-Winner Take All by Dambisa Moyo (2012). The author examines how China has been making a resource-grab globally in recent times, while the rest of the world seems to be sitting on its collective hands. It would appear that everyone is simply ignoring that it is a resource-scarce world, with only Red China acknowledging this reality and preparing accordingly. To make matters worse for the West, its various policy regimes which seek to inhibit behavior or protect local producers by preventing access to foreign producers, only force those growers in Africa and elsewhere even more into China’s waiting arms.
The criticism often volleyed against China is that its effort to gather resources, particularly in the less-developed areas of the world, resembles a form of neo-colonialism. But, as the author (and others) point out, they are not coming to these countries trying to impose religion, government or culture – they are there for the resources, and are willing to build needed infrastructure and schools in order to get it. In fact, the Chinese often have a much more favorable standing in the eyes of the local population than the United States or European countries who take a much different tact in these lands. In general, the argument put forth in the book does seem to confirm that commodity prices only have one direction in which to move: higher.
-Street Smarts by Jim Rogers (2013). More of a memoir than anything I’ve seen him write before. I think he espouses a couple of things that my dad would endorse. To find your passion and the money will follow. Bouncing back from failure will probably make you more successful in the long term. To make a lot of money, resist diversification and concentrate in the ideas that you know and have strong belief about. Business school is a waste of time and money.
Overall, I enjoyed it.
