“The Wall Street Journal Guide To Investing In The Apocalypse” Review

You either love him or you hate him- that seems to be the consensus on James Altucher, a hedge fund manager and author. Most notably, in the eco/green crowd, he is the “guy who doesn’t believe in global warming”. I don’t believe that this makes him a bad guy…I think that everyone automatically discards people based on negative “tags” that we’ve given them without looking further into who they really are. I personally know an energy company CEO who thinks global warming is a crock, but the work that he does benefits the global warming community greatly.

At the end of the day, it is really about finding common ground in order to benefit all parties in a relationship. This can be done on Capitol Hill, believe it or not. They just choose to perpetuate the good cop/bad cop scheme to keep moving the ball down field. If you don’t know what I am talking about then don’t worry…yes, your vote DOES count and every politician is totally sincere in their promises. (Sometimes reading the spoiler can be too much for people…but I digress.)

James has just released a new book called, “The Wall Street Journal Guide To Investing In The Apocalypse: Making Money by Seeing Opportunity Where Others See Peril” and despite the long title, it is a short read. “What? You read a book written by a global warming skeptic?” Yes, I most certainly did and I am here to dispel the rumors, put out the fires, and re-freeze the polar ice caps. Poor James seems to get eaten alive in his some of his book reviews because there are a lot of people who are very “Matrix minded” and can’t see any other beliefs or perceptions outside of their own. There is also a subset of reviewers who believe that Altucher is a screw up for not wiring them $100K, investing it for them personally, and then tucking them into bed. Sorry folks, but if that is what you are looking for, this book isn’t for you. James writes to an audience, whom he assumes, has a head with a brain in it. He presents the perils and fears of our society and shows how you can ride the wave, whether of skepticism or of truth, in the market. His book deals a lot with global warming, oil, alternative energy, etc. and presents stocks that show how to balance the current state of the market with the “possibilities” of disaster, change, global threats, etc…or as the back jacket on the book reads, “(he) offers investors the key to finding a silver lining in almost any cataclysm.” So, is the book worth it?

I think that it is well written, organized, and has principles that can change the average investor into a smarter investor. I have learned much I didn’t know and, more importantly, connected the dots in my own thinking as to how I should invest in the future. Information is only useful if it is put to use. It can be analyzed over and over and talked about around the water cooler, but the chap who runs with it -regardless of whether he wins or fails- will come out ahead. So, I am asking my fine readers to overlook James’s bad hair and global warming views and check out his book for themselves. My perspective has changed by many of his views…I regularly read his blog, The Altucher Confidential. I agree with a lot and toss out what I don’t agree with…it’s kind of like eating those boxes of chocolate…I mean who eats the chocolate with yellow coconut nougat cream whatever in the middle? Ughh!

I promise that you’ll be inspired or pissed off and either way, those are impetuses for creativity and success. Go grab a copy now (disclosure: this is an affiliate link. We get a small percentage from Amazon if you buy it.) Kindle version here.

Stop rolling the dice and start investing with some more confidence…there are a lot of plays in the field of alternative energy…sitting in front of your monitor doing nothing ISN’T one of them.

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Ethan K.

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2 Comments

  • Thanks for the review! Never heard of him but I’ll check out the site, and maybe his book.

  • I really loved the movie clip! Hilarious. I can deal with a “non-believer” in global warming. I read on his site that he walks everywhere so he may be more eco friendly than us “Prius” drivers.