5 comments about Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers.

1. 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!



2. 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!



3. 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.



4. The investment biker gives the reader insight into the way Jim thinks. Jim says in 1990, most of his money was in utility stocks, U.S government bonds, and foreign currencies. Jim owned utility stocks particular nuclear power for companies like Illinois power and Niagara Mohawk which were distressed. Jim's next comments strike as parallel to problems in 2007, as he says, "I thought U.S Interest rates were headed south, so I was bullish-optimistic-on bonds and bearish-pessimistic-on the dollar, that is, I expected the price of bonds to rise and that of the dollar to fall. I figured politicians would do everything to keep the economy going. Since they aren't very smart, all they really know how to do is cut interest rates. I bought foreign currencies, mainly certificates of deposit denominated in guilders or deutsche marks, reasoning that the dollar would go down as the politician's cuts rates." Jim that was interesting insight over 17 years ago and today the dollar demise is causing exports to increase, unemployment to drop, bond yields to drop and price to increase, GDP to rise, consumption to drop, investment to decrease, real wages to drop, and credit to get tighter. The US economy is strong enough to continue climbing for the next sixty years without disruption from business cycles. Commodities will continue to be a profitable sector for the rich and commodities indexes supposing the commodity boards can remain solvent and stable.
   
   Currency exchange controls: "The soviet union exchange rate for travelers was six rubles per dollars. On the black market I got between twelve and eighteen rubles, whereas today you might get a hundred times that". For this reason Jim carried a few travelers checks and a healthy sum of cash while traveling through Turkistan.
   
   Georgian: Stalin had been a Georgian. "Georgia had always been a trading nation and a crossroads." Jim saw similiarities between Georgia and Texas, New Mexico, and California. "As those parts of the United States become more Lationo, and as the United States begins to suffer its inevitable economic decline, I wonder if we won't see the same things: ethnic strife and a drive for separatism, either a desire to rejoin Mexico or to be independant". "Georgia has always been a merchant area and of a capitalist bent".
   
   Baku: "Baku, a major center of oild production, all around the road lay rusted pipes and drill rigs, idle, unmaintained, a cluttered junk heap. No wonder Soviet oil production was down." Communism fails because managers work to meet quotas, no incentives, no accountability, skimming oil from the top and running, and no private property ownership. "On of the reasons Soviets never built their capital bases, because they never built their capital." "Riding along the Caspian Sea we saw hudnreds of these discarded drilling rigs, all stripped."
   
   Kazakhstan: "Kazakhstan had become a gigantic farmland, a desert that had bloomed into vast arable tracts." It had become 40 percent Russian, 2/3 of water provided from the Aral Sea, heavy salization, high rates of birth defects and infant mortality, and thirty mile coast line. "The Russians had thought they could use the water to turn the area into a cotton plantation. But they had treated the land the way they treated the oil fields we had passed: They stripped it and moved on." In communism you can ruin a resource without anyone saying halt. On the other hand, China in the seventies admitted its ways were not working and deregulated agriculture to teh peasants, allowing farmers to lease land for a very long time, and in some place buy it; the government allows the farmers to sell crops that they could sell for a profit on the world market; the farmers went wild; every field was planted and cultivated with items being reused and no waste; the farmers didn't strip the land; and China became an agricultural exporting country.
   
   Samarkand: The most prosperous city in Baku. "The Centerpiece of the city's ancient splendor is the Registan, and esemble of three madrasas, or Islamic schools". "Under the corner domes of the Ulug-bek Madrasa, completed in 1420, were lecture halls, and in its rear was a mosque. The Tiger Madrasa flouted the Islamic injunction against showing pictures of live animals by boldly diplaying glorious tilework devoted to its namesake...Samarkland was like the Taj Mahal in that way, if not even more extraordinary." "We discovered that forty mosques had opened in Uzbekistan alone in 1989, and at least one was being built in every town we passed through-Ashkhabad, Mary, Bukhara."
   
   Muslim: "The Muslims were always trying to come into Europe through Austria, through Hungry, through Spain. The Christians beat them back several times. During the centuries of the Dark Ages in Europe the Muslims were much more dynamic than the Christians. They expanded geographically, spreading their culture and religion from the Altantic to the Pacific". "All the Muslims are resurgent, not so much because they want to be Islamic, but because the need a vehicle to help them get more. If people are prosperous, they tend not to fight. What they're reaching out for is Islam, the only unifying thread they have, to help them achieve their own prosperity and identity."
   
   Soviet Union: "The Soviet Union is actually headed toward a system that will resemble feudalism: the economic, political, and social system of the medival Europe after the breakup of the Roman Empire, in which their were innumerable and ever-changing fiefdoms."
   
   China: "By early 1990 China's harsh new monetary policy began to cause hard times. Several months later, people surged into Tiananmen Square to complain about tight money". "Like successful entrepreneurs in many parts of the world, Chinese entrepreneurs are bringing every scrap of energy, money, technology they can marshall into their business"
   
   Currency valuation: "If the rate on the black market is five and a half zlotys to the dollar, compared with the state banks rate of five, then things might not be so bad. But if it is ten or fifteen to the dollar, then I know the country is in terrible shape, with maybe the collapse of the government or hyperinflation on the horizon." During Jim's first visit to China he paid Renminbi for a dollar, a 50 percent premium and by 1990s the premium had dropped to 35 percent. The chinese want out of the their currency less.
   
   Soviet Union: "The Soviet Union hadn't raised its prices in fifty years! It sounded good, even great for the customer-low rent, postcards for kopecks, inexpensive bread, cheap birch juice, and low-cost hinges. But the flip side was that they had almost no consumer goods except bread, which ofcourse was the one item not even th Communist dared allow to run out". "By keeping these prices low the Communist had robbed everyone, including the state and teh party, of any eral-world incetive to produce and distribute every product. What possible incentive could there be to make hinges or socks when every pair lost money?" "The real crime was the misery-the shortages, the shoddy goods, and teh lack of opportunity-perpetrated bythe Communist on the Soviet people for decades." "In the Soviet Union they' always been told that if they left the country, they couldn't come back except under exceptional circumstances, and that this was true throughout the world."
   
   Nakhodka: "The port of Mobile was long past its prime, but compared with the rust and broken equipment here, it was a model of repair. There was no security around the docks; goods were piled up in such a fashion that anybody could walk off with anything." Nakhodka is a city port of 170,000 with a single children's clothing store, a single grocery store, a single auto-parts store, and a single hardware store. The bakery was full of inexpensive, extraordinary bread, baked every day. The other stores were virtually empty of people and goods.
   
   Gold Prices: In the 1970s investors were sure all paper money was going to lose its value as the price of gold rose quickly. Historically, gold prices had seen long periods of low price which did not move up even as the price of other commodities went up. In the 1930, Roosevelt responded to the economic crisis by setting the price of gold at $35/ounce. Everyone, who owned gold enjoyed a 67 percent premium in value. "Everybody was delighted to own dollars." During WWII the worldwide economy collapsed and gold did not move around the exchange for other foreign currencies, trade had come to an end. For thirty seven years gold was held to $35/ounce. "The only gold that came to the market was from Africa and Russia" In the 1970, gold began to be used in teeth and electronics, it was cheap. Through the 50s and 60s the price of gold rose as the economy faced trade deficits and printing money (inflation). 1971, Nixon took the US economy of the gold standard to avoid recession.
   
   A bet against the central bankers: "In the seventies, the central banks were defending the United States artificially low price of gold." The market realized the prices (high or low) were absurd. As soon as the gold price controls were lift the price went up. When price goes up more supply will be created; new gold mines will open; existing gold mines will scale production; and replacement commodities will compete as a cheaper alternative. The supply will increase and price will drop cooling demand. Eventually, the price of gold will become cheap. "Every year since 1981, the world has produced more gold than in the year before. Remember, it takes a long time to bring a gold mine on stream...More supply.
   
   Siberia is the world's largest country with 8,650,000 square miles, a sixth of the world's land mass. Siberia makes Russia one of the richest country in energy resources and minerals: a quarter of the world's oil reserves, 40 percent of the iron ore, and a third of its phosphates. "Even today no one knows the full extent of the nation's wealth", says Jim. The Soviet Union pushed hard to produce more steel, fertilizers, and oil. "This fervid lunge for producing more and more, however, mean that quality, environmental concerns, and efficient production had been ignored." "As the price of oil went to forty dollars a barrel, Moscow reaped a bonanza. All the money had gone to the Communist hierarchy and for the space program, to intercontinental ballistic missiles and world-class Olympic teams. The party managed things so poorly and the system was so rotten, there had been nothing left for the 275 million working toads except subsistence wages and a subsistence existence."
   
   Moscow, "there was a good chance, however, that despite the good harvest, half the grain and vegetables wouldn't reach the consumer because of tractors, combines, and trucks that sat idle for lack of spare parts and gas... One engineer said it was a waste of his talents for him to be pulling up carrots."
   
   Government price fixing messes up production. In Zimbabwe the government decided to enforce a cheap food policy and set the price of corn. In the mid eighties farmers produces 1.8 million tons of corn a year. After the government policy enforcing corn price fixes was in place corn production dropped 98 percent. However, the government never regulate flower production and in the mid eighties flower production was $5 millions and the year Jim traveled through Zimbabwe the flower production was $200 million. "The ability of farmers to raise flowers had apparently gone up some forty times during this catastrophic drought." "It is only when a government artificially holds a price back and then all of sudden releases it that the price explodes and a political crisis arrives." "I saw countries realize they could not control prices, that it wouldn't work". "Only when the market is free-unleashed, if you will-and the local currency finds its own level, will people then start doing what comes naturally..." "I won't put my money into a country until it actually makes it currency convertible."
   
   "It's the American government policy for the dollar to sink, because the government think then American goods will be more competitive on the world market...But unfortunately the dollar will continue to go down until it fall becomes so out of control that the government will snarl and blame our problems on `evil financiers`. Once controls are put on, the currency will fall farther because everybody will try to smuggle it out."
   
   Botswana had a balance of payment surplus. Major economic sectors are diamonds, copper, nickel, beef and tourism. Botswana had democratic elections. Botswana passed laws, given tax incentives, and everything to attract capital.



5. 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.

5 comments about Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

1. I borrowed this book out of curiosity, and I wasn't a bit surprised at the shallowness or the egocentric views of "The Man" himself....
   
   This book contains a sociopathic world-view in which all are wrong except Sonny Barger and his rat-pack....when usually the reverse was true.
   
   
   The romantic view of most reviewers would change dramatically after a couple of Saturday night encounters with the drunken, violent speed freaks that I knew.
   
   To glorify and romanticize this loser as an "American Hero", to glorify the Hells' Angel's and their criminal lifestyle, to pretend they're just misunderstood, and that they are "just good Americans like yourselves" is pathetic, and giving Sonny Barger your money is a joke on you (and society in general).



2. and a book about Satanic Architecture. But I didn't see any pictures of the Devil's House so I was disappointed. Anyway these guys are pretty scrungy. I wouldn't want the job of washing their underwear. Boy I bet they stink.
   
   The author was on a lot of drugs so I don't know how true his recollections are. Anyway .....
   
   I remember when I was living in West LA during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. One day Iranian supporters - mostly from Beverly Hills mansions - marched down Wilshire Blvd in support of Iran. They were beat up by a mob of motorcycle gangs, little old ladies from Pasadena, and irate Mexicans before they got very far. The cops stood by and laughed and cheered. The one time the Law and the Angels were on the same side. But I thought that was pretty cool.
   
   I liked the parts in the book where they stomped Anti-War hippies in Berkeley and beat up fans at a Rolling Stones concert.
   
   There is some justice and pay back - and so I guess they are kind of tarnished angels. But as bad as they are, they are a hell of lot better than the rich jerks that ship US jobs overseas just so we can all eat poison Chinese vitamins. (Some day the Chinese will make poison Harleys with tires that explode after 10 miles).



3. The microcosm birth of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club evolved in the Fontana/ San Bernardino, California area on April 1957. Ralph Robert Barger,(Sonny) who was only 19 years old, was the founder and leader of the Hell's Angels San Bernardino motorcycle club.
   
   Sonny Barger's book, "Hell's Angel" is the only authorized, genuine story about the, sometimes, but not always, controversial motorcycle club founded by the author himself.
   
   In reading, "Hell's Angel," the reader might disagree, agree and perhaps even sympathize with the story and history of the Hell's Angels' motorcycle club. More often than not different law enforcement agencies classified the Hell's Angels as a `criminal organization' for usurping the American legal system.
   
   It is up to the reader to make his or her own assessment whether those law enforcement agencies were correct in their judgment of the Hell's Angels; or if they were prejudiced in their appraisal of the motorcycle club (MC).
   
   Many believe the original Angels were members of the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division; an elite group of paratroopers trained to rain death on the enemy from above, drifting in behind the lines of battle.
   "They called themselves the Hells Angels because they flew on silk wings into hell itself, bringing a brutal hope for peace with 20 pounds of TNT strapped to each leg. The nickname was a badge of honor, a mark of invincibility, a wartime emblem pointing out the toughest of the tough. It was a totem to ward off the worst."
   
   "A handful of those original Hells Angels, and many other returning soldiers who had awakened to the nightmare of war, found it difficult to settle into the half-sleep of the American Dream. After living on the edge so long, they found only a depressing fatalism and monotony in jobs, family, mortgages, and college, suburbia and cookie-cutter houses with white-picket fences." And so they joined the MC.
   
   According to Sonny Barger, "The Hell's Angels is an organization; a group of people, who get together to ride motorcycles and have fun, and go to parties." "... Just because certain people in the Hell's Angels have committed crimes in the past does not make the organization a criminal organization."
   
   Under Barger's guidance, the Hells Angels chapters came together, hammering out bylaws, codes of conduct, outlawing the practice of using drugs, choosing patches, colors, tattoos and clubhouses. The Hell's Angel's made sure that no one used their "Patch" who had not been accepted in the MC, or who were not worthy of their motorcycle club. The MC is a close-knit motorcycle club who not only fights to preserve the dignity of their "Patch," but take care, protect, and stand by one another to the fullest.
   
   There were other motorcycle clubs, throughout the United States, who not only rivaled the Hell's Angels but tried to outdo them as well. However, law enforcement organizations did not excoriated those motorcycle clubs as they hammered the anvil of law enforcement against the Hell's Angels.
   
   The Hell's Angel reputation crashed into the public consciousness in 1954 when Marlon Brando starred in "The Wild One," a Hollywood sensation inspired by the rumble at Hollister.
   
   All the while, the Hell's Angels boldness more than irritated all types of law enforcement. And in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government tried to pin an official organized crime label on the group, trying to prosecute the Hells Angels under laws originally designed to combat the Mafia. The alleged violations of racketeering, influence and corrupt organization (RICO) laws, however, were never proved, with two hung juries that were unable to decide on 38 of 44 separate charges.
   There were many high-profile accusations, arrests and acquittals - suggesting either the Angels are slippery or that police like to arrest them despite flimsy evidence. Many believe the truth lies between both theories.
   
   George Christie, longtime president of the Ventura, Calif., chapter, who is considered Barger's second-in-command and likely successor; admits the Hell's Angels are "not monks." Nevertheless, he insists that if they were as bad as police allege, they would've been jailed and disbanded years ago." George Christi adds, "...cops chase Angels because Angels are easy to chase. Finding real criminals is much tougher, and would require investigative initiative beyond pulling over every biker wearing the infamous winged death's-head."
   
   For their part, the Angels continue to deny all criminal charges, and in 1998 happily celebrated their 50th anniversary.
   The Angels have grown, in the past 50 years, to include many chapters in the United States, a presence in many countries and a worldwide membership estimated in the thousands.
   
   I recommend, to the interested reader, Sonny Barger's book, "Hell's Angel" before reading any other books, or magazine articles on the subject of the famous motorcycle club; The Hell's Angels.



4. Since he was old enough to wander out onto the streets of Oakland, California, Ralph "Sonny" Barger has done things his own way, viewing the world from his unique, American blue collar perspective. In his work Hells Angel, Sonny shares his life and opens the door to the world of the Outlaw Biker. It's as though the whole biker thing evolved as Sonny evolved, and these days Mr. Barger is held in the highest esteem as the premier elder statesman of the biker world.
   
   And why shouldn't he be? He's certainly earned it. After a life of living on the razor's edge, including drugs, beautiful women, police harassment, hard prison time, fast motorcycles, and keeping a club comprised of some of the most notorious and colorful individuals on the same page, anyone who considers himself a biker knows who Sonny is. If he doesn't, then he's not really a biker, he's one of the legion of wannabes that puts on a make believe patch, somehow trying to emulate what Sonny Barger and a few other hard cases started back in the day.
   
   I read this book coming away with the feeling of what it might be like to view the world from the Outlaw Biker perspective. I learned that many these free spirited men served their country with distinction, have conservative values of family and friends, and actually live the kind of freedom that so many in the non-1%er world fear, yet envy from the safety of their easy chairs.
   
   This book provided what I was looking for and more, and after reading it for the third time I still come away with the same feeling. Hats off to Sonny Barger for giving us a non-apologetic and in-your-face rendition of his turbulent life and times, and a glimpse of the Outlaw Biker world. This book is highly recommended.



5. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area during the '60s and early '70s I became aware of the Hells Angels when members of the San Jose chapter trounced a friend of mine for coming back into an Angel hangout (bar) after they'd suggested (strongly) that he leave.
   
   A Hispanic car club, the "Royal Coachmen" (also out of San Jose) was shut down by the Angels when its numbers became a concern for the HAMC. Even then the Angels wielded a great deal of "underground" power and influence, as so well described in Barger's book.
   
   "Hell's Angel" is very subtle as to the shift of the club's direction which is described by Barger upon careful reading. Back in the day the Angels were unsophisticated in their tactics and techniques, and loosely organized. They were also very rough around the edges. Today the club is an incorporated organization with global wide chapters and affiliates, a strong legal network for its members and properties/enterprises, and very much the focus of international law enforcement on a daily basis.
   
   However, I knew the Angels had changed dramatically since the 60s when in Los Angeles on business in the early 90s I ran into two full patch members of the club at a nightspot on Hollywood Blvd. They were clean cut, well groomed, and their "colors" looked as if they'd come out of the dry cleaners that day. As I was leaving and was a bit ahead of them I held the door to the club open and both offered "Thank you" as they passed by.
   
   Yep, the early days as described in detail by Ralph "Sonny" Barger are now long ago lore where the Red & White is concerned.
   
   Barger makes no excuses about the criminal activities he's been involved with and convicted of. His is a well written, graphic memory of the Hells Angels with a look into the future of this organization coming from the man who created it. A "must read" for any law enforcement officer who deals with the 1% outlaw biker subculture - and who wants to be successful as an OMG investigator in terms of background and research.
   
   Finally, with Ruben "Doc" Cavazos' new book on himself as a Mongol and international president of the Mongols - one of seveal arch rivals of the Hells Angels - it is interesting to compare Barger to Cavazos in terms of their backgrounds, upbringing, and commitment to their chosen ways of life at the head of two of the Big Six outlaw motorcycle clubs globally.
   
   Say what you will, Cavazos is no Sonny Barger when it comes to old school outlaw values and traditions, and he is certainly not even in the same class when it comes to organizational abilities and vision.
   
   Hunter Thompson pegged Sonny Barger best in his own legendary best seller on the Angels - a companion book to Barger's tome that is likewise must reading for the best possible view of the brotherhood that is the Hells Angels.

5 comments about Performance Riding Techniques: The MotoGP manual of track riding skills.

1. You don't have to be a regular track day rider, Club, AMA, or Moto GP racer for this book to provide you with practical insights into being a better rider. Even for the street / sport rider, or twisty road commuter, this book is another great tool to add to your riding skills library.



2. In my opinion, the best book on the market for sportbike riders and racetrack techniques. Beautifully done, brilliantly written. Andy has more good information here for the advanced rider than any other book on the shelves. This and Nick Ienatsch's "Sportbike Riding Techniques" should be mandatory reading for anyone wishing to expand their riding skills, especially sportbike riders considering going to trackdays, track schools (such as CLASS, STAR, etc.) or actively roadracing.



3. Even if you don't ride, this is a very good read. No fancy jargon to confuse the uninitiated and lots of great tips, advice and stories to be useful.



4. Every racer, would-be racer and track-day attendee should read and assimilate this book. It is among the best books on racing technique every published, and will provide excellent advice, as well, to road riders who want to improve their daily riding. It will also help the reader understand what he or she is seeing at the races.
   The devil, Andy Ibbott proves beyond doubt, is in the details. Rising above being `quick' to being a winner is a long, painstaking (often painful) process, and this book proves it. Racing success comes from meticulous attention to the inner workings of riding well, along with total physical, emotional and financial commitment. It takes years. There are no `instant winners.'
   Illustrated with scores of clear diagrams and magnificent photos from Gold and Goose, this is one of the best primers for aspiring racers and those already competing in a difficult and dangerous sport. The photos alone, culled from thousands taken by Gold and Goose of the great racers of the last (approximately) decade show, in detail, what the bike and rider are doing and illustrate the text powerfully--a picture really is worth a thousand words.
   In 14 lavishly illustrated chapters, Ibbott covers preparation (emphasizing fitness), how to handle the bike--acceleration, braking, cornering and steering, sliding, racing lines, qualifying, starting, passing other riders, racing psychology, crashing--managing the ambient climate (hot, cold, wet), conserving personal and machine energy and getting on top of the box. Keith Code's appendix on suspension is excellent. Ibbott quotes many of today's champions with explanations of what they do, how they do it and why it works. He puts us right in front of the greats, who answer many of the critical questions we would ask if we had the chance to sit down with them.
   There is one area of significant omission from the book, and it's a biggie. It will, beyond every imaginable personal effort, seriously affect a racer's success or failure. It is beyond the cognitive control of the individual rider and will have a lot to do with his or her potential as a racer.
   The first is genetic: the physiology of the individual, his or her vision, morphology, reaction times, propriocetive skills and associated characteristics.
   The second, closely aligned with the first, is used by military aviation authorities worldwide to screen potential pilots from those unsuited to the task: reflexes, hand-eye coordination, etc., manifest in a racer, for example, in his or her degree of `feel' for what the machine is doing, its deviation from track (e.g. sliding). Anyone interested in taking up racing should be tested for these physiological aspects. It is difficult or impossible for anyone who is not naturally (i.e. genetically) gifted to overcome basic physiological deficits.
   The third is psychological: only the tough-minded and strong-willed can win. Adolf Galland, a great WWII fighter pilot, said: "Only the spirit of attack, born in a brave heart, will bring success to any fighter aircraft, no matter how highly developed it may be." It's the same with race bikes.



5. The author is a bit to general in describing the techniques and skills used in MotoGP and the quotes from the riders themselves offer little in site into the actual techniques used for racing. Trailbraking for example is only basically defined and not detailed in any manner at all. For example they say you should brake in a progressive manor, which his good advice. But they don't really go into why you should brake in a progressive manor or provide any in site into the technical advantages other than "it helps stability". I would have liked a more technical approach and less general advice.
   
   I did think that the chapter on lines was very good however and explained the difference in lines and types of passing in the sport.
   Still this a good read for any club racer and even a better read for someone whom wants to start club racing or just wanting to improve at track days. Hell, it might even be a good read for just the MotoGp fan to better help them understand the moves and racing action on TV.

5 comments about Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Infiltration of the Hells Angels.

1. Okay, so truth be told, I bought this book thinking I would get some "birdseye view" into the world of the Hells Angels and as I am about 3/4 of the way through it, I am coming up a little dissapointed.
   Up until now, it's been an odd account of what seems like more ATF officials than the Hells Angels.
   I do have to say, that it seems to be getting better now, but I really don't have much hope!!
   And yes, there are several pages of photos in there ... sadly 98% of the faces are blurred, which I understand, but why put them in the book?? It makes no sense!
   Anyway, I will update my review once I finish, but I have to say that I don't think that it's worth the money I paid for it, I should have waited until it had been out a while and bought someones used copy for $3.



2. This was absolutely the worst wriiten book I have ever read. The subject matter is great and should be very interesting and informative but the author DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO WRITE. It makes no sense and the characters are unidentifiable. It is very unfortunate the ATF agents risked their lives and allowed the author to butcher their story. Please do not waist your time or money on this book like I did.



3. The job done by the cops - tough and respectable. The job done by the Angels - tough and respectable. The job done by the author - weak. Reads like a fiction novel.



4. I thought this book would be much better from the hype I read. No so as it is long and boring. Not much action, constant repeating and not much of a story. Maybe they could not tell much because of secrets not being allowed out. Yeah, that's it!



5. This book is absolute GARBAGE. A middle schooler could write a better book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I want my money back

5 comments about Bicycling Science, 3rd Edition.

1. Definitely a good book for bike nerds like myself. Really technical and thick reading. If you like stuff like that, then get this book.



2. I like science. I like bicycles. This book goes into much greater depth than most people will want. I couldn't even finish it. If you build bikes and/or are a physicist or engineer and like biking then you will probably enjoy it.



3. I used the book mainly to write a report on the history of recumbent bicycles. But it is an excellent source for bike history and science in general. David Gordon Wilson goes into great detail, both conceptually and technically, with regard to bike issues, such as aerodynamics.



4. While I recommend it, I don't recommend you expect a real engineering reference or good reading cover-to-cover. It is somewhere in between and as such is not very good as either.
   
   The charts and plots are good so if you only want it for that it's a great compilation of other sources and references. The history of the bicycle and the HPV chapters are very interesting. The book is one of a very few like it so "one of the best" is not that great of a compliment.
   
   It is layed out and presented as an engineering reference type book on a specific topic (something like a Mark's for bikes) but it's nowhere near as consistent, rigorous, or detailed. A better description would be "musings on bicycle design and science" by someone who is genuinely very knowledgeable on the topic.
   
   My biggest problem is with the narrative. It has way too many opinions. Many are simply some ideas the author has about a particular design or test (there's no data in this area but one way to get some would be this...). It also has way too much anecdotal evidence which is (thankfully) usually presented as such. And worst of all there are many opinions that are generally made to sound like facts through casual use of expressions such as "future testing should..." "it is recommended" "conventional design practices" "according to some" and so on.
   
   To sum up if you are an engineer looking for an engineering reference you'll be disappointed. If you are a lay bike geek you'll probably find it too technical.



5. As Miss Jean Brodie said, "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like." She meant it as an insult, but I don't. Bicycling Science is nerd heaven, full of physics, engineering, molecular biology, aerodynamics and all kinds of other scientific manna. If you have an appetite for charts, graphs, and research studies, then this book will delight you with its explanations of why bikes work so well with the human body.
   
   It's not casual reading by any means. I'd prefer the same information presented in slightly less academic tones, but that doesn't mean it isn't accurate or interesting. So I dip into my copy for short bursts. For me, it's not a cover-to-cover read, but it's been on my bedside table for months because I pick it up regularly.
   
   Bicycling Science may well be more technical info than a casual fan can absorb. However, it's a great reference that will demystify your bike -- if that's the sort of thing you like.

2 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles, 4th Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. This book was packed full of very useful information, and was a joy to read. I normally can't just sit down and read a book like this, I've got a very short attention span. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles, 4th Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to) had just enough humor packed in with all the information to keep me from being overloaded, and kept me looking forward to the next page. It took me less than a week of evenings to finish reading this, and I find myself re-reading sections every now and then.
   
   Definitely a great book for the first-time rider. I own my own motorcycle now, and had a much better idea of what to expect thanks to this book.
   
   I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!



2. BEING A NOVICE, THIS BOOK IS YOUR GUIDE TO WORLD OF MOTORCYLES. ENJOY IT.
   VERY WELL WRITTEN.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motor Scooters (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. Wow, what a great introduction to scooters! This book has all of the information one needs for someone who is considering buying a scooter or who is just starting out. Even better, it is well-written, practical, and concise. It has a good balance of information on various aspects, such as safety, maintenance, customization, scooter jargon, and social networking. It includes useful pictures, including some unique scooters, as well as specifications for many makes and models. My only quibble, and it is a minor one, is that I found it a bit confusing that the chapter on Protective Clothing was included in the Fun Stuff section, while the chapter on Customizing Your Scooter was included in the What to Expect section. The placement of the chapters seems to be flip-flopped. Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend this guide to anyone who is fairly new to scooters.



2. I purchased this book because I wanted to learn how to take proper care of my motor scooter. Hoping it would be more elaborate on the maintenance section. The instruction booklet that came with my Roketa Bali-150 have instructions that are hard to read, if not unusable. This book tells you a lot, but if you're looking for information about cleaning a carbeurator, changing a spark plug, drive belt replacement, or any kind of maintenance, save yourself some money and I'd suggest another book. The information in the book is very vague, and not very specific at times also.



3. If you are interested in scooters and if you want to get all the information you need in compact, pleasant and entertaining way... you will be a complete idiot not to get this one!



4. This book is for all those who dont know ANYTHING about scooters. Which it very good. It dose have a lot of really good basic information about scooters but is not for those who need something more in depth.



5. This is a good basic intro guide to modern day scooters. Ideal for those who know nothing about scoots (such as that nickname) or haven't kept up with their changes. (Guess I qualify on the last item -- haven't owned a scooter in 50 years, back when I had a Cushman in high school)

5 comments about The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey.

1. Seen the movie long before the book, but this book was very interesting to see how Che's thoughts began to form before he became only known as Che. Pictures in the centre were an added bonus. It's a quick read with concise notes (they are journal notes afterall), and it gave me a greater understanding and feeling of compassion for Ernesto Guevara - someone who I didn't know a lot about and in the USA you hear about how bad he is. Good thing I live in Canada, with an open mind.



2. I'm so pleased that you had this earlier English translation of The Motorcycle Diaries and that it arrived in time for my Spanish class presentation. I also read the newer edition that came out with the movie in 2004. Your book had a much better translation. Thanks for your help. Sometimes older books are better books.



3. If this book were written by any other person, I'd give it 2 Stars. But because it's by Che, you at least get some insights into him, and that makes it a 3.
   
   This was a turning point adventure for Che; it's the trip that turned him from curious medical student to doing down the path of revolutionary. For that alone, it's worth the read.
   
   But if you're looking for an even better book about Che, and with all the adventure, get "Chasing Che" by Patrick Symms. It's an excellent read.
   
   And if you're looking for a motorcycle adventure book, look no further than One-Man Caravan by Robert Fulton. Imagine traveling around the WORLD on a motorcycle BACK IN 1932. Complete with pictures, drawings and great writing ... simply a masterpiece within the genre.
   
   Back to Motorcycle Diaries ... I think this book could have been so much more. Che was a good writer, but he stumbles on himself a lot. And, because he actually wrote this book AFTER the adventure was over, it feels like there is a lot of glossing over and "story fill" that robs it of the spontaneity it could have had.
   
   Still, if you're into Che, it's probably on the "must read" list.



4. Che Guevara... Whether you respect him or not there is absolutely no denying the fact that he had a profound impact on the history of Central America and the Caribbean. This book is plainly and simply about a young man on a journey to become the person everyone knows in history. He sets out as a college student in his early twenties on the motorcycle La Poderosa II with Alberto Granado. When he returns a year later he has aged a hundred years. It is almost as though he has become a different person.
   
   On his journey he saw the impoverished and the ignored. He saw indifference and hate. He saw racism and inequality... especially inequality.
   
   This journey across the poor and rich regions of Latin America made Ernesto Che Guevara exactly who he was. In his travels he found he could not understand why some should have more than others. His communist views developed from seeing the unfair treatment of the poor. He was ready, by the end, to do whatever it took to win equality for all: even fight. As he said at the end of his book: "I feel my nostrils dilate, savoring the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood. The enemy's death; I steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy and new hope."
   
   Although a few things are lost to us English speakers through the translation and Argentine dialect this is a book which is full of rich detail and of deep internal struggle. This book was written in 1952, but edited and assembled much later. This causes some very Communist views to appear that were clearly added well after the original writings.
   Still this is a great read to see the mind of a genius in a time when the world was still reeling from the shock of a great world war and gearing up for the middle of the cold war. Che Guevara would go on in life to befriend Fidel Castro and be his right hand man in the Communist regime over Cuba. Che Guevara, whether you like him or not, is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most influential people in history.



5. I understand that he was an important historical figure but his adolescent writings are pretty uninteresting.
   I much preferred the movie over the book.

5 comments about Twist of the Wrist: The Motorcycle Roadracers Handbook.

1. Got this book along with a couple other authors riding books. Goes into great detail about racing and riding techniques. Thumbs up



2. Great book for the weekend rider to the begining roadracer, easy reading, and easy to relate to. I enjoyed reading a chapter or subject topic, then going out and applying what I learned to my riding technique. This book covers things you should be thinking of while riding and makes you think about what you already do but, don't know why.



3. This book doesn't have anything groundbreaking and is a little dated as of 2007 but is a very helpful reminder of the important things that you learned and forget to apply when you are actually riding. Not at all technical. The sidebars don't really tie into the content very well, but overall, it has helped me improve my track days.



4. This was by fare the worst motorcycle book I have ever read. From the start to the finish Mr. Code tried to explain the basics of how a motorcycle operates. But what he really did was take a hundred plus pages explaining that you should pay attention while riding a motorcycle. The tips that are given in the book are common sense tips that if you have ridden a bike once then you already know them. I would not recommend this book to any rider.



5. This is a must have read and is better if you study it before you start racing or going to your first track day.

5 comments about Roadshow: Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle.

1. I really enjoyed this book. If you are a motorcycle rider and like music, you will enjoy this book also. Great book for the winter when you cannot get out and ride because Neal takes you on a motorcycle tour and the rigors of being on a concert tour with a band. I like this book better than another Neal Peart book, Ghost Rider for personal reasons.



2. Every Neil Peart book is better than the last. Don't get me wrong, I like them all, but he is making incredible strides as a storyteller with each book. His writing is so good now that you really care what he's going to have for breakfast in Denver, or if he'll change his bike's oil in Dallas or Oklahoma City. Simple everday things, for sure. But the prose are so riveting, he makes you want to know.
   
   I admit I'm a huge Rush fan, and I know that influences my enjoyment of his books. But I am also a published author, and I can recognize the work of a talented writer. His musical talents aside, Peart can write, and it seems that he's found a perfect niche in these travel memoirs.
   
   Even if you're not into Rush, give this book (or one of his other books) a chance. His books are hidden gems in the literary world that I fear may not be fully appreciated.



3. I found this book very interesting as I am intrested in my favorite performers lives. The only reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is because of the constant Christian bashing. It's obvious Neil is very bitter about Christianity for whatever reason. He never really tells us why. He did mention that after the tradgedies happened in his life that the Bible was no help. He quotes all the church signs he comes across in his journeys through the US. I agree that some of them were over the top but others had a good message. As a Christian myself I am praying for Neil. I pray God will change his heart and turn his face toward Christ.



4. Full disclosure here; I've been a loyal Rush fan since I first heard them back in 1979. With that said, being a fan only adds to the enjoyment of reading the smooth and vividly descriptive writing of Neil Peart.
   
   He did a fantastic job of giving the reader a candid look at the band, their history, backstage antics and the more indecorous side of the music business. He does an equally impressive job of describing the freedom, beauty, aroma, and adventure of touring our beautiful country on a motorcycle. As a "Beemer" rider myself, I share his love for the open road. I can relate to the sights, sounds and exhilarating thrill each mile brings; I often found myself "riding with him".
   
   Throughout the book you will find many examples of his quest for perfection in his music, practice, and performance. (To those of us who've had the pleasure of attending a Rush concert, that discipline is readily apparent) At times he appears a bit fussy when things do not go according to his plans (but then, don't we all?). He reviews his performances probably more harshly than the most anal music critic, often not giving himself the credit due for such great performances; all while enduring the trials and tribulations of living on the road. The book describes in detail what it's like to tour with the band all that it brings, and at the same time portrays his private struggle of carrying on while overcoming insurmountable loss; pleasing everyone but himself. He describes the delicate balance of work and home life in living color.
   
   I came to admire his methodical, exacting approach toward his music, writing, and riding. In addition to the portrayal of one who is fun-loving and self effacing, you will also find by reading this book that he is an intensely private person with a close circle of steadfast friends, which I'm sure is a luxury at his status.
   
   In summary, Roadshow is a fantastic book for Rush fans and motorcycle travelers, and more so to those of us who are lucky enough to be both.



5. Neil Peart's books encompass a lot of things which makes them hard to categorize, but if you had to pick one genre, he specializes in Travel Writing -- what he sees, thinks and experiences while traveling around the world via car, bike, or most frequently motorcycles. Most of his books rarely mention his career with Rush. This one chronicles his motorcycle travels during their 2004 30th Anniversary Tour, and its his most straight forward and best to date. Peart writes with a vivid, conversational style that makes it easy to imagine his journey (He travels separately from the tour entourage and keeps a low profile), and he peppers his books with opinions and observations - which are enjoyable whether you are a Rush fan or not. Most of this book is about riding the open highways and enjoying the winding scenic roads of America, Canada and Europe, so this is not the definitive Rush memoir. But if you're open to something intelligent that defies catagorization, this is a very enjoyable read.