This month we are reviewing three books: 1. “The Scent of Corruption, 2. “What Every Real Estate Investor Needs To Know About Cash Flow…”, and 3. “’The Encyclopedia of Commercial Real Estate Advice”.

  1. ” The Scent of Corruption” (320 pages, paperback, 2015) by Alaric Bond. I read and reviewed the first six books in this British Naval Fiction series; “His Majesty’s Ship”, “The Jackass Frigate” True Colors”, “Cut and Run”, “The Patriot’s Fate” and “The Torrid Zone”. I give them high marks. Now that I read the first six stories in the series, I like it even more. I learned that the author does not center the series and each book around the captain. All the other series are about the captain rising from humble or noble beginnings to the end of an illustrious career. In Bond’s world, he follows a cross section of the crew, from the lowest to the captain. You are never sure who will survive and who won’t. There are some spoilers in the review concerning the meaning of the title and more; so, beware.
  2. “What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow… And 36 Other Key Financial Measures, Updated Edition” (368 pages, paperback, 2018) by Frank Gallinelli: I came across this in a blog post, can’t remember where, so I ordered it and read it. I do recommend it with the caveat that it is exactly what the title says, descriptions and methods of calculation of “key financial measures”. There is no (other) real estate advice in the book. Thirty years ago, before the internet and financial calculators, this would be a valuable reference book. Now, you can get all of this online or on your phone. And I will restate my claim on TheMonopolyProject.com blog; “…it only takes eight grade arithmetic; add, subtract, multiply, divide, and a mortgage look up table to do real estate”.
  3. “The Encyclopedia of Commercial Real Estate Advice” (528 pages, hardback, 2020) by Terry Painter: I am impressed. This has my highest recommendation. And it is very timely in that we are in the middle of a commercial escrow. Several points he makes have already happened in our escrow.