Rating: 
Summary: Neither Fish Nor Fowl...
Review: ... It is very unclear as to who Bergman was writing for: a) Real Estate Investors doing deals for their own portfolios and looking for strategies they can put to use, or ; b) MBA's studying real estate, hoping eventually to work for a major firm and simply wanting to reaffirm that they have selected the "correct" industry. In either case, this book misses the mark.What is particularly troubling is that the author quotes from many other books (which he does footnote) but does so in a style to to make it appear that he actually interviewed the people he highlights within the book, but it is quickly apparant that all he did was read someone else's material, as the stories fall flat for lack of relevant detail. To his credit the author prefaces the book by stating that he has never participated in a successful real estate investment - had he done so the book would have more relevance, as he would have had keener insight as to what investor's want to know, rather than passing along old folklore and tired stories. If you want to be an investor - this is a waste of good "investory library" funds;
If you simply want to know more about the commercial real estate industry, there are many other books out there which do a better job.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Insight into Real Estate Investing ...
Review: Bergsman's book provides a great "behind the scenes" look at some of the biggest names in Real Estate in this country and how they succeeded (and failed) based on how they crafted their deals. While not all of us will be (or want to be) Donald Trump et al, one can't help but appreciate reading how each got started, their principles of doing business, and their unique philosophies when it comes to investing in Real Estate. I found many of their strategies very relevant - whether one invests in a single condo or large multi-unit apartment complexes. The book is easy to read, worth reading .... and full of valuable tips and insights to the world of real estate investing - large and small.
Rating:
Summary: Wow What a read. great information
Review: I just finished reading Maverick Real Estate Investing and found it not only helpful in regard to investing, but I enjoyed the biographies of World's Greatest Land Owners. Not only were the tips helpful, but the bios really helped me see how to use the information. I have read a lot of biographies and a lot of information books, the mixed format of this book really made the information more accessible. A great read too. Really inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Great Information for All Real Estate Investors
Review: I've been a professional real estate investor for many years, and still learned a lot from this book. It features the secrets and strategies of today's leading real estate mavericks, including Donald Trump and Sam Zell. The author presents the key strategies each of these experts use when making deals. While these are some very big players, the strategies they suggest can apply to even the smallest deal. I highly recommend the book for both new and more experienced investors, whether you are simply buying a home or looking to invest in other types of properties.
Rating:
Summary: Maverick Real Estate Investing
Review: I've been reading Steve Bergsman's real estate columns for years and it's good to see he's finally taken the time to write a book. Probably because he knows the key players in real estate so well, that they took the time to tell him their stories - how each of them made it big in the world of real estate. Thankfully, along with their stories they were able to pass along a few tips to the rest of us. This is a good read with the bonus being we all learn a few things about do's and don'ts of real estate investing
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Book About the Masters Behind the Deals
Review: Over the years, I've followed the fortunes of many of the mavericks written about by Steve Bergsman, and in this book, Bergsman weaves an enthralling story of the masters behind the deals. Yet though he portrays the upper echelon of the real estate world, he also does an excellent job of relaying how an astute business person can avail themselves of the mavericks' strategies for success. It's a compelling book and by far the best ever written about how to achieve success like the big-time players.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the Read
Review: This book is apparently meant to serve as a "biography" of the real estate decisions made by a loosely-defined group of men (mostly) who made a lot of money in real estate. I doubt that--despite the subtitle--the book was meant to replace an MBA education with an emphasis on real estate. So, perhaps much of the criticism by my fellow reviewers is a bit unjustified.
The book is interesting to read in most places. However, because the author does not stick to the intended formula of examining one maverick at a time, but instead jumps from maverick to maverick, the book's flow isn't perfect. But then again, even mavericks aren't perfect! If you goal is to learn about real estate techniques, this isn't a good place to start. If you'd like to learn more about the people in real estate, this is good starting point.
Rating:
Summary: more like biographies of the rich real estate tycoons
Review: this book is more like the biographies of the rich real estate tycoons than a real estate investing book. the author has summed up some "golden" principles based on these people's experiences, but let me tell you this, there is no single one principle that I could not find in any other real estate book in the market.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Buy
Review: This is a decent book to get good ideas and see how some of the big players got started and their operating philophies. I would love to have seen more details on the specifics of how they were able to do the deals they did but the concepts are there.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a real estate investment how to...
Review: unless you consider some of the "Maverick Approach's" such as: Take your time negotiating, Work out the numbers before negotiating, Stay focused on your goals and Be willing to take chances- as advice you could only get from this book. Puh-leez. This book is interesting for the stories of various Big-Time real estate mogul types (outside of The Donald) and some behind the scenes aspects of some of their deals that it covers (Melvin Simon, Eli Broad, Peter and Steven Lowy, Sam Zell, etc. that dont usually get as much coverage as Mr. Trump.) But DO NOT buy this book for specific real estate advice.
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