Having just finished Bob Jones' latest book, "My Property World", I feel it is the best damned book on property, and more importantly, entrepreneurship, to come out of New Zealand since ...well, to be honest, since his previous property book, "Jones on Property".
Some readers may get caught up on Jones' sarcastic and sometimes sexist remarks, but to do so is to miss the true gift that Jones' is offerring us here.
He is bold, sometimes brash, and tolerates fools not a jot. At the same time he is Buffetesque in his wisdom and in his belief that integrity is everything.
For example, he points out the essential behavioural differences between those airline passengers of economy class, business class, and first class. He suggests that those in economy class largely watch the movies, those in business class predominantly watch computer screens, and those in first class are noted for reading books. With this he draws an apt comparison about how individuals choose to stimulate their minds and the wealth they obviously accrue.
He largely rubbishes the burgeoning seminar market, except as a springboard for newbies. He rightly notes that the drive, enthusiasm, intelligence and wit that defines an entrepreneur comes from deep within, and that all the seminars in the world will not a dullard transform. Nor will they enlighten the masses to the secrets of success, by virtue of the fact that the act of enlightening simultaneously removes the secrecy factor.
As a point of contrast, another well known commercial property player, whose public company collapsed in a grand scale, but who actively touts himself as one of the best minds in the business, often brags about little tricks and deceptions he engineered to give himself some pecunary advantage over his feeble opponent. Whilst, on first glance, this might appear clever, such behaviour demeans one's integrity. Bob Jones, a boxer, prefers a clean fight. It is a fight he usually wins, but not by hitting below the belt.
If you are serious about entrepreneurship and are biased towards commercial property this book is simply a "must read" in my not-so-humble opinion. It is the first book in quite some time that I am eager to re-read.
Julian
Some readers may get caught up on Jones' sarcastic and sometimes sexist remarks, but to do so is to miss the true gift that Jones' is offerring us here.
He is bold, sometimes brash, and tolerates fools not a jot. At the same time he is Buffetesque in his wisdom and in his belief that integrity is everything.
For example, he points out the essential behavioural differences between those airline passengers of economy class, business class, and first class. He suggests that those in economy class largely watch the movies, those in business class predominantly watch computer screens, and those in first class are noted for reading books. With this he draws an apt comparison about how individuals choose to stimulate their minds and the wealth they obviously accrue.
He largely rubbishes the burgeoning seminar market, except as a springboard for newbies. He rightly notes that the drive, enthusiasm, intelligence and wit that defines an entrepreneur comes from deep within, and that all the seminars in the world will not a dullard transform. Nor will they enlighten the masses to the secrets of success, by virtue of the fact that the act of enlightening simultaneously removes the secrecy factor.
As a point of contrast, another well known commercial property player, whose public company collapsed in a grand scale, but who actively touts himself as one of the best minds in the business, often brags about little tricks and deceptions he engineered to give himself some pecunary advantage over his feeble opponent. Whilst, on first glance, this might appear clever, such behaviour demeans one's integrity. Bob Jones, a boxer, prefers a clean fight. It is a fight he usually wins, but not by hitting below the belt.
If you are serious about entrepreneurship and are biased towards commercial property this book is simply a "must read" in my not-so-humble opinion. It is the first book in quite some time that I am eager to re-read.
Julian
Comment