Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers

I have been impressed for the last 20+ years by Jim's financial and economic analysis which has appeared on tv, the net and in various publications. However, this is the first of his books I have read and I was overwhelmed by his knowledge of the world and local economies which he interjected numerous times throughout the book as he discussed his challenging world wide motorcycle ride. I found his insights and future economic and political forecasts for various countries quite applicable to the current day experiences including many that have surfaced over the last 10+ years in the US and in the recent national elections. His view of how the world and the US will change going forward and the opportunities that will most likely be squandered are quite sobering. It is amazing that the book is over 20 years old.

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.

If you enjoy travelogues and investing, this is an excellent book. Jim Rogers has a nice down to earth writing style, and he skilfully matches investment insights and common sense with a visitors unbiased point of view to the countries he visits. For himself and his girlfriend to have been the first people to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle, is quite phenomenal. And as he quite rightly points out - when one rides/drives across a border, one gets a far better feel for the people, the economy, and the political climate than when flies in and has the full “tourist” experience. Even though the book is a bit dated as the trip was done in the early nineties, it is still an enjoyable and entertaining read, and many of Jim Rogers insights are just as valid today as they were then.

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...

Rogers does an excellent job of combining travel, history, investments, and political philosophy. Having been in a few of the out of the way countries he visited,the book brought back some memories. If you are a bit open minded, you do not have to agree with him on everything to get a great deal out of this book. For instance, you do not have to be a great fan of motorcycles to find this book fascinating. Strong fans of big government will probably have the most trouble with the book. I'll bet he and George Soros had some interesting political debates while they worked together. Unlike a few readers, I did find Rogers at all pompous.

This is an old book so it's really historical. The surprising thing is how wrong he was about so many things. This is a brilliant guy who understands the world better than most of us. Thoughout the book he makes a great number of predictions about emerging nations. Most are wrong. The one prediction he totally nailed though was the decline of the United States. Everything he predicted that would happen in the United States has, and it, happening.

I know this is an older book, and Rogers' life has gone in a different direction from when he wrote it, but the insight and observations are instructional and entertaining. I know nothing from the world of finance and investment, so I have people who help me, but I do know motorcycles and when I was loaned this book by a friend who does know the aforementioned, I read it and bought my own....along with one for me financially savvy son, who rides as well. An excellent read, even for those of us ignorant of the world of high stakes investment.

It just isn't very interesting. It's like visiting the Colosseum and being abruptly unimpressed, simply because, well, we can build something like that in a week now. I guess in the early 1990s people just didn't travel very much due to the cost and most of the world wasn't online. It is comforting to know that Jim Rogers, with all of the success he's had, is in general a terrible forecaster just like the rest of us.

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!

I have been impressed for the last 20+ years by Jim's financial and economic analysis which has appeared on tv, the net and in various publications. However, this is the first of his books I have read and I was overwhelmed by his knowledge of the world and local economies which he interjected numerous times throughout the book as he discussed his challenging world wide motorcycle ride. I found his insights and future economic and political forecasts for various countries quite applicable to the current day experiences including many that have surfaced over the last 10+ years in the US and in the recent national elections. His view of how the world and the US will change going forward and the opportunities that will most likely be squandered are quite sobering. It is amazing that the book is over 20 years old.

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.

If you enjoy travelogues and investing, this is an excellent book. Jim Rogers has a nice down to earth writing style, and he skilfully matches investment insights and common sense with a visitors unbiased point of view to the countries he visits. For himself and his girlfriend to have been the first people to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle, is quite phenomenal. And as he quite rightly points out - when one rides/drives across a border, one gets a far better feel for the people, the economy, and the political climate than when flies in and has the full “tourist” experience. Even though the book is a bit dated as the trip was done in the early nineties, it is still an enjoyable and entertaining read, and many of Jim Rogers insights are just as valid today as they were then.

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...

Rogers does an excellent job of combining travel, history, investments, and political philosophy. Having been in a few of the out of the way countries he visited,the book brought back some memories. If you are a bit open minded, you do not have to agree with him on everything to get a great deal out of this book. For instance, you do not have to be a great fan of motorcycles to find this book fascinating. Strong fans of big government will probably have the most trouble with the book. I'll bet he and George Soros had some interesting political debates while they worked together. Unlike a few readers, I did find Rogers at all pompous.

This is an old book so it's really historical. The surprising thing is how wrong he was about so many things. This is a brilliant guy who understands the world better than most of us. Thoughout the book he makes a great number of predictions about emerging nations. Most are wrong. The one prediction he totally nailed though was the decline of the United States. Everything he predicted that would happen in the United States has, and it, happening.

I know this is an older book, and Rogers' life has gone in a different direction from when he wrote it, but the insight and observations are instructional and entertaining. I know nothing from the world of finance and investment, so I have people who help me, but I do know motorcycles and when I was loaned this book by a friend who does know the aforementioned, I read it and bought my own....along with one for me financially savvy son, who rides as well. An excellent read, even for those of us ignorant of the world of high stakes investment.

It just isn't very interesting. It's like visiting the Colosseum and being abruptly unimpressed, simply because, well, we can build something like that in a week now. I guess in the early 1990s people just didn't travel very much due to the cost and most of the world wasn't online. It is comforting to know that Jim Rogers, with all of the success he's had, is in general a terrible forecaster just like the rest of us.

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!

This is one of those books everyone should read. Lessons ranging from history to personal life, from macro to micro economics and massive insights on investing. It is amazing how the greatest investors have very simple strategies and Jim Rogers is certainly one of them.

I almost stopped reading this book at about the half way point as it seemed to be solely about Jim's account of his travels with little investing insight. I decided to finish since I generally like Jim and his insight and found the remainder of the book to have a little more insight into what he looks for when investing in a new country/market. The irony is that he seems to have invested or planned to invest in many of the places he went. I wish there would have been a little discernment with his investing so that small dollar investors could better use some of the same logic to make winning decisions. I gave a four star rating as I enjoy travel, motorcycles, and investing. Overall not his best book, but an interesting read.

Fantastic book. Rogers does an admirable job of blending his obvious smarts about finance, economics and history with a book that mostly reads like a travel diary. I was in awe and humbled by the sheer intellect reflect in his insights and appreciative of his willingness to share them with this readers. Never a dull moment and an incredible opportunity to delve into the mind of one of finance's brightest.

I am very happy I did buy this book. It really opens your eyes, about the world and why things happen. Very educational and informative, and also very enjoyable to read as if you were on the journey together. Not only it's good for investors like me but for everyone who loves history.

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!

I love travel, I love investments. This book is more of an Indiana Jones travel adventure book, but Jim Rogers has some amazing macro economic insights in the countries he visits. This book changed the way I view the "free market" and "protectionism".

Well, Jim Rogers took quite a journey on his cycle, with his woman of the day, around the world and some 60,000 miles doing it. He had a number of hair-raising adventures here and there. And, he also reported on markets and investment possibilities here and there. A good read for a traveler and/or a investor.

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.

Loved this book. Allot of advice.

If you are interested in world travel or investing, you’ll love this book. Jim’s style of writing and observations are delightful.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and what a gift it has been. To see the world, so very much of it, through a very clear thinking financial expert is very impressive. To see how the human spirit, social/economic structures all merge together to create growth or completely inhibit it no matter what country or culture... a very clear understanding of the mess the world is in from a financial perspective. All leaders ought to read this and understand it.

Well, people hardly need to hear recommendations for a bestseller from 20 years ago. While many of his comments about the USSR are now obviously out of date, it's very interesting to see what Rogers finds interesting, both there and in Africa. His blind spots are enormous, but there's no doubting the perspectives he brings. Lightly recommended

I just read this again after 20 years. I now realize that this is the perfect gift for my youngest son, as he enters business school. Won't he be surprised! He wants an iPhone... But, you can't find this kind of education in any business school. In all my years in finance, there are only a handful of sources of unfettered truth. Jim Rogers removes the shackles and blinders and gives us a view of the economic World with eyes wide open.

Not bad some of the places he visit were kind of boring but he threw in good stories to keep it some what interesting. Seems like all his books have the same theory on his beliefs. But its a good read I enjoyed it.

Interesting story. As much or more about investing as motorcyclling. Gives insight into the thought processes of a successful investor. The motorcycles used are on display in the Barber museum located east of Birmingham, Alabama (Leeds, Al.).

gives you a reality about foreign countries and easily explains a lot about why things happen financially around the world --inspires you to have an adventure too:)

I liked this so much that I read the book first and then bought the audio version. Sometimes I play back sections of the book to deepen my understanding of the countries mentioned. The material is a bit dated, since this was published more than ten years ago, but Jim Rogers has a great way of demystifying the markets for us laymen.

It's a WHOLE lot about the workings of the other side of the world that we in America are shielded from. Poor in Africa is a different scenario than poor in the states.

Just awesome... a great window into the mind of a brilliant investor wrapped in a great story of matching his personal ambitions with his investing goals.

I ordered the book on April 5th and I got it on April 8th. I have to say it was really really great!! The condition of the book is fine with me and the price is very good! I think I got a great deal. The shipping time was really quick! Above all, I give it four star for my shopping experience for this book! I just love it when I can get my product quickly!!!

This was a gift, but I had nothing in common with the author's "quest,"

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.

It reads smoothly. The story of the trip itself is interesting, but what I liked the most was the way Jim R. analyzes in a simple language the reasons behind the rise and fall of the different countries he travel through, and his predictions, that by a fair number where fulfilled.

Reading this in 2015 you'd realize how much of a fortune teller Jim Rogers is. The trick, it seems, is to do enough homework before visiting a country so you know what exactly to look out for when evaluating a country's investing potential. Fantastic and exciting read.

It's lot of fun to travel around the world with Jim Rogers and listen to him describe the world and fulminate against the folly of governments. It's also fun to think about the things he got right and the things he got wrong (US exchange controls by 2000, for instance) and consider why he thought what he did and how things actually unfolded. He advocates getting out and living your dream; sound advice, that. He also predicts that Clinton will be the last Democrat ever elected an American president because of irresponsible policies pursued for eight decades, and the collapse of our society because the Republicans aren't fundamentally any better. Certainly with that hanging over your head, you'd be much better off going for a bike ride.

Not a ton of investment advice, and definitely no specifics. Jim Rogers tries more to open up readers eyes to a more global perspective. His knowledge of history, finance, economics, and political affairs allows him to give some really interesting insight into the cultures he visits.

Great reading

excellent

Good look into China without hype.

An essential book for anyone who wants to strike out on their own.

Like it. Easy to read. Entertaining. Perfect.

Such a fun read. Thanks Jim!

great story, even if you don't like motorcycles or currency markets

Nice product and good service.

I dare you not to love this book. It is a real eye opener. Enjoy where you live and see if you still do when you get back from this ride. Very educational and it keeps you hooked.

Must read

What an adventure! Rogers does a great job describing life on a motorcycle on a trip most of us can only dream about.

Best reading I have done in many years. What a book from history to adventure. Jim Rogers is a great writer. Maybe even better than his investing talents. One of the few people I would like to meet.

Everything as expected

Hard to put down - high adventure.

Another good Rogers book.

Waited years before it was time for me to read this book. Wish I had done it sooner. Eye opening and fun little romp around the globe at a very interesting period in history.

Great read and insights into investing into emerging stocks and emerging markets not only as a financial investor but also as a business man

Good read

love it

In addition to being a great read, it taught me about carrying local currency and how to use it to deal with local "officials."

Enjoyed this account very much, especially the detailed recounting of the things that went wrong and how he fixed them. traveling along in my armchair was a treat.

Everybody should read this book. This is a practical book on Econ 101. Travel with a purpose. I love this guy's writing.

I really enjoyed this book even though it can be a bit repetitive in places regarding investment and market viewpoints.

A tale of adventure with insight and ideas. Great read, funny and engaging. Always enjoy his work, and his tales of a remarkable life.

I am a big fan of anyone who takes risks with their own money and becomes successful with a technique that works. But a story just about finance probably would not be as interesting as this incredible and exciting adventure packed book about Jim Rogers and his romantic companion Tabitha. Not many people would decide to get on a motorcycle and go around the world--but then again, the same adrenaline induced desire to push beyond mortal limits is what also enabled Jim Rogers to do so well on the financial markets. This book reads like an a great adventure where you are going around the world with Jim Rogers and hearing his social, historical, and political analysis of the countries that he is visiting. Jim Rogers is a libertarian who believes government should have a limited role in the economy and to let people develop their own comparative advantage--whatever it is. Culture plays a major part of why some countries do better than others as well. Mr. Rogers was way ahead of the game when he noticed that China looked very promising. An important lesson that one should gather from Mr. Rogers is that it is a good idea to do one's own economic research. You can only gather so much information from the Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, and other publications. It is far better to actually find out what you can on your own. You are likely to discover things before other people do, and it can turn out to be rather profitable. We should all strive to partake in amazing adventures like Mr. Rogers. Thanks, Mr. Rogers, for sharing your adventure with us!

This book paints the story of a guy and his girl-friend as they rode their motorcycles around the world around the year 1990. Along for the ride, you'll read a unique and very detailed anecdotal description of the back waters of China, the USSR, Africa and Latin America. Sure, it's dated by now, but for that reason the book is valuable. If you want to understand how the world is changing, you really need to know how things used to be. This book supplies that. Unfortunately, the writer has very strong ideological views of the role of the state as impediment in driving economic development. He's often scornful of people with whom he might disagree. While he's great at describing what he sees right in front of him, his preconceived ideas and shakey grasp of history in general make for suspect analysis. But that's ok because you are an intelligent reader and can separate the wheat from the chaff. Read this book with a tiny grain of salt, learn and enjoy.

From March of 1990 to August of 1992, Jim Rogers and his friend Tabitha took a marathon motorcycle trip on two BMW motorcycles. By the end, they had logged over 65,000 miles on each bike, and had traveled through Europe, the Middle East, Nepal, China, Siberia, Russia, Europe (again), western & southern Africa, three-quarters of the edge of Australia, South America, Central America, and North America. The record of this extraordinary trip, told from the perspective of Jim Rogers, is _Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers_. Jim Rogers made a fortune on Wall Street in the 1980s when he & George Soros ran the Quantum Fund. He is interested in international investing, and the story is definitely told from the perspective of someone who is interested in investing and making money. This sometimes makes the book slow and Rogers' focus a bit single-minded. On the positive side, Rogers gives brief historical backgrounds of most of the places he visits, and he is one of those few authors who describes not just what a place is like right now, but what direction it seems to be going. As he goes through various locales, he often stops by local banks and stock markets to see if he can invest, but he also stays are regular places, eats regular food, and talks to regular people. It is clear that his large cash reserves made the trip much easier than it might have been otherwise, but at the same time many of the risks, adverse conditions, and long days were things that no amount of cash could help, and he & Tabitha still persevered. One of the things I liked a lot about this book were Rogers' observations about the people and countries along the way. His discussion about health (especially women's health) in Siberia was eye-opening and hair-raising, his observations about the historical economics and current vivacity of different Southern & Central American countries are thought provoking, and his comments about the difference in temperament between those in the capitals of the U.S. and Canada ("joiners and backslappers") versus those in the sparsely settled hinterlands ("loners and mavericks") are very true. There are parts of the book where it is quite slow, especially the section where they are traveling through sub-Saharan Africa. I really wish there had been more pictures. Rogers writes that above almost all else, his trip taught him that mankind as a whole will find a way to adapt and persevere in almost any situation. His long-term outlook is very optimistic, but his short-term expectations are both pessimistic and a bit short-sighted. While Rogers does understand just how quickly the world can change, he does not seem to understand how long the countervailing force of inertia can keep things the same. All in all, a very eye-opening & thought-provoking book. DON'T read it if you are looking for a 100% guaranteed guide to either travel or investing, but DO read it if you are looking for an engaging story about a multi-year trip that most of us would never have the time or inclination for, but that is still fun to read about.

I have just returned from several weeks in South America, visiting Buenos Aires, Santiago, Patagonia and the desert region of northern Chile. Relating my trip to someone, prompted them to recommend Jim Rodgers book to me and after reading, "Investment Biker", allow me to recommend it to you. If you travel, want to travel or would be just as happy to simply read about traveling and avoid all that packing...this book is for you. In 1989, Jim Rodgers and his girl friend, set off to travel on motorcycles around the world. The globe is Mr. Rodgers neighborhood for the next two years. They cross the Sahara, Siberia, float down The Congo River on a barg. Along the way, Jim makes observations about the economic health or lack of it in the areas they visit. He made a fortune in the comodities market so, he knows from whence he speaks. I loved the ride. I plan on reading his follow up, "Adventure Capitilist". Ten years later, he makes the journey in a souped up Mercedes . Beep Beep.

If you have had the misfortune to read Rogers' “Adventure Capitalist” in which he described a car ride round the world then you will know what to expect from this earlier work when he whizzed – or wheezed depending on the conditions in deserts and jungles – around the globe on a motorbike. One can't help but admire him for doing so although it would have been nice to think that during these endless rides across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America, he might have been humble enough to accept that the whole world can't be summed up in a soundbite that capitalism is the best system known to man and “statism” (his favorite word) is bad. Jim, if you read this, believe me you are not responsible for the state of the world and you don't always need to have an instant answer to the problems it faces, particularly those facing developing countries. Nor do you have to insult people from different cultural backgrounds and denigrate their countries simply because there is no hot water for the Rogers family or the hotels are awful and corruption is rife. When you have long gone, they will have to continue enduring these hardships. You are not Donald Trump. The world is not centered on Jim Rogers, believe it or not. Still it was marginally better than “Adventure Capitalist”.

Jim Rogers is unusual for somebody who has made a lot of money on Wall Street. He sees money as a means, not an end in itself. He therefore "retires" at 37yo but does not just sit back and spend his wealth. He picks up a motorbike (actually two, one for his girlfriend too) and travels the world for years, writing a fascinating account of what he sees and whom he meets. And he does not go to posh cities in the developed world but crosses all of China (at a time when hardly anyone did), the Soviet Union, Africa, Latin America. He takes his chances in his quest to understand the world. His political, philosophical and economic analyses are sometimes brutal, and sometimes simplistic, but he does provide food for thought. Often, he turns out to be right! This is a unique book about a unique man, and highly recommended to adventure travel buffs!

A fun romp around the world on a motorcycle with quick insights into the many different countries along the way. After reading this book i would seriously consider overland biking the world myself! It's hard not to be impressed reading about his forays through the Congo, the Sahara, Siberia, the Australian outback and Asia minor. Unfortunately, the author comes across as self-promotional and a touch arrogant at the outset of the book (not helped by the fact he's brought a young blonde along for the ride!) but by the end of the book you realize he's just a big kid who's been lucky and made some good decisions over his life. It would help if he was a touch more humble and self-effacing but that shouldn't diminish the sense of wonderlust one can get from his books. On the road Rogers shares his insights on the economies and investment potential of the countries he travels through. His thinking on macro investing is refreshingly simple and effective and no part of the book is a drudge to read. One soon gets a feel for his consistent common-sense approach to investing and as a result it becomes easier and easier to trust his opinion as the book goes on. I would highly recommend this book to both investors-who-don't-travel and travelers-who-don't-invest. If you like both, it's a no-brainer!

Jim Rogers is a Sinophile who loves criticizing America while turning a blind eye to communist China's human rights violations all because he lives for his god....money. Won't buy this trash.

Hitching an epic motorcycle journey a couple of years after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War, Rogers along with his compatriot hit every imaginable land in search of cultural knowledge and investment opportunities. From the wild provinces of Western China, to the even wilder war-torn regions of the central Congo, as well as the drug-sponsored army bandits of Columbia, there is no land left untouched by this remarkable journey. Adapting to the ever-changing political and environmental whims of his locales, Rogers ingeniously and dangerously circumvents life-threatening situations with the skill of a rational Alabama raised, Ivy League educated economist. The opportunities present for cultural knowledge as well as great financial returns are beautifully yet anecdotedly chronicled here. If only I could attain the multifold footnotes, endnotes, and journalistic field reports in total. Highly recommended for anyone interested in international investing opportunities as well as worldly knowledge. Plus there's a follow-up 13 years later.

This is one of my favorite books. I learned a lot about the world by reading it. I have read it multiple times. Jim uses a unique economic school of thought in his analysis of the world, which I found very enjoyable and enlightening. His thinking process is unique to him but is similar to the Austrian School of economics. This appears to have bothered some of the other readers, but I found it to be very different than what you get in American mainstream economic theory. It is also much more useful. I found the book to be an easy read, a constant flow of interesting insights and adventure. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in international travel, working abroad or even immigrating to another country.

I saw the bikes used in this journey at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Alabama. While I have done some touring on two wheels, I was awed by the accomplishment of Rogers, and I decided to read his account of the trip. The parts in the book that are devoted to motorcycling fascinated me, and I enjoyed his discussion of the various cultures he and his friend saw first hand. What surprised me was the amount of the book that is devoted to economics and investing. That can be fascinating as well, but it is a bit dated, as the trip happened in the mid-nineties. This book is still worth reading, but I wish it had been a bit more about biking and a bit less about investing.

This is a travel book, not a financial book, period. It's 90% travel to 10% international finance/investment 101. And it's interesting because Jim gives us a glimpse of the current, recent and distant-pasts of these exotic and intriguing places he visits on his motorcycle journey which spanned 22 months. He didn't look up influential people in the places he visited. He writes about his conversations and experiences from people he "bumped into" during his trip. That's where one learns what a place is really like. He also "put his bike down" a couple of times, and spent a lot of time wrenching on it. He's no schlep. A success on Wall Street, he has a lot of knowledge about many different parts of the world in a historical, and "future possiblility" sense in the political, economic, and cultural context. Because his experiences on this journey, which comprise this book were penned in the early 1990s, the reader can: see if Jim was right about his take on the future of these nations. Overall he's on track. For example, the rise of Islamic extremism in poor Islamic countries that have been left behind in the technological advances and globalization of the planet. Religious resurgences in the former Soviet republics, the lack of common sense and wastefulness of the communistic system, and the then-and-now shrinking of our world via telecommunications, freer international trade, regulations, technology, and business/trade agreements. For the ten-percent of the book that discusses general international investment, for the layman he discusses U.S. Gold and monetary policy, that are short and easy to read, as well as basic Monetary policy and Macro-economic functions. How does someone buy and sell currency? What do folks look for when the invest in a nation? Why do some countries have currency and foreign exchange controls? And, what are the positives and negatives of these monetary policies? One historical insight Jim noted on his long trek across Russia and the former Soviet republics on his bike is that communism and Stalin in the Soviet Union were greatly helped by the invasion of Germany in WWII. Hypothetical of course, but what if Germany hadn't attacked the USSR which led to the deaths of 1/6th of the Soviet population? The invasion, loss of life, hardship and subsequent "heroic" victory helped the USSR substantially. In addition to defeating the Germans, the Soviet's victory meant the subjugation of Eastern Europe, which enabled it to extract its resources and industries which the USSR didn't immenselyviously this helped Stalin tyrannical. How long would Stalin's tyannical murder spree, with his own people starving in the 1920s, have lasted with out it? His forever-lasting economic policies were not sound, as we found out in 1991. With the subsequent victory in '45, he was a "hero." The glue that held this multi-ethnic and geographically gargantuan empire together until is collapse in 1991. Many of his insights about where the U.S. economy and culture are headed are worthy of being considerate of. In the last several decades the U.S. currency has lost a full 1/3 of its value. Why? What is the result, both good and bad? Find out here. Jim also notes, from a rational investor standpoint that the American economy is past its glory days, and like every other nation or culture in history it will diminish in the same likes of the British and Roman Empires as examples. According to Jim, it has already begun. The world changes. Demographics change. Cultures and populations change over time. Our world and its history culturalism and not static. Multi-cultralism: good, right? Wrong. We simply don't know. It hasn't worked anywhere else in the world. It may very well (or may not) cause a lot of problems in the United States in the future after we're dead. Multi-culturalism is a natural demographic historical process that has affected, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, Italy, Rwanda, Switzerland, Nigeria, China, Canada, and Latin America (among many more). Americans are too myopic to realize what ethnic, linguistic, and geographical "nationalism" can become over decades and centuries. He points out correctly the deep similarities of the folks in Alaska, the Yukon Territories, and Pacific Northwest in the U.S. What does the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have in common with DC and Ottawa? Not much. But they do have much in common with each other. He explained some international investment and financial models, so the layman can understand what he's saying. It's a presursor to an International finance/investment Intro class. This is why it's not a financial book. Many of his friends at "Worth" and "Money" magazine, and Wall Street (even Peter Lynch), gave a sound-bite for this book. But it won't attract the type of folks who'd read it, because it's a Travel Book and travelers read travel books, not investment books (generally speaking). So, why is Lynch's "Beating the Street" put in the same category as "Investment Biker?" Because the person in charge apparantley hasn't studied much Marketing.... He's gotta a biker-like name, Jim Rogers. He's wearing a leather jacket and chaps and has a smile on his face in the company of a good looking girlfriend. After he returned home from this trip, he drove his motorbike to Alaska. He's a biker at heart and schrewd investor in mind. Jim and Pirsig out to get together. Boy, wouldn't that be a book?

Jim Rogers took this trip and wrote this book in the very early 1990's, so you don't want to read it for specific investment advice. Rogers is not really a travel guy either nor is he a particularly good writer, so don't look here for travel guidance or entertainment. What useful travel information can a rich dude with a pocketful of platinum credit cards share with an ordinary Joe on a budget? No, what you want to remember here is that this is the guy who with George Soros in 1970 established the Quantum Fund, the first really international fund, which in the first ten years, gained 3400% while the S&P gained 50%. Rogers retired at 38 in 1980 and started his peripatetic second incarnation. If you're into bikes and babes, and who isn't, you'll enjoy this enjoy this tale of toil and bike maintenance. But what you really want to look for are Rogers' insights as to change, flux, as the only real constant you can count on. Don't believe that you can count forever on the world looking like it does now. Don't even count on the United States looking as it does now. That's long term. Shorter term you can expect evolution, some rapid, some more rapid, in countries and markets all over the globe. Looking back, he didn't get it all right. But he got quite a bit of it right. The rise of China, the collapse of our economy under its own weight of debt. Rogers is still going, still traveling and writing. Now he's sold out his home and his dollars and moved to Singapore. He's still predicting, pontificating, patronizing. He may be a bit hard to take. Chronic winners always are. But we could do a whole lot worse than to keep one eye on Rogers for a clue as to our own economic and financial future. If he comes across a bit arrogant, I supposed he is entitled.

This book is Robert Pirsig meets George Soros. Jim Rogers, gazillionaire of Quantum Fund fame, takes you on a riding and investing adventure around the world. During his travels you'll learn a little about local culture, a little about Jim's investment philosophy (go to where they allow open flows of money - just get there before everyone else) and a little about investment tips. Much of this would be great to have learned 7 or 8 years ago. Indeed, the book sparked my interest in working abroad. If you enjoyed his later work, Adventure Capitalist, you're sure to like this too. The only knock is that many of his observations are now dated, as his pessimism has grown over time. (Examnple: He's not so bullish on Turkey and parts of Latin America.)

When I read Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders, now several years ago, the character who most impressed me and I was attracted to was Jim Rogers, in my opinion the most interesting among the finance guru. Later I often liked him for his witty comments on commodities and markets, but I did not imagine he was also an excellent writer and a person so interested about traveling. I find his open-mindedness in this regard just wonderful. I do not always agree with Rogers’ vision, the fact remains that his opinion is never trivial and certainly not aligned with the mainstream. And other times I fully share his thoughts. Having said this, the book is enjoyable and worth reading, both for travel impressions and for economic and financial considerations. The same applies to Adventure Capitalist.

I found the book very interesting as the legendary investor Jim Rogers told the story of his travel around the world in a motorbike. He describes different countries with their different landscapes, culture and forms of government and he adds a lot of insightful observations about economy and philosophy. As the travel took place about 20 years ago it's also a good way to go back in time and learn about the recent world history. Very entertaining and educational.

This is one of the finest book ever written on anything. Jim Rogers is a man of action, a living Indiana Jones. He does what he says. Granted many people write on Finance, Business, Travels. However, virtually all wrote from the "ivory tower pinhead" perspective by professor who have never worked anywhere, built a business or personally been to all the places they write about. Jim Rogers has "been there" "done that" This is no easy task when you got 10 credit cards, BMW bike, and beautiful woman half your age and five inches taller than you. The very fact that he survived the trip and live to write about it is a miracle. Jim Rogers took the 2000 tour of the world. ...P>Jim travels to China, Russia, Africa and South America and talks to the business people there and get firsthand knowledge of what's going on. No "ivory tower pinhead" here. He been there and done that. ... This is surly one of the greatest business and travel books ever written. All should buy and read.

I read this a few years ago and gave it to someone who has enjoyed motorcycles and has been investing for years. We both gained from reading it. I don't bike and am relatively new to investing, but both of us found the adventure yarn interesting and a good way to get a better appreciation of world economies. An easy entertaining way to gain an understanding of what differentiates the successful (macro and micro) from the types that will always be in survival mode.

This is easily one of the top 10 best investing/finance books that I've ever read. I would rank it right up there with other classics such as Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, the Market Wizards series by Schwager, etc. Rogers gives you a historical, social, financial and political perspective on the world that you won't get elsewhere. He lives in the world of how things are, rather than how we hope they should be. He has the ability to step back from the crowd, analyze a situation, compare it to historical tendencies and make logical investment decisions. For example, when the Japanese market in the early 90's went from 40,000 to 30,000 he was asked if now is the time to buy. He saw on the front page of a newspaper that golf memberships were still selling for a million dollars. It didn't sound like much of a bottom to him (the market now is at 11,000). (Similar comparisons could be made about the US market now) I also really enjoyed the travel stories (border crossings, bribing guards, adventures in Africa, romance in the Sahara, the famous bird market in China). The book has everything. High finance, intrigue, romance, history, remote and distant lands, ancient cultures. Truely, a trip of a lifetime!

I expected more information in this book instead it seems to be one that strokes the ego of Jim Rogers. I did not listen to the entire book I was lost in too many useless details of his travels and girlfriends.

This book is a motivator. It encourages the reader to get out and do something with his/her life that he/she always wanted to do. It's a good travel book and reminded me about lots of geographical things I forgotten. It also pointed out lots of interesting cultural differences one could expect to find in this world.

Having found economics difficult to understand, Jim Rogers is able to make sense of it all. One can see how he developed his investing style. Substance over hype. Reality over "if only". For someone of his stature to have traveled the world, including some very undeveloped areas, is truly remarkable. A tale well told.

Rogers made a bundle in Wall Street and then takes some time off to travel the world on a motorcycle with his girl friend. He starts in Ireland on 28 March 1990 and finishes in San Francisco on 31 August 1992, 65,067 miles later. This isn't just an around the world motorcycle journey but a look at the current state and future direction of world economies. If you have read Dave Barr's Riding the Edge, Barr goes around the world on a dollar a day while Rogers does it on a thousand dollars a day. He even buys a new bike for his girl friend in Japan to finish the trip because her old one wouldn't make it. Even though this isn't a "how-to" book it does give a little more advise then Barr's book.

As a BMW motorcyclist and long-distance touring afficionado, I found the book diverting as a travelogue. However, it became annoying as a the author's self promotion, not only professionally but personally, began to intrude. Mr. Rogers siezed every opportunity to remind us that his travelling companion, Ms. Estabrook, was not merely a platonic friend. This apparently needed to be alluded to often, as she had thoughtfully prepared for the journey by actually taking motorcycle repair classes, and would probably otherwise have been mistaken for a mechanic rather than a tootsie. By way of example, he helpfully lists "birth control pills" rather than the boringly generic "prescription medications" in his travelers' packing checklist appendix. If Viagra had been available at the time, one wonders if it would have merited special mention as well?

The Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Roger would not have been a book I would have chosen to read on my own but, after being assigned to it I would recommend it to those interested in world economy, travel and BMW motorcycles. One follows Roger around the world on his 22-month expedition of six continents and numerous economies and societies. Along with his girlfriend, Tabitha, Roger, a Wall Street legend, entertains with antecedents from his trip, while giving valuable insight of each economy he comes across. Roger is known from revitalizing the "Sleeping Beauty" that is the Austrian stock market. Over the 65,067 miles traveled BMW motorcycles and thousands more by boat, plane and train, Roger experiences first hand global societies, international economies and how they are seceding and failing around the world.

The book was a gift. I probably wouldn't have bought it even though I am a cross contry motorcycle rider myself. After about 50 pages I put it down, but when I again picked it up weeks later, I was totally absorbed. Riding a motorcycle around the world is enough for a book, but throw in the wisdom of the seasoned international investor on the foreign markets he visited along with his personal observations of the curtural and economic aspects of these nations, and it is worthwhile reading. Building block by block he constructs the economic model for the collapse of the United States based on ancient and modern history.

I have read dozens of books on investments, and so far, this book is the best I have ever read. Comparing with Peter(Lynch) and Warren (Buffett), Jim Rogers' style will generate much higher return over the years, simply because he invests abroad, and there are more opportunities abroad (at least in the next a few decades or so). Peter and Warren are good investors, but Jim Rogers is much better. This book should be a must read for anyone who is serious in investing. Using Warren's words, "The intrinsic value of the book is well above its listed price. Therefore, this book is seriously undervalued." :)

Investment Biker: 1-1/2 stars, just barely escapes the lowest possible rating. This is a book about what a Tom Wolfe-style Master of the Universe does on holiday. It's nearly impossible to have an "adventure" when you are carrying 10(!) platinum credit cards. He got cold and wet a few times, worried about finding gas, didn't always have hotel rooms up to his standards, and had delays at some borders, yawn. The adventure must have been resisting the urge to buy an airline ticket back to New York using one of his many Visa cards. I rode a bicycle around the world for 19 months at about the same time Mr. Rogers was having his "adventure." I am stunned that he perceived so little in his long travels. I don't know how someone could travel in foreign countries that extensively and end up completely unchanged by the experience. However, this fits perfectly with his huge arrogance, which is truly the theme of the book. He already knows it all and will tell you all about it. Which makes one wonder: why did he bother to leave NY City in the first place? I guess it was a good opportunity to pose with and boink the attractive and young (naive and pliable? -- certainly lubricious) daughter of one of his clients. And a good opportunity to pump himself up by feeling superior to all those "brown faces" he's driving through. The arrogance, the arrogance! Typical privileged, right-wing know-it-all. I'd like to see him try to survive in the Peruvian highlands without all his money and fancy equipment. This is not a travel book: Mr. Rogers uses his trip as a way to sell a long economic rant. You can save yourself a lot of time by just reading his final chapter, "Afterword." I will summarize his position: governments are bad; smart, rich guys like me are good (remember October 1929? OR SEPT 2008??). Many of his predictions are laughably wrong. He advocated selling the US economy short in 1993. Look at the US stock market performance from 1993 through 2000 ... Gosh! Idiot! Some reviews are touting his prescience on markets. Hello? How about his predictions on the biggest economy in the world? Mr. Rogers' writing is very poor and it's loaded with cliche's. He and Tabitha are always zooming on "powerful steeds" into "gorgeous scenery", or "steep, craggy mountains" into "glitzy, glamorous hotspots" or "delightful, cozy hostels", or across "hot, empty, flat deserts" into "dumps" that are not up to American standards. He'll "describe" one of the greatest mountain chains on earth, the Andes, as "the top of the world" (p. 315) for five short sentences and then move on to more important matters like further adventures with border guards and investing. Great writing? Rubbish! I think he used a computer program to come up with his "descriptions" of the places he went. Mr. Rogers is woefully ignorant about the places he goes - and he doesn't learn anything along the way. He views the world exclusively through the keyhole of economics. Most of the "interesting facts" he mentions about theses places are just wrong. One indicative example: He describes the Moreno Glacier in Argentina as, "one of the few in the world still moving." (p. 294) I found myself laughing out loud many times at his "facts" and descriptions. If you want to understand the distribution of goods in the world, read "Guns, Germs, and Steel," by Jared Diamond. If you want to read about a real motorcycle trip, read Ted Simon's "Jupiter's Travels," or Robert Fulton's, "One-Man Caravan." For good travel books, try: "Seven Years in Tibet" (Harrer), "News from Tartary" (Fleming), "Arabian Sands" (Thesiger), "Gypsy Moth Circles the World" (Chichester), "Sailing Alone Around the World" (Slocum), "Motoring With Mohammed" (Hanson), "Full Tilt" (Murphy), "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" (Newby), or "Eastern Approaches" (MacLean) "My Life with the Eskimo" (Stefansson), "Endurance" (Lansing). I could go on and on. "Investment Biker" is poorly-written drivel compared to all these and so many more. "Investment Biker," a classic? That's ridiculous. From another review: "Greatest Book on Finance, Business, Travels Ever" That comment almost leaves me speechless. Obviously written by someone who has read very few travel books indeed.

Investment Biker is a fascinating book for anyone interested in biking, world history, or economics. It's one of those you hate to put down, as you are eager to see what challenges Jim and his friend were to encounter next. It's a wonder they survived, but thank God they did!

I'm an avid motorcyclist as well as a business professional and I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. If you're planning a long bike trip, I strongly recommend it - gives you insight into what unexpected things could crop up as well as ideas about planning. I also found the book quite motivational - made me want to take the bull by the horns (no stock market pun intended..) and enjoy life a bit more. I'll be reading it again shortly since it's been a while. If nothing else, it will get you excited about planning an adventure of your own.

Reading the book now might be even better than reading it after it first came out. Enough time has passed for one to judge the accuracy of his predictions. I have found his predictions to be pretty accurate. I look forward to reading everything thing that this man ever writes in the future. For a preview on Rogers' excellent writings search out his web site!

This just a great book.Period. Have read it twice. I keep wondering when his second book will (if ever) come out. I would recommend it to anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you like exciting travel stories and great investment advise and insight- this is THE book.

Highly recommended. Undestand the basics on it to develop a succesful approach in investments. Follow the principles shown here by many succesful worldwide investors.

The author, Jim Rogers, is a international investor and bike adventurer. By reading this book, through the author's eyes you can experience a graet world bike adventure. In this tour, you are going to see natives' lives and cultures in those countries, even to understand those and world economics, for as a investor on the bike the author observes those areas in detail from many viewpoints. It's interesting and useful to read this book, by which you can enjoy a world bike adventure and study economics.

Summary from my full length review - Good travel book with many interesting stories. The unique blending of Jim Rogers' opinion about each country from the investment angle adds substance to the stories. An overall good read.

It's a wonderful mixture of travel diary, practical tips for serious adventurers, investment and financial information, and history, culture and ethics review of the regions through which this incredible couple has travelled. It is written with humor, self-distance, and a healthy dose of down-to-earth practicality, and Jim Rogers amazes with his in-depth insight knowledge of areas far beyond conventional financing.

I bought the book (in 1996) because I was interested about world traveling. My intention was to make a world tour by motorcycle and idea was to read how Mr. Rogers had done his trip and maybe to get some ideas. But the book was a total disappointment (wasting of money). Firstly disappointed to the layout of the book. A few hundreds of pages in the book, but if I remember correctly, just eight photos - black and white! Another reason was that I think I could notice the writer having some arrogant attitudes towards local cultures and people. Well, he's a rich man, possibly he thinks he can buy anything with his money. I expected more description of the local cultures and things they experienced on their almost-2-year-tour. I can say that I didn't learn anything new from his book, nor didn't bother to read it completely. I did my world tour by MC in July 1997 - October 1999....

A superb travel book about the first man to travel around the world on a motorcycle. It is a great time capsule about the planet in 1991 and gives the reader a ground level look at life around the globe.

very well done. this book should be used in schools along with history and geography. this book offers so much info that exlpains why things are the way they are everywhere and also points out where things are headed in the future. so amazing how democracy only lasts so long.

I really enjoyed this book. He made some really great predictions, and was off the mark on others. The dollar being devalued is happening now, but there were no wars in Central Europe, except Yugoslavia. Very insightful travel book, ala Iberia from James Michener though not as academic. Easy, exciting read.

I read this book over 2 weeks riding the train to work. It was a great read I really enjoyed it. Some of the book has lost its revelance as the book addresses some political issues that occured some time ago. However, the outlook on history was fantastic. In the end he was right. Good book even if you are not a 'finance' reader.

Jim Rogers has an uncanny ability to see the macro picture and not be tainted by the micro issues. If only politicians and lawmakers would have read this book 20 years ago...

I must say that the writing was less than impressive. I think the publisher should have given him a little more help. On the other hand the story is amazing! You have to respect a man who would blaze through the who's who of the worlds most dangerous countries even if his few attempts at flowery language make you want to gag

I wished Jim had written this book while I was in high school. It's a great story about geography and world economics. Some of the countries names may change over time but the economic commonsense will remain. I'm looking forward to his new one in the millinium. Meanwhile my 13 year old son is reading it.

I read this book after Adventure Capitalist, even though Jim Rogers wrote it first. This book and Adventure Capitalist are two of my favirote books on investing. I recommend this to anyone.

The book actually has not much to do with investemnts. Except for some global economic predictions, the book is on travelling the world. Do not read it for investment stories except if you are interested in lines like: The Chinese are building roads, construction workers who make them used to farm sheeps, of which the cashmere is exported. Therefore go short in fashion brands when the Chiense start building roads....

be advised that "...on the road with JR" and "...around the world with JR" are in fact the SAME book. (hardcover / paperback)

Outstanding book that taught me as much about world economic systems as traveling. It motivated me to travel to Africa 16 months ago.

An arrogant rich guy brags at length about snagging a trophy girlfriend (his client's daughter), then chuckles to himself as he motors his shiny BMW bike through crowds of "brown faces" (I think those were his actual words). As a travelogue, this book fails because all of the locations and cultures blur together. As a means of imparting financial strategy, this book also fails--for the reasons noted in other reviews. Anything worthwhile the author has to say is completely nullified by his enormous ego, which comes across on every page. For those of you seeking adventure writing or stock tips, look elsewhere.

Not everyone will agree with Jimm's view of the world, but smart people will. The book is excellent.

great trip

Super

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!

Very insightful book on investments and travel. I found it thoroughly entertaining and informative.

great read

A great read, he gives some really good insights into the places he visits on an amazing journey. I feel inspired to get out and do a similar journey.. in fact I'm saving up for just that!

An economic travel on a bike, great read.