Rating: 
Summary: Seeing the world at the right level....
Review: Jim Rogers has taken the great American notion of a road trip, and made it into a sensational read. I was really taken by his first book, i.e. Investment Biker, and followed his next trip via his website. Each time I checked his site, my interst in the book to come increased, and I was not disappointed. I think that Mr. Rogers might have about 5 more books from this one trip, and each one would be better and more insightful as he mulls over the things that he saw and experienced and has the time to take a longer view. I will look forward to buying those future books should they come to pass. The book is well written, thoughtful and persuasive as to the the failings of our foreign policy. It's too bad that national leadership seems to be fashioning a neo-isolationist policy, when the real goal should be to understand how those in the rest of the world really see us. I wanted the book to be longer, to provide more detail as to how he got things done, the stuff that worked, and more on what he saw and experienced. As I wrote this review, I found myself listening to the BBC World news trying to connect with the world that Rogers so eloquently describes. This is a great book, and the kind that should be required reading for students of all ages!
Rating:
Summary: A Journey Well Worth Your Time
Review: Of all the books you read this year, this may be the one you will remember best. As you journey around the world there will be times you may envy Jim Rogers, while at others you may be thankful you were not with him, but always you will have to know what he is going to be doing on the next page. Rogers reveals to you the wonders of places many of us have dreamed of visiting but never will. He does the same for places many have never even known existed. His is not the tourist view, but the genuine article with both the roses and the thorns carefully examined.
As in his earlier classic, "Investment Biker," you may even get a few investment ideas, but Rogers never tells you what to do or not do. Rather he clears away the smoke, reveals the true picture, and lets you make your own decisions. Along the way he also gives the careful reader deep insights into who he is and what he believes. There is much depth here for those who can understand, and it adds greatly to the authenticity of the narrative he relates.
In the last chapter of the book Rogers examines how Americans see the world and in turn are perceived by other nations. If it would not violate the refreshing spirit of freedom that runs throughout this volume, it would be a good idea to make these final pages required reading in our schools, government offices, and corporate board rooms.
I thought I knew a lot about the world. Jim Rogers taught me a lot I did not know. Whenever Rogers writes a book it is always a great privilege to be able to make the journey with him.
Rating:
Summary: The Right Road
Review: I received "Adventure Capitalist" from Amazon less than 48 hours ago and with many other things to do I have still managed to read over half of it. ... I find it a great read, especially for couch adventurers who can take vicarious pleasures in crossing Siberia, eating exotic food, and meeting 10 years later some of the characters introduced in "Investment Biker." As to financial advice I disagree with Publisher's Weekly. I think Jim Rogers is right on target for what he gives the reader, if the reader really pays attention, is effective criteria for deciding where to invest: look at the currency at borders, watch the black market, internal and external debt, and bureaucracy. Way back in October when I heard Jim on CNBC, I listened, bought euros, and made enough to re do my kitchen. He does not specifically say buy, this or that, but by looking at economies in a fresh, common sense and "real way," from Russia to Japan to China to Korea, he does get to the heart of the matter. Rogers has has updated the fascinating material from his website which chronicled his journey. The pictures on the web site really give a complete picture of the journey. However, hopping and skipping through the journey on the web site I missed some of the personal events. The book puts those personal events in context. There is enough of the personal saga in the book to engage the reader, but not enough to distract from the title of the book, "Adventure Capitalist." It is a fun adventure that everyone can take along with Jim
Rating:
Summary: A delicious read, wish it was longer
Review: Jim Rogers serves up countless tantalizing stories of places visited with an investor's insights into each, blending a rich travelogue with a tantalizing diary of what looks investment-worthy and what looks scary. His worldview must be staggering. I think his job may be the best one in the world...to travel, develop investment and business insights and then make investments based on those insights. My only complaint is I wish he had written more about his research methods, about what he does in each new place to acquire those insights. And his first-hand observations of where foreign aid really goes is shocking. If George Bush would read this he'd learn how he could stop wasting hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars a year in worthless foreign aid.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent adventure, read, political commentary, investment
Review: Wow! Maybe I'm not as smart as the reviewer who preceded me. I picked up A.C. on the way to Australia. I read it at light speed. To say this book is an eye opener is an understatement. I travel a lot...but not this much! ...no one does! I learned a great deal following the Jim, Paige, videographer and car around the world. I confess there is much of their journey I would never have had the guts to undertake and thus was impressed by some of their choices of travel. Here's some of what you are going to pick up:
1) You're going to find out what countries to put a few shekels into and which one's not to. (There are a lot more to NOT.)
2) You're going to get an excellent idea of where you want to visit on your next non-5-star trip out of the country.
3) You're going to find out that Vancouver B.C. is overall one of the finest cities in the world. (I can't think of a better one myself.)
4) Some darn good arguments for unrestricted free trade and open borders.
5) Solid challenges to your way of looking at the political messes of virtually every nation on the planet and a few ideas on what could make things better.
6) Lots of ways to save your hard earned money.
7) The fact that there are precious few powerhouse opportunities right now.
Of some interest, Jim notes he was told you can't buy a house in Australia if you don't live there. That's what I was told by some cab drivers, realtors and university prof's. Others told me the exact opposite and a few noted that you can't buy but you can build. Go figure. This is truly a bizarre phenomenon. Whatever the deal is, don't cut the check until you know the answer. This book was a lot of fun. Thoroughly enjoyable and a lesson in looking at the world and the USA that sometimes is a bit stern. Loved it. Kevin Hogan
Author of The Psychology of Persuasion
http://www.kevinhogan.com/
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Jim Roger's knows investing, and he makes it interesting. Don't read this book if you think you're going to get a hot investment tip. He moves too quickly to focus on any one country's investment potential. It's a combination of geography, history, and capitalism. You will learn more about the state of the world than investing. I now know many tidbits about countries that I never knew previously. Do you know how Africa's geography will most likely change within the next two decades? Wonder how Apartheid is progressing in South Africa? The best African country to vacation in, and why? The freedom in China that we never hear about? The "feed the children" programs, and how they are corrupted once they ARRIVE in Africa? I've focuses in on Africa here, but that's what I found most interesting. Again, you will not become an expert currency trader here, but you will attain valuable insight into world affairs.
Rating: 
Summary: good read
Review: I had read investment biker years ago and when I saw he had come out with another world travel book, I went out and got it. You can also check his travel out online which is interesting. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it seemed at first that he went into more detail about the travels. However, by the last 1/4 of the book he just rushed through the trips to South America and the US. Kind of like he started out in more detail, but the book was too long or it was taking too much time so he sped up on the trip details.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure capitalist
Review: Overall I give it 4 stars. But when compared to investment biker, I'd only give it three. This one seemed to be written from a bit of a "ho-hum" point of view whereas "Biker" contained a bit more adventurous tone. Don't get me wrong, this is an entertaining read, and will help investors understand how governments have a stranglehold on free markets around the world. Recently returning from Mexico, with the amount of red tape and beauracracy(?) just to get into and out of the country, I'd have to agree that there is simply a lack of long-term investment promise in MX.
Rating: 
Summary: Not effective as a travel or an economics read....
Review: Let me start out by saying I didn't read Investment Biker but always liked Jim Rogers. However, I found this book disappointing for several reasons. It is very choppy writing and I would have preferred if he provided more in depth insight about something. I enjoyed his summations regarding various countries but it's not as engaging as national geographic from a travel perspective and not as helpful or informative as an investment or economics book from a financial perspective. Consequently, it's not particularly effective on either front and I found it to be a long dry read.
Rating:
Summary: Might as well read about it...
Review: Might as well read about it.. it's a trip you are not likely to make. And not the fact that he went around the world; it's how he went around the world. Money is no object to the author and it shows. He can spend big $$ to rent a train flat-car in Russia (p103), he can pay $1,200 in Angola to load his car on a cargo plane when things get dangerous (p177) and he can bribe a ferry captain with $400 to cross the Gambia River after he missed the last scheduled ferry (p156). All this, in addition to the luxury hotels and fine dining they enjoyed along the way. It seems like a great way to travel (if you have a couple of million in the bank).
The book was interesting, readable and moved along at a good pace despite the number of countries he covers. I agree with most of the other reviewers that gave positive reviews of this book, so I won't bother repeating what they've already said, but I will explain why I only gave the book 4 stars.
One, the book has a few inaccuracies. For example, on p15 the author states the Iceland is the `fourth youngest country in the world'. This is untrue no matter what statistics you use. A quick check at cia.gov (World Handbook) will confirm this. He mentions similar demographic information on other countries that is obviously incorrect. Another inaccuracy is on p327 where he states that the U.S. had `more than one hundred large aircraft carriers at the end of the Second World War' while we only have 12 now. More than one hundred `large' aircraft carriers?! Again untrue, and could have been easily checked.
Secondly, the author makes some very naïve statements. The worst was on p132 when he argues that all passports and visas should simply be abolished. He says that there should not be any barriers to the movement of people in the world. Part of his reasoning: `Christopher Columbus did not have a passport or a visa'! So, when Columbus traveled he had no passport and therefore, we should not require passports/visas of anybody now. Of course, such a policy would mostly benefit a world traveler (no more waiting at pesky borders) and capitalist such as Jim Rogers.
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