Customer Reviews

The Silk Road to Riches: How You Can Profit by Investing in Asia's Newfound Prosperity

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
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Centuries ago the old silk road and then the spice routes helped enrich Europe for centuries and helped spark the rise of the merchant classes in Italy and other countries. This book makes that case that the Western nations have matured and are actually stagnating while Asia (including India) are benefiting from explosive growth. Since over half the world's populations live in this region, the growth of these economies will make them world economic powers in the decades to come. The authors even make the case for them becoming dominant economic powers.

If you buy into their story, and they are persuasive, you will want to read this book and think about ways to benefit from investing in this growth. After all, it is easier to grow when you start near zero than when you are near one-hundred percent. The book uses all kinds of trends, charts, and stories to make their case.

I will only add two words of caution. First, beware of using the past to predict the future. To quote the economist Herb Stein, "If a trend can't continue, it won't." And as for investing in Asia being different this time, remember the sage advice that whenever someone says to you, "This time it is different" you need to lock you wallet in your safe and change the combination.

The second caution is that there are real risks to property and returns in these countries. You cannot assume that they will treat your invested principle and your gains with the same respect for property (such as it is) as exists in the West. If it suits their interest to change the rules mid-stream, they might well do so. So, be careful.

There is no doubt that there is huge opportunity in Asia and many will find superior returns there. You may be one of them. But many will also acquire losses and make capital gains possible for others. You might be one of them.

An amazing book on everything to changes in different types of food people eat as they have more disposable income to how petroleum is refined into gasoline and different grades of crude. The book is mostly about changes in India and China and the promise and peril of possible investments in these countries with an emerging middle class.
Numerous other important topics that are too numerous to mention. Books about the future and investment themes are not easy to construct if well thought out and with specific, practical, and meaningful suggestions, in this case investment advice. One also has to be open minded and humble, and at the same time confident which the authors seem to be. I think this book accomplishes the above and is a triumph of connecting numerous (moving) dots with expertise and what appears to be a significant amount of research.
This is a well written book. I am a tough grader, but I give it five stars.

Not only on Asia, but some excellent historical perspective on the U.S. markets as well. If you've been wondering about all this talk regarding globalization and how it may affect your investing in the future, this book is a solid read. I would not recommend this for the novice investor but a more intermediate to somewhat seasoned investor.

China and India, among other economies in Asia, are a tremendous opportunity to profit from their continuous growth. In his book, Mr. Mostrous show us the road to make it happen.