Book Review - Adventure Capitalist by Jim Rogers

Yes, I know this book probably won't meet the needs of my target audience here. But I was so impressed with this story that I had to share it...

I met Jim Rogers, a self-made millionaire and very well-known hedge fund manager, at a conference recently, where he discussed his recent three-year trip around the world by car, which, not-so-coincidentally, was the topic of his book released last year. After hearing him speak, though, I knew I had to get my hands on this book.

Essentially, Rogers set off in January 1999 with his then-fiancee in a custom-built Mercedes-Benz (because around the world, almost every country, even those with dictators, have access to Mercedes parts) from country to country, visiting something like 120 nations by 2001. From what I understand, nobody else has done this before, by car at least.

It wasn't easy getting from place to place on many ocassions. Rogers and his fiancee (who becomes his wife by New Years 2000). Rogers details the many problems he had obtaining visas, getting past evil military regimes and even chartering ferrys in many continents to lug his car around. He seems to have unlimited cash for bribes, equipment, paperwork, auto parts, souvenirs and, when the time calls for it, investments in foreign countries.

You see, part of this book is about why some economies may be an excellent investment in the future and others will be terrible. Even if you're not the day-trader type, it's a compelling and thoroughly entertaining lesson in foreign investment.

There are also photos and tales about world travel that I, for one, would have never known about had I not read this book. He also has a website at http://www.jimrogers.com that nicely details his "millennium journey".

If it's not painfully clear by now, I highly enjoyed this particular book and would encourage others to pick it up. One of the best things, in any genre, I have read in ages.