ARA Review by AlisonJSeely of Burn Zones

[AlisonJSeely]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Burn Zones.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Burn Zones: Playing Life's Bad Hands by Jorge P. Newberry is a classic story of an American entrepreneur. Jorge writes an autobiographical memoir that underscores the accessibility of the American dream. If you work hard and dream big, you will succeed. It is not a linear path. Jorge Newberry describes a series of jobs he crafts for himself from the age of seven. He has an eye for opportunity and leaves school the moment he can legally do so in order to follow his own ambitions. Jorge’s path is a steady climb of successes until he is stymied by a natural disaster which plummets him into debt and trouble with the law. He emerges from this major roadblock through his attitude of self reliance and integrity.

The novel tracks Jorge’s ambitious and varied undertakings from delivering newspapers, selling ice cream, running a record label, racing bikes as a professional including the Olympic trials in 1988, and eventually running a vast company of apartment complexes. Bicycle racing defined his early adult years and he uses the grit he had to employ to outrace stronger cyclists as a metaphor in his later business dealings. When his world crashes around him when an ice storm triggers a cascade of escalating debt ultimately surpassing 26 million, he does not give up. He refuses to file for bankruptcy and eventually uses the lessons to redirect his energy to help similar victims of corporate greed. He forges a hedge fund, the American Homeowner Preservation, which aims to help homeowners remain in their homes with manageable levels of debt repayment.

Jorge is the son of immigrants and describes being “other” as a half Latino in white neighbourhoods. His sense of being a minority gives him empathy for the victims of corporate greed and racism. Jorge doesn’t play the victim. He is unstinting in attributing his success to the buttressing of very supportive parents. The novel is often a moving testimonial to the support of both parents, and is unabashed in celebrating his love for them both.

The novel reads fairly well as a mix of prose and letters and recounting of conversations. At times, it is riveting and a page turner, and at other times is a bit of a slog, though that may be a reflection of my lack of interest in the financial details of the housing market. Throughout the narrative, Jorge comes across as humble and likeable, which preserves the reader’s interest in the outcome.

I would rate the novel as 4 out of 5 stars. It is not exceptionally written, but is an inspiring read nevertheless. It was a lesson of the often corrupt and unfair workings of corporate real estate in America. I chose to read the novel due to interest in cycling. I discovered very quickly that cycling was just a metaphor for the pursuit of a moneyed real estate race. This was not an area of interest for me, but Jorge manages to keep the reader interested and engaged as he describes the obstacles he encounters and his ethical way of surmounting them.

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