Bob Jones: Jones on Property
Here is a review of “Jones on Property”, by Bob Jones. I originally wrote this article for my old site in November 2005.
Well, I’m excited, because I’ve just discovered that one of my favourite property authors, Bob Jones, has released another property book.If you’re not familiar with Bob Jones, you’re in for a treat.Bob (now Sir Robert) Jones is a renowned property investor from New Zealand. He wrote a book back in 1977 called “Jones on Property”. It was a classic, but it’s hard to get hold of now. I managed to get hold of a copy last year by going to a website that specialized in selling hard-to-find second-hand books. It’s now probably the most prized book on my shelf, because it would be hard to replace.His style is not for everyone - if you are a socialist or a public servant, I would not recommend the book to you, because Bob pulls no punches. “Politically Correct” and “Bob Jones” seldom appear in the same sentence, except with a “not” in between. But this does make his books very interesting to read - these are not dry textbooks!Just out of school, Bob Jones walked out of his first job in the Public Service, and within a decade had built substantial wealth in commercial property. He must be one of the most successful commercial property investors ever to bother to write a book about it. He has made an enormous amount of money in commercial property, and his wealth is all self-made. He really is an investor, in that he holds property for the long-term. He is not a trader, and rarely sells property to “cash out” his gains. He owns property in several different countries, and I like to think he has a soft spot for budding investors and entrepreneurs. High up on the long list of things he doesn’t like, he seems to intensely dislike lazy people, whingers, or people who wait for others to do everything for them. He now spends as much time as he can trout-fishing.
I found myself wondering what he was up to lately, and did a Google search on him. I was surprised to discover that he has recently released a long-awaited sequel called “My Property World”.
I searched for it on Amazon, but couldn’t find it. It definitely hasn’t shown up in my local book shop. The only places I have found it for sale are New Zealand based online bookstores. I don’t know why, but it only seems to be available locally in New Zealand. I ordered a copy today, and it’s being flown over to me. I am eagerly waiting for it.
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