Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers

This book is amazing. Jim Rogers can really tell a story in an entertaining and informative way. On the surface, it's a millionaire's journey around the world on a BMW bike with his girlfriend, but the REAL significance of this tale is world history, the drama (and trauma) of African border crossings, fall of Soviet Union, and finding investment opportunities in third-world nations. This trip took place in early-90s, but he writes "Adventure Capitalist" in 2003 when he takes a similar trip in a souped-up one-off Mercedes, with equally great shenanigans. Then he writes "Street Smarts" in 2013 after he's settled in China with his family. Jim Rogers is my new favorite author. The book itself is in brand new condition. Paperback published in 1993, and given as a gift to someone in 2006 (who wrote his name on title page) but evidently never read it because the spine isn't broken and there are no dogeared pages. And I got it for 70 cents. Jim Roger's book "Hot Commodities" cost me only a penny. Amazon rocks!

Great investment classic. The one I love the most because it reads like a travel adventure with economics lessons sprinkled throughout the story. Jim and Tabitha go on a round the world motorcycle trip and Jim advises that people should open a foreign bank account to invest in a country's stock market although it is easier now since the book was written in 1990 to invest overseas without a bank account. A great business school lesson-and don't go to business school! warns Jim Rogers.

Jim Rogers rides his BMW motorcycle around the world with a hot babe, who also straddles hers, and lives to tell the tale. While Rogers is clearly an expert on stock buying, he has a lot to learn when it comes to geography. He goes out on a limb when he suggests that the Galapagos Islands were populated by a seismic sea wave, caused by a large earthquake in South America, that carried people out there in boats. If he knew anything about seismic sea waves he would know that they are undetectable to the average human, until, that is, they reach land. He tells us that Tihuanaco, the ruins of a pre-Columbian civilization in modern day Bolivia, is both "on top of the altiplano" and "covered in thick jungle." Which, Mr. Rogers. You can only choose one, for never the twain shall meet. There are also lots of tips on how to take motorcycles across international borders, in case you ever come to that stage, or how to scope out a country for "investment potential," before it even has so much as a stock market. He gives lots of tax advice, favoring taxing consumption over investments and savings. My favorite quote: "Someday the world will come to its senses and legalize drugs." He rails againts the Catholic church and how it slaughtered millions of indiginous Americans in the name of "Christ. And he correctly points out that the conquistadors of South America were not the heroes portrayed in history books, but better yet, "thugs." Mere human beings might even be a better term, capable of all that is great, and horrible, in Man. He also decries government subsidies, especially agricultural ones such as the US sugar subsidy. He again and again points out that the greatest economies--Japan, Germany, Singapore to name a few--"don't tax savings." The great capitalist that he is, Rogers spends a lot of time anylyzing Russia, and the former Soviet sphere, where he decries the lack of consumer choice in places such as Moscow, where there were perhaps "3 or 4 places where one could actually sit down and have a cup of coffee." Later, he mentions that people in Siberia had never ever "seen a flyswatter" and speculates on how much money could be made introducing them. But while Rogers is clearly always looking to develop, looking to make a buck, including bringing lots and lots of "tourists" to Antarctica, he also devotes several pages to wildlife viewing. He fails to address the issue of how he can reconcile his love of wild places, while promoting development of those same "wild places" at the same time. While Rogers is clearly a freemarket kind of guy, one could call him a neo-libertarian as he professes his faith in mankind and the free market (he marvels at engineering projects such as Itaipu dam on Brazil/Paraguay border and goes on about the "universal genious of man"), at the same time, and fortuantely so, he decries the heavy handed approach the USA has historically diplomatically wielded, and understands why many Latinos in the Southwest still consider themselves as living in parts of Mexico, and not Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California. Favorite quotes on America: "We sue at the first glitch," and "Our doctors are drowning in paperwork." Deranged Frenchmen wielding knives, Sahara panoramas, corrupt African officials, shady currency traders, the wide open vistas of Siberia, pounding surf of the Pacific, the seething jungles of equatorial Africa, snowcapped Andes, lamas, and much, much more. There are even a couple of appendices, one for the equipment they brought along, another for the places they stayed along the way. Four stars. Rick says chack it out.

Despite many comments in other reviews, this book is much, much, more than a travelogue...it is essential reading for all long term investors...moreover, it ought to be essential reading for all government officials who want to keep America great. After traveling around and seeing all these countries, it is hard to see how another human being could have acquired the scope of knowledge that Rogers now possesses...so his wisdom counts! Major lesson from this book include: 1)the major focus of government should be (besides defense, police, fire, etc.) to get out of the way and unleash the desire of the population to chase high return opportunities...but not to protect the population from competition 2)eliminate protectionism and subsides for all industries within the economy...allowing one's industries to take its lumps in the world wide competitive market...otherwise, those industries will not innovate to the degree needed to stay competitive on the world market 3)nothing in society is permanent...the most successful societies adapt to and embrace change and competition...the least successful ones--the ones that end up dying--reach a point of success...then get fat and happy and try to preserve their status at all costs 4)do NOT leave your finances in the hands of others...even Jim Rogers did this...and he had his money stolen out from under him!! 5)stable, long term relationships are invaluable...poor Jim travels around with this "young leggy blonde" (who my mom referred to as a "tart")...who he obviously loves...but who appears to have "hit the road" after the trip...too bad...

This is a great read, and interesting to review after 20+ years of history to determine whether Jim gets it right or wrong with some of his conclusions and recommendations. As an Australian, I found it interesting that he rode straight past (without mention) the world's largest iron ore province, I suppose because the price at the time barely covered extraction costs and China wasn't yet booming. His descriptions of many of his adventures don't make you wish you had been there with him, but all in all it is an informative and well narrated adventure story. I was fortunate enough to be able to launch straight into the sequel, Adventure Capitalist, for his updates on the experiences in this book. Generally, Jim writes easily and freely and at no point was there cause to nod off mid-page, and editing is excellent.

While in China for business one of my coworkers recommended this book. The author and a female friend traveled through China, as well as the rest of the world, on two BMW motorcycles. I am a cycle enthusiast so I wanted to see about their trip. The author is a self made millionaire and very stuck on himself, his opinions and his life. Why his female friend stayed with him I have no idea. But he does do a good job of descrbing the countries, the people and the conditions within which they survive. A good read. Would recommend it to other travelers.

This should be required reading for any economics course! (or for global investing ...of course ;) My eyes are opened. Jim has accomplished something that may never be repeated. He completed an amazing land journey through territories of every kind on earth. He experienced the people, the lifestyles, the local markets, the capital markets, the currency markets and the black markets of the world. His experience relates cause and effect of political and economic policies of over fifty countries. He has travelled our global economic history and laid it all down in an clear, concise and exciting text that will have you churning paper as you roar through it. I learned alot. I want more! Thank you!

Jim Rogers' recounting of his around the world motorcycle trip with his girlfriend "Tabitha" (I use quotation marks because I'm guessing that is not her actual name) is a great read. The author tells about most of the countries through which they traveled. His focus is on these key items: - Road conditions and interesting sites along the way (e.g., Great Wall, Sahara Desert, Trans-Siberian Railroad, Red Square, Congo River, Victoria Falls, etc.); - Investment climate in most countries; - World history and politics (his bachelor's degrees in these subjects - Yale and Oxford - are quite apparent and his tales are enlightening); - Motorcycle maintenance issues he and "Tabitha" encounter - A very healthy dose of his philosophy of economics: his distaste for socialist or communist (statist) governments and affection for market-based economies; - Many tales of the challenges of crossing international borders, especially in Asia, Africa, and South America; - Small amounts of insight into his relationship with "Tabitha." It is pretty clear to me that their relationship is sexual, but it is totally unclear to me if she is Paige Parker to whom he is currently married and who travels with him on a later, more extensive trip around the world (1999-2002); - The black market for all sorts of purposes, chiefly for currency exchange, but also for gasoline and other expendables. If you are catching my drift, I felt he tried to cover too much material. Clearly, he is a man of superior intellect, and I suspect he has a great deal to share and he doesn't feel inclined to hold back. The problem for me was just when I was focused on the road conditions in Siberia (or lack of roads), this theme does not carry forward. When you're biking around the world, road conditions would seem to be an imperative topic anywhere that they are problematic. But suddenly, he doesn't mention the roads for quite some time (distance) and you are learning about historic sites, war zones, "Tabitha's" pondering if she should continue the trip, or many other topics. I do recommend the book (purchased through Amazon--paperback), because I learned so much about so many varied topics. It is also a credit to Rogers that his economic predictions are often spot-on, even viewed with benefit of hindsight some twenty years after he wrote the book.

An excellent read. I found it a little difficult to get into for the first few pages but after that I found myself almost rationing myself to a single chapter or two at a time so as to prolong the enjoyment and ensure I got full value from Jim's observations. JR actually published the book in 1994 but the economic truths he tells are every bit as relevant today. He also makes some startling predictions too, several of which in the intervening period, are already taking shape __ I won't spoil JR's thunder by revealing them here but I can assure you that you will never think of national borders in the same away again. I immediately ordered JR's follow-up volume on the basis on Investment Biker. Enjoy!

Quando lessi Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders, ormai vari anni fa, il personaggio che più mi colpì e attrasse fu Jim Rogers, per me il più interessante fra i guru della finanza. In particolare quando diceva "Non capisco come si possa investire nell'acciaio americano senza capire cosa succede all'olio di palma malese. È tutto parte di un grande puzzle 3D in continuo cambiamento". In seguito mi è sempre piaciuto per i suoi commenti arguti su commodities e sui mercati, ma non immaginavo che fosse anche un eccellente scrittore e una persona così interessata ai viaggi. Trovo meravigliosa la sua apertura mentale in questo senso. Non sono sempre d’accordo con la visione di Rogers, ciò non toglie che la sua opinione non sia mai banale e certamente non allineata al mainstream, comunque stimolante da conoscere. Detto questo, il libro è godibilissimo a vale la pena di leggerlo, sia per le impressioni di viaggio sia per le considerazioni economiche e finanziarie. Lo stesso dicasi per Adventure Capitalist.

Jim Rogers is an Investor in International Stock Markets. He started his career as an Investment Banker along with the equally legendary George Soros, with whom he later founded the Quantum Fund. Investment Biker, his first book, is an account of his World Record holding 100,000 mile Motorcycle ride along with his friend Tabitha Estabrook through Six continents, in a span of 22 months. Along with a commentary on his journey, he gives us golden nuggets on International Investment, Local Cultures, Politics, Economics and The Art of Travel. The Whole Journey comprises of 4 Legs. The First leg is from Western Europe to Japan through China and back to Europe through Russia. The Second Leg is in Africa from Tunisia to Cape Town. The Third Leg is across Australia and New Zealand. The Final leg is from Tierra del Fuego, the Southern Tip of Argentina, to home in USA. The Riders Jim and Tabitha each have their own Motorcycles to cover this long journey. It is Tabitha’s maiden journey riding the motorcycle by herself. You have to imagine that when this journey took place (1990 to 1992), World was not that Travel Friendly. China was socialist, USSR was communist and there were no roads in these countries, except for in few cities. Africa was predominantly ruled by Dictators and Religious Extremists. There was, of course, no Mobile phone or internet or even GPS. Apart from this, the journey was a race against time and climate. They had to avoid winter in Siberia, summer in Sahara, rains in the Congo, winter in Argentina etc. In the travelogue part of the book, Jim Rogers gives us a detailed account of three aspects of each country, namely, Its Economy, Its people and The Infrastructure. As he is an active investor in these countries, we get a first hand account of the trails and tribulations of setting up trading accounts in these countries. He also talks about the Governments actions affecting the nation’s economy and currency, may it be through corruption or sheer lack of understanding of running a country. He further talks about the enterprising nature of people from various countries. Finally he gives us the sights that he sees during the journey which include the roads and buildings etc. or the lack of them. This book is important from an investor’s perspective because now a days, even when you are investing in a single stock market, companies themselves are going global. Especially in today’s times, the emerging markets are playing a much larger role in both production and consumption. Having a clear idea about various economies is an imperative. With this book, Jim Rogers cautions us with providing the finer things (which the numbers don’t show) that go into Researching a country for investment. This book should be read in the same spirit one would read, Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. This book does serve as an eye opener to International Markets.

No llego en las condiciones esperadas, en vez de nuevo llego un libro usado y maltratado Muy mala experiencia

Décrit au début des années 90 son tour du monde à moto remarquable à une époque où ce n'était pas encore à la mode mais c'est aussi un voyage dans le temps juste après la chute de l'URSS et Jim se manifeste comme un capitaliste dur qui adhère aux lois du marché comme des canons de l'église. On sait depuis que ce n'est pas aussi simple qu'il le fait paraître mais ça fait réfléchir quand-même. Je suis intéressé à lire ses autres livres pour voir si depuis il adapté ses opinions et de savoir ce qu'il pense des excès de notre temps.