored with it. I would have liked more in depth stories from when Buck played and managed. Most of the reminisces were short and sweet versions. All and all, I did enjoy the book and consider it a good book, not a great book.
Hmmm..........2007-08-08
I can't help but wonder if the 22 reviews -- all giving this book 5 stars -- are some of the author's closest friends. I am not saying I didn't like the book, but the writing was drab. Through the first few chapters, I got it, Buck O'neal was a good man. So, I'm just saying that the stories were not told in a way that made me connect with Mr. O'Neal --he was just a nice guy and then he died. There are a few editing errors as well, which made it confusing. I am by no means a critic of writing, but I just don't see the amazing book everyone else here did -- anyone agree with me?
Amazon.com
Whether we're beret-bearing beatniks or Lexus-driving cosmopolitans, road trips still beckon. Gas up the tank, load up the trunk--it's hard to resist. But who has time to waste on wrong turns, getting lost, and bad choices? When it comes to finding fun, time is of the essence, so Jamie Jensen's guide takes the pain out of the road trip, be it across the continent or a Sunday jaunt. With directions to pit stops, scenic routes, bizarre museums, and the best apple pie stands, all you have to do is drive.
Book Description
Now in its 10th anniversary edition, the best-selling Road Trip USA is better than ever. Inside you’ll find cross-country routes and road-tested advice for adventurers who want to see part of America that the interstates have left behind. Mile-by-mile highlights celebrate major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities (if you’re looking for the world’s largest jackalope, you’re in luck), local lore, and oddball trivia. Exit the interstates and create your own driving adventures on America's two-land scenic highways. Features include: a flexible network of route combinations, extensively cross-referenced to allow for hundreds of possible itineraries; essential tips for the road: call letters of lively radio stations, Survival Guides for two dozen cities, and details on where to eat and sleep; and more than 125 detailed maps.
Customer Reviews:
Sometimes it is best just to take it slow.......2007-07-11
Turnpikes and superhighways have improved much about our lives, making commutes to work and other vital travel easier and faster. Sometimes, though, it's great to just slow down and enjoy the scenery - and that's just what Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways helps all of us to do.
In this book, you'll discover plenty about out-of-the-way places that can be reached by traveling on two-lane roads in the United States. Discover lesser known monuments, museums, restaurants and roads, and enjoy the offbeat sites that you'll see. It's likely that you'll even learn something new about your own state or hometown.
Road Trip USA recommends places to eat and stay and it provides survival guides to some of America's most intriguing cities. If you've fallen into a vacation rut, this book will break you of it, as at least one quirky destination - and probably many more - will grab your attention and cause you to go on your own road trip rendezvous.
Interesting but not a great reference.......2007-03-09
This book details five north-south and five east-west journeys across the US. The book is arranged into 10 sections, one for each path, each of which lists, in order, all the sites worth seeing on the particular route in that section.
While it is a good collection of sites, the book is laid out in a way that makes it useful only if you read the entire thing. There is no easy way to look up the attractions by state or as dots on a map or by type or anything like that. There isn't even a table of contents at the beginning of the book or of each section. The only reference you have to a particular site is the blurb itself.
So while some may find this to be a useful guide, I'd say it needs a bit more work before it's a good reference.
Fun for the Road.......2007-03-05
When you think of summer, and of freedom and adventure, you automatically think "road trip." Sometimes, you just want to jump into your car for a day trip and, other times, you'd love to trek around America for an entire summer. Some trips you know exactly where you're going and what you plan to see and, other times, you go where the spirit of travel leads you.
In Jamie Jensen's book, Road Trip USA: Cross Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways, we're given quality information on fun places to visit, including places where celebrities stayed, restaurants with apple pie tasty enough for a visit (or two!) and scenic locations worth seeing just for their sheer beauty.
Trivia, myths and legends provided in the book makes trips even more entertaining. The tips of where to take photographs are terrific and provide a road trip traveler the chance to easily capture the most interesting sights for friends and family back home.
I like how Jensen covers 35,000 miles of road tripping in just one book and we appreciate his color-coded routes. Nobody likes getting lost and he pays attention to the smallest details that provide travelers comfort, including the call numbers of local radio stations.
Get off the major highways and use Jensen's book for eleven road trips that you'll never forget!
road trip usa cross country adventures on americas two lane highways.......2007-01-09
great book, I like that you can start at any part of each trip. After reading some sections that I have already traveled, I'm going to retrace some of them because I found that I missed alot of interesting places that were listed in the book. Great reading, can't wait till this summer to let the adventures begin.
Informative.......2006-11-10
This seems to be a very interesting and informative book that will be enjoyed a lot.
Amazon.com
Taking a drive in the country has been popular since horse-and-buggy days. But while the road trip itch is as strong as ever, scenic drives get scarcer year by year. The answer is a collection of the 120 loveliest drives in the U.S., providing maps and tours (with sites along the way itemized and lovingly described), trip length, when to go, nearby attractions, and local information sources. Free time is at a premium these days; rather than waste your leisure time in highway gluts, it's worth taking directions to some of the most beautiful drives the country still has to offer.
Book Description
A one-of-a-kind trip planner, a superb on-the-road reference, and an album of 400 photographs. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, here are 120 outstanding drives that show the magnificence of America-each with detailed, easy-to-follow maps.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Scenic Drives in America.......2007-10-16
A wonderful book for those who enjoy driving tours of our country. Very Helpful ideas.
great book.......2007-09-26
This is a great book if you travel or planning to travel in the US. We used it all through our 6 week vacation to the South West US WOnderful routes and accurate information.
Great Coffee Table Book.......2007-09-17
This is a beautiful book with gorgeous pictures. Makes you want to hop in the car and go. I don't fly and I'm glad. You see so much more riding in the car. This is a beautiful country. I'm so thankful my husband likes to drive.
Just the road trip book I was looking for.......2007-08-07
I am a road trip ethusist. And therefore, when I came across this book, I knew I had to buy it. What I like the most about this book is the careful selected trips the author put together. I have been to about 10% of the trips outlined in this book and when I read through those sections, this book is right. Not only does it tell you where the "must see stops" are, it also tells you approximate mileage, time needed, as well as other useful information for your trip. And flipping through those spectacular trips in the rest of the book made me want to explore U.S. that much more. I highly recommend this book as a starting point, or the main source, for your road trip planning.
Travel Guide Review.......2007-08-06
Good Book. Maps & Travel Destination info is well done & helpful in selecting destinations & selecting colorful & interesting routes to get there
Book Description
Where would your dream take you if you had a whole year to just travel? But perhaps you're thinking, "if I only knew how to start planning my adventure!" This detailed "how-to" guide will get you moving from the dreaming to the doing in no time at all.
Included is step-by-step, real-life information on planning the trip you've always wanted to take -- along with generous doses of humor and advice on topics such as:
* How to pay for a year away from home * How to unravel all your current commitments - to family, work, and organizations * How to plan on the fly and enjoy every day * How to pack in 3 small drawers and 24" of closet space - for two! * How to handle the emergencies that crop up along the way * And the most asked question: How to enjoy your traveling companion on a 24/7 basis!
Once you've decided to "leave it all behind", Live Your Road Trip Dream takes you along on an action-packed, whirlwind tour of the authors' trip - just to help you visualize what months on the road might really be like, and to offer a glimpse into how decisions and discoveries are made along the way.
This is the ultimate road trip planning guide.
Customer Reviews:
Are these people organized or what?.......2007-10-12
This is not a directory of parks where you can take your RV. Nor is it a road guide to every stop in the U.S. with details of what to see and where to sleep. It is a combination of a how-to-do-it guide and a personal journal of a trip. And it is incredibly useful in the planning of the trip. As a completely disorganized person I admire the highly tuned organization that went into this trip.
When you come down to it, this book could be used by a couple going on an extended automobile trip as well as an RV. All those questions that come up: what to do about mail and bills (especially unexpected ones). Who watches the house or do you rent it out? What happens if there is an accident--either to the vehicle or to the occupants? How do you deal with an emergency at home? (I had no idea it was so easy to simply park your RV in a motel parking lot and take a plane home if need be). And of course--how do you keep out of each other's hair?
You do get to know the Whites personally through the book. They are obviously good sports. No whining when Carol breaks her ankle. The trip goes on and she hobbles up and down the terrain. They are defintely the poster couple for active retirement--trudging through national parks, rafting down the white water, golfing when they come upon a welcoming green. They are not only active they are obviously well-to-do and are able to stay in motels and eat at the better restaurants when they desire.
It doesn't matter if you don't have their stamina or their yearly income. What they have outlined is a very usable roadmap for taking the year off and traveling while still keeping in touch with family, friends and finances. They have also worked up a budget for a more frugal journey (around $44,000 rather than $78,000).
I mention this book in my newly published "Crafting the Travel Guidebook", because I consider it an excellent example of the double category book. It also happens to be a good read!
Road Trip???.......2007-10-06
These two authors basically drive around the country and pour out verbal diahrea on boring facts about their trip that no one in their right mind should care about. They are actually proud of the fact that they only???? spent 80k in one year of travelling. They must have lived like anaimals! Also, Carol seems to use the exclamation point way too excessively in her writing! If you are not retired and are somewhat of a young age please avoid this book. I did give it one star because if you have a good sense of humour you might enjoy her little stories!
For me, more of a 3 1/2 star book but since halves are not an option, 4 stars........2007-10-03
The first chapters of this book provide excellent guidance for planning a one-year trip away from home. The authors guide you through the entire process of planning and preparation. Definitely four star information. The authors purchased a small RV, set up their budget, rented out their house and got ready to go. This book shares what worked for them and walks you through all the necessary steps that need to be accomplished prior to your departure including a planned/actual budget and a more frugal version. Both budgets seemed high to me, but if the trip were made today, both might be a real bargin.
The second portion of the book, a journal of their year on the road, seemed sketchy and a bit disjointed. There isn't a lot of information on any of the areas visited, so not as useful as it might of been for some actual travel planning. They spent so many nights at hotels that I'm not sure the motor home was a good investment, but the authors thought it was.
If you are considering traveling away from home for an extended period of time, you will find this book a helpful addition to your library along with one or two good travel guides. If, however, you are more interested in reading about traveling the USA in a small RV, Barbara Thacker's books, while older, are fun armchair travel reading along with Ron and Barb Hofmeister's books on full timing in a much larger RV.
Entertaining and loaded with great info.......2007-08-26
This is a very entertaining book loaded with great information about extended traveling. Be it just a few weeks or a year or more, the authors have dispensed great ideas on how to handle the everyday life you leave behind (for whatever period of time).
I finished the book in about a week, reading it for it's entertainment value. I will be retiring soon and my wife and I plan on taking extended "vacations" in our RV. I will read the book again (and again) so I can garner as much information as I can.
listen to the voices of first-hand experience.......2007-07-19
Phil and Carol White amply demonstrate that anyone can live "a road trip dream" as they thoughtfully share their proven insider tips for enjoyable RV travels. Interesting to discover, according to the authors, that a big mistake first-timers make is overplanning. Read this book and "just do it!"
Product Description
USA Interstate Highway exit directory lists services(gas, food, lodging, medical, other) found at exits on the USA Interstate highway system.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Leave Home without It.......2007-06-27
My husband and I travel. We pull a trailer sometimes and sometimes we're just two middle aged folks looking for the next rest area on the interstate. It never matters because either way this useful, easy to understand, and accurage book makes our travels easier, more pleasant and FUN!
Never stop at the little backwater quick mart and fill up on chips and sodas again, when there's a selection of good local restaurants just 2 exits up the road.
Wish It Had More Roads.......2007-06-27
This book is great for travelling on Interstates only. The problem is there are many highways that are not listed in this book. So many roads, so little time.
Dawn Meier
Very Informative.......2007-05-12
Very informative book when you are driving along and suddenly realize that you are hungry, the gas gauge is sitting on empty or need a hospital for whatever emergency that can pop up
Don't Leave Home Without It.......2007-03-10
I make sure we have this along whenever we crank up our Airstream. I use it constantly during the trip to check mileage, as well as to look for places to eat and sometimes places to stay. This is the 2nd one we have used. We are "real map people" instead of "GPS people" and using this along with an up-to-date state map has never failed us. The only drawback is that it covers only interstates, of course, so you are on your own if you venture onto the smaller side roads.
Next Exit 2006.......2007-02-09
My mode of tranportation for vacations is auto. Great book to keep in the car at all times and traveling by other means of transportation,especially for rental car usage.
Average customer rating:
- What an unbelievable book!
- Not much insight, but an entertaining read
- Read it over (and over and over)
- Ride the Wave
- A profound journey
|
In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road
Allan Weisbecker
Manufacturer: Tarcher
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ASIN: 1585421774
Release Date: 2002-09-12 |
Amazon.com
In 1966, Allan Weisbecker "made a Manhattan run from the landlocked suburbs" to take in a siren-song movie called The Endless Summer, a documentary that depicted the carefree life of two beach bums who roamed the world in quest of the perfect wave. Weisbecker was hooked, and he became a hardcore wave rider, a fixture on the Long Island surf scene. With a friend, Christopher, he also undertook illegal ways to finance his passion, transporting drugs from exotic countries, a business only briefly interrupted when Christopher went off to Vietnam. There he took fire and came home scarred; something in him changed, and one day he simply vanished.
Weisbecker's book, a sort of gonzo detective story blended with travelogue and peppered with hang-10 jargon, does many things, all of them very well indeed. It offers up a vision of innocent times brought to ruin by war and drugs; it recounts his search for his lost friend, whose life had gone from bad to worse far away from home; and it affords a look inside the strange culture of surfing, whose masters "understood, in a visceral and soulful and inexpressible way, the machinations of the sea, and, by subtle inference, the universe at large."
Full of regret and exhilaration, Weisbecker's memoir is a fine chronicle of a dream gone sour and a friendship redeemed. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In 1996, Allan Weisbecker sold his home and his possessions, loaded his dog and surfboards into his truck, and set off in search of his long-time surfing companion, Patrick, who had vanished into the depths of Central America. In this rollicking memoir of his quest from Mexico to Costa Rica to unravel the circumstances of Patrick's disappearance, Weisbecker intimately describes the people he befriended, the bandits he evaded, the waves he caught and lost en route to finding his friend.
In Search of Captain Zero is, according to Outside magazine, "A subtly affecting tale of friendship and duty. [It] deserves a spot on the microbus dashboard as a hell of a cautionary tale about finding paradise and smoking it away."
Customer Reviews:
What an unbelievable book!.......2007-10-11
I've never enjoyed a book more than this one. I'm only a couple of years younger than the author, but I've been surfing for almost 40 years, and I devoured this book. Just the stories he tells would be enough, but in putting them all together, he accomplishes so much more.
When I went to SD in 1973 just out of HS, my roommate, an established La Jolla local, told me a story about the 1969 swell on the north shore and Jock Sutherland surfing by himself in the early AM (~1AM) on acid. Allan was there, retold the same story, and it's amazing how accurately I heard it back then. The smuggling stories were great, especially the snafu in NJ! The premise, the trip, the experiences, and the conclusions together made this an incredible reading experience. I wished that the book was twice as long. It's lucky that the person who had all of these experiences is such an outstanding thinker and writer.
My wife and I used to visit Costa Rica annually, but after reading the book I was inspired to expand my horizons. Rhoda (from Nebraska - NOT a surfer!) loved the book as much as I did. The changes in our lives that were a result of the perspectives gained from our reading Captain Zero have been profound and rewarding. I've been recommending the book since I read it in 2002. Most everyone shared my enthusiasm.
On a 26' panga with a 55 hp Yamaha headed up the coast of Nicaragua last month, a good friend who read Zero on my recommendation, favorably reviewed Allan's recently published Can't You Get Along With Anyone to the other five surfers on the boat. I look forward to reading CYGAWA as soon as Amazon delivers it.
Not much insight, but an entertaining read.......2007-10-09
Surfing is something different to all people, the author has his opinion, I have mine. I didn't find much insight into the human experience through the author's eyes, I perceived the lesson to be about karma, of which the main character shouldn't be surprised about his current state.
My opinion only, the book is entertaining. How can you go wrong with a book about surfing?
"Everybody must give something back for something they get."
-Bob Dylan
Read it over (and over and over).......2007-09-14
A wonderful book, evocative of end of the road towns and other equally compelling ideas. This could be a guidebook for various Central American hideaways, with perhaps some advice of a different nature thrown in. At one point or another, I've made nearly everyone I know read this book. And...it should be followed by "Can't You Get Along With Anyone." If at any time someone decides to put together a cannon of literature that addresses Central American surf spots, publishing, and the tricky nature of friendship, Weisbecker's "In Search of Captain Zero," and "Can't You Get Along With Anyone," must be included.
Ride the Wave.......2007-04-12
If you are at all interested in surfing, this journey of self discovery will grip you deep within its pages. You'll also gain insight on life as seen through surfing.
A profound journey.......2007-02-13
Whether or not you have ever attempted to surf, dreamt about it, or have made it a practice, I think that this book will speak to you. Should you know nothing about the culture at all, this book will make you feel as if you had been there all along. Weisbecker's style of writing draws you into the story in a very personal way, providing easy to understand epiphanes and philosophies, that seem entirely unique to Weisbecker. Yes, he has his flaws and stereotypes, but this only furthers to strengthen his character. After all how many people can claim not to have either of those things. Weisbecker presents profound views on life through surfing, and different experiences in his travel, that seem far more sophosticated than the stereotypical surfing mind, which would consist of pot, "bro", and of course, surfing.
Besides the development of Weisbecker himself during the story, and the more mental, and spiritual aspect of the book, the story is also a gripping tale, which leaves you wanting to turn the page. Each experience draws you in as you join Weisbecker in the search for his friend. I often found myself eagerly wondering what would happen next, from run-ins with bandidos, to finding a way to work a monster of a wave. What made each experience truely different however, was the reflection of each one afterwards, being able to see how Weisbecker was affected and/or changed.
So, if you are willing to look past the many drug related stories, and whatever flaws you may find, underneath is a compelling story and many valuable insights to life, which may make you want to take off on your own adventure.
Book Description
Hit the road with Lonely Planet's Road Trip: California Highway 1. Explore the twists and turns of this dramatic drive along California's spectacular coast, with all its towering cliffs, secluded beaches, redwood forests, picturesque seaside towns, surfing meccas and big cities along the way.
* All the Sights - highlights like Mendocino, Big Sur and Hearst Castle, plus loads of lesser-known attractions
* Where to Stay - from romantic B&Bs to forested campgrounds, options for every budget
* Coastal Dining - feast on local specialties like steamed clams, artichoke soup and apricot pie
* Wildlife Watching - where to see whales, elephant seals and monarch butterflies
* Family Fun - hayrides, otter feedings, roller coasters, antique trains and more
* Detours - visit a quirky Dutch village, a lovely island and the first Zen monastery in the US
Customer Reviews:
Very Helpful.......2007-07-09
Just used the book for a road trip up the PCH. I found the book very useful, with great info, recommendations and maps. The book is also the perfect size. It can fit in a pocket, so you can carry it with you without declaring to the world that you are a tourist.
Lonely Planet Road Trip California Highway 1 (Road Trip Guides).......2007-01-12
I went on the trip with the book and it gives you minimum information. In most of places I had to visted information centers. Better than nothing.
Review #2 Lonely Planet Road Trip Hwy 1.......2006-11-10
Very informative, but needs more sprcific information on "Places to Stay" and "History."
Fantastic Guide.......2006-10-24
This book will fit in a purse or backpack. Just took a road trip up the PCH and this book was extremely useful..We used several recommendations for restaurants and sights to see.. I highly recommend this book..The maps are awesome..
Very usefull.......2006-08-01
This book was extremely useful!!! We had this book and this book only to guide us up the PCH and it was very informative. I highly recommend it.
Book Description
Drive . . . and grow rich!
The bestselling author of
Investment Biker is back from the ultimate road trip: a three-year drive around the world that would ultimately set the Guinness record for the longest continuous car journey. In
Adventure
Capitalist, legendary investor Jim Rogers, dubbed “the Indiana Jones of finance” by Time magazine, proves that the best way to profit from the global situation is to see the world mile by mile. “While I have never patronized a prostitute,” he writes, “I know that one can learn more about a country from speaking to the madam of a brothel or a black marketeer than from meeting a foreign minister.”
Behind the wheel of a sunburst-yellow, custom-built convertible Mercedes, Rogers and his fiancée, Paige Parker, began their “Millennium Adventure” on January 1, 1999, from Iceland. They traveled through 116 countries, including many where most have rarely ventured, such as Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Angola, Sudan, Congo, Colombia, and East Timor. They drove through war zones, deserts, jungles, epidemics, and blizzards. They had many narrow escapes.
They camped with nomads and camels in the western Sahara. They ate silkworms, iguanas, snakes, termites, guinea pigs, porcupines, crocodiles, and grasshoppers.
Best of all, they saw the real world from the ground up—the only vantage point from which it can be truly understood—economically, politically, and socially.
Here are just a few of the author’s conclusions:
• The new commodity bull market has started.
• The twenty-first century will belong to China.
• There is a dramatic shortage of women developing in Asia.
• Pakistan is on the verge of disintegrating.
• India, like many other large nations, will break into several countries.
• The Euro is doomed to fail.
• There are fortunes to be made in Angola.
• Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are a scam.
• Bolivia is a comer after decades of instability, thanks to gigantic amounts of natural gas.
Adventure Capitalist is the most opinionated, sprawling, adventurous journey you’re likely to take within the pages of a book—the perfect read for armchair adventurers, global investors, car enthusiasts, and anyone interested in seeing the world and understanding it as it really is.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Road Trip, indeed.......2007-04-05
I am quite impressed by this book and Jim Rogers trip. We all would like to do a tour of the world, but very few of us can spare the time or the money. Being a retired billionaire does help in that respect and if only because it gives the necessary funding to construct your own vehicle and do as you please. Jim Rogers does precisely that. In a way, we all ought to be jealous or make a killing money-wise and do it ourselves.
I loved the description of his trip from Ireland to Tokyo and back to Ireland as well as his trip down and up through Africa. Jim Rogers being an investor he was bound to make all sorts of observations on the economies he traveled through. Some of these I found spot-on. I also agreed with his observation on foreign aid projects given that I have also seen them in action.
The one disappointment for me were his travels from India to New Zealand and his trip through the American continent and largely because he describes it rather briefly. I think they would have deserved at least as much attention as Part One and Part Two of his trip.
But apart from that, this is excellent stuff.
A travel saga through an investor's eyes.......2006-07-18
Jim Rogers, an independent, insightful global investor, wrote this great modern adventure story. He made his money by being an investment iconoclast and that maverick attitude shows in his forthright assessments of entire nations and government bureaucracies. His ground-level adventures are entertaining, but they also provide fundamental research about global markets that economists and corporate strategists should find very valuable. If Rogers is right, his feedback could save strategists hundreds of thousands of dollars in research or consulting fees. He seems to report his observations honestly. He flatly states which countries he thinks are disintegrating, and which ones he thinks seem to be ascending. And, he throws in some disturbing opinions about the U.S. We find this book valuable for global investors, corporate strategists and people interested in adventure travel. While Rogers and his traveling companion had to endure months of inconvenience, inoculations and car trouble to make their trek, you can enjoy their story from your home or office - unless, of course, it inspires you to hit the road.
CEO Blog reviews.......2006-04-13
I finished one of the books I started on the weekend called Adventure Capitalism by Jim Rogers. It is an awesome book. More like a novel or travel narration in many ways than a business book. This makes it slightly slower reading. Jim, and his wife Paige, drive around the world in a modified Mercedes. He comments on the business environment and economy of the countries he visits. Part of what makes the book interesting is the stories he tells of their experiences. He is a natural story teller.
He is a big believer in free trade and open borders and cites numerous examples of countries with open (or closed) borders that prosper (or whither). For example, Burma was a wealthy country which closed its borders in 1962 - it is now a disaster. Same for Ghana, the wealthiest country in the British empire in the 50's(ever wealthier than England) which closed it borders in 1957. Seven years later it was bankrupt.
He has a view is that handouts to countries create dependency and slow self reliance. This is similar to a view taken in one of my favourite books The Millionaire Next Door to handouts to our children..
Trade tariffs (or things like the beef embargo) act as an inefficient tax on the citizens of a country. The citizens pay more for their products which allow local producers to make a bit more profit. This creates a laziness and inefficiency in the local producers that cause them to not be competitive on a world scale. Interesting view.
His view on India differs from The World is Flat (see June 19th post on my blog). Good on the ground R and D.
Rogers can sure execute a plan.......2005-12-17
Rogers writes this book as a follow-on to "Investment Biker" which he wrote in the early 1990's. The difference is he doesn't get rained on as much as his exposure to the elements is limited by his surrounding automobile versus his totally-exposed-to-the-elements motorcycle.
The crux of his book isn't so much a travelogue as about his exploits as a commodity maven or as one who seeks to improve his human capital in that regard. Throughout the book I marveled at his insights and comparisons, and his doggedness at learning by keeping his ear to the ground and his eyes on the road. He knows a great deal about history and the ebb and flow of successful (and unsuccessful) societies. He recounts his own take on the historical, social, political, military, and financial (seen thru currency spreads) realities on every country he visits, - all 116 of them. He's a courageous guy, one with the genes for adventure and risk taking even though he claims to never take risks while investing. This implies that he always buys when there's "blood in the streets" (at the bottom), but his latest problems with Refco, the bankrupt commodity trading operation and it's fraudulent books are a testament and refutation to this claim. That may seem rather cavalier of me to say, but there are always unforseen risks in investing no matter how thorough your research and he knows this better than I.
As a contrast to the high regard in which I hold Rogers as an investor, I am somewhat flummoxed with his claims to be anti-war. After all, he had to occasionally be escorted by armed convoys when he traveled thru Africa and other countries of the sub-continent. Why does he think we give guns to cops? Put another way, the only way you can ultimately neutralize the bad guys is with force. If you want peace you must be prepared for war or so the saying goes. While Rogers correctly states that avaricious politicians are almost always the culprits with regard to war mongering, there are some wars which are wars of liberation i.e. our forays into Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc. One need only look at the tremendous outpouring and participation of those who have recently voted in Afghanistan and Iraq. These events make George Kennan's containment theory look a bit dated though it did work acceptably at the time, some 55 to 60 years ago. From my personal perspective Reagan had it right in his dealings with the Soviets and we could have shortened the Cold War considerably had we followed his dictums.
Rogers is certainly correct in understanding the damage that unscrupulous politicians can wreak citing endless examples of it in this book, and his major investment thesis is to buy into a country when no one else will consider it. Given that many of these countires seem to be not countries at all but oil wells with a flag over them, Rogers is true to his calling as an investigative commodities investor, one with his nose close to the ground. By contrast, most large investors are "top-down" guys who look for expanding or contracting spreads after which they invest in the biggest companies in the sector. If you pay close attention to Rogers you see that he always goes for the stocks of staple industries: tobacco, banking, brewing, oil, gas, etc; all industries with a local as well as a potential global market. Because most countries don't manufacture anything that any global consumer will buy, they sell what they can grow and what they have underground in the way of natural resources. If they can cost effectively get it in deliverable form they can export it. After that their next gambit is arms and tourism. As an aside, Rogers points out and correctly so that when the price of oil drops again the Russians are in for a heap of trouble, all the way around. But, it's always something isn't it (Remember Roseanne-a-danna-danna?)
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is an investor and intersted in a macro level birds-eye view of the world. Not many guys have Rogers' keen insights nor his zest for getting down and dirty in the pursuit of the next profitable natural resource or currency play. He's a real maverick and a successful on at that. My hat is certainly off to him and I will faithfully read his next offering which though unannounced will, I'm guessing, be about either undersea or space travel as he seems to have covered everything else, what do you think?
Post-script with a dolled-up Mercedes AMG.......2005-11-27
Following-up on the Investment Biker travelogue, Rogers decides to take this trip in the comforts of an AMG spruced up car. While traveling to more locations and experiencing more life-changing events (death of father, marriage), Roger's 2nd world travel account lacks the cutting adventure of the first. Unique to it's moment in history the first explored the vastly changing political and economic changes that occured with the overnight end of the Cold War, while this account alienates its field description due to a more distanced and experienced writer, as well as more entrenched world situation.
Just as winning a 2nd championship doesn't compare to the first, going around the world and being exposed to things you could never describe or fully understand unless there in person is mitigated by a 2nd serving. Upon trying a new fruit, the possibilities and diversions are endless, but upon experiencing the taste, texture, and terrain of a fruit, analagous to a geographic continent, becomes less revelatory and more familiar. Despite the more distanced, more fragmented, and less nuanced description of each area, this is still an amazing account, few of which can match living in the world today.
Book Description
What's better than a group of your best friends piled in for a road trip? Take them all along for the journey we call life, complete with the ultimate guide book.
Customer Reviews:
For the Modern Girls.......2007-03-19
Ok, gather your girlfriends and sit down together and go through this book! You will laugh out loud, nod your heads in agreement, and learn a ton in the process! I can't recommend this book enough! Whether you are a "Bible Study Scholar" or a "Bible Study reject" it will set you on fire to study God's Word in a whole new way.
No more dull, sit around and stare at each other Bible Study groups!
AMEN JEN!
Refreshing Author!!!.......2006-08-28
Jennifer Hatmaker has proved once again that she is a refreshing author on a timeless subject. She has openend my eyes to see God's word in a whole new wonderful light. I highly recommend this great book!
Book Description
By all appearances, Lizzie Simon was perfect. She had an Ivy League education, lots of friends, a loving family, and a dazzling career as a theater producer by the age of twenty-three. But that wasn't enough: Lizzie still felt alone in the world, and largely misunderstood. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, she longed to meet others like herself; she wanted to hear the experiences of those who managed to move past their manic-depression and lead normal lives. So Lizzie hits the road, hoping to find "a herd of her own." Along the way she finds romance and madness, survivors and sufferers, and, somewhere between the lanes, herself. Part road trip, part love story, Detour is a fast-paced, enduring memoir that demystifies mental illness while it embraces the universally human struggle to become whole.
Download Description
"A finely wrought memoir of mental health, Detour takes a genre explored by Susanna Kaysen and Kay Redfield Jamison and propels it in a revelatory and rebellious new direction. Detour is the extraordinary first book by Lizzie Simon, a twenty-three-year-old woman with bipolar disorder. We meet her as she is set to abandon her successful career as a theatrical producer in New York City, with plans to hit the road and find other bipolars like herself -- young, ambitious, opinionated, and truth-seeking. Her goal: to speak with them candidly without judgment, fear, or the slightest trace of anything clinical or jargon-laden. She wants their stories in their words. But after falling in love with her first interviewee, a troubled millionaire, the truth and the path become increasingly difficult to find. She indeed finds inspiring bipolars. Marissa, a twenty-something African-American adoptee; Jan, a popular rock 'n' roll radio deejay and mother of two; Matt, a quiet college student from the South. Each is resilient, wise, healthy, and hopeful. Yet each harbors stories of mania and depression that defy the limits of human experience and survival. But if she's achieving what she set out to do, then why does she feel more alien and alone than ever? Part road trip, part love story, part mystery, Simon has created a heartbreaking narrative of her cross-country quest. With brave humor, Simon writes guilelessly about herself, her past, and her search for ""a herd of her own."" She explores that shifting gray area where illness and identity intersect and blur, with the eye of an insider and the heart and soul of a survivor. Accessible and unique, Detour not only opens an intimate window on the day-to-day condition of living with a mood disorder, it also speaks to our universally human struggle to become whole."
Customer Reviews:
Great Insight.......2007-09-27
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the summer of 2007, at the age of 41 after being hospitalised. In the years prior, I struggled with depression, extreme emotional turmoil, and a precise feeling of not fitting in, of not feeling normal. After I was discharged from the hospital I sought out books that I knew to be out there regarding others and their experience with bipolar disorder to sort of get a handle on what I might be dealing up against. While Ms. Simon writes from the perspective of an intelligent, beautiful, talented young woman in the glow of her youth, I felt a resonance with her stories and encounters that make up "Detour". She visits with several other people she meets on a sort of mental health road trip and compares notes. Out of that came a dialog of the diffences, similarities, and ultimately the uniqueness of each person's bipolar disorder. If you or someone you love is struggling with an understanding of bipolar disorder, Lizzie Simon's book, "Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D" is essential to fascilitating your awareness.
Praise for Lizzie Simon.......2007-09-26
In 'Detour' Lizzie Simon candidly shares details of her inner journey as she travels her personal bipolar road. Brave and honest, 'Detour' gives the reader a glimpse of the turmoil of mental illness and the relative calm of effective treatment.
Bipolar mom on finding you're heard.......2007-09-11
Once a successful young adult myself, I can appreciate the drive to depart one's family to find one's true herd and admire Simon's confidence and ability to take successful creative risks. Although Simon's cross-country travels interviewing successful young bipolar adults ultimately lead her to the conclusion that she has not "found her herd," it is no coincidence that Simon's work is testament to the fact that she does manage to find a strong voice for bipolar creativity and advocacy, "finding that she is heard" after all.
The turning point for Simon occurs when she becomes intimately acquainted with the most potentially destructive and violent aspects of the illness and chooses to distance herself from them, after which she learns how to retreat, relax, recuperate and forgive herself.
Simon's is a voice that does justice to the bipolar experience.
A MUST READ FOR ANY BIPOLAR SUFFERER.......2007-09-08
For me it was like looking into a mirror.Here was a person who suffered tragedies similar to my own for the same extended period. At age 58 my diagnosis came too late to save my legal career. Even so, the book provided assurance that the medications I was then taking weren't just a temporary fix. God bless Lizzie Simon for having the guts to open up about her disease. It is an added bonus to the reader that she does it so well. Her writing skills are up there with the best of them.
Rick Taylor
Pittsburgh
A book young people can relate to!.......2007-09-07
At age 18 I walked out of a hospital with the diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder. I searched for a book to relate to on this topic but found nothing. All the books I picked up were written by celebrities with markedly different lifestyles or were so academic they went over my head. Years later I found Detour! Reading Lizzie's story and the others she met on the way, was like breathing huge sigh of relief. Because of stigma not many people wave the bipolar flag and say "look at me I'm bipolar." I look at having bipolar as a gift of heightened senses, and Detour reinforced that belief and gave me pride in knowing others felt the same way. In addition Detour does not shy away from pointing out the extreme dangers that come from not addressing the seriousness of bipolar disorder. I would recommend Detour to anyone interested in mental illness as well as those interested in a story of inspiration!
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