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Bumbling with the Arabs All the Way to the Bank
Table of Contents
About The Book
"a good read full of humorous antidotes of the author’s encounters with oil-rich Arabs in the Middle East and Houston." – Fred Hofheinz, Former Mayor City of Houston
Bumbling with the Arabs All the Way to the Bank chronicles the true story of two young, naïve Houston real estate go-getters as they rub elbows with some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the Middle East.
In 1980, Ben Koshkin and his business partner bumbled into a real estate deal and ended up with a Kuwaiti billionaire as a partner. Through this partnership, Koshkin befriended the undersecretary to the oil minister of Kuwait. For four years, if the undersecretary didn't sign the contract, Kuwait didn't sell the oil.
Throughout the eighties, Koshkin and his partner closed over 250 million dollars' worth of business with the Arabs and experienced firsthand a culture the United States still doesn't fully understand.
After every trip to the Middle East, men in dark suits, sporting sunglasses and short haircuts, would line up outside their Houston office to ask questions about their business overseas and the people they met on their trips.
Bumbling with the Arabs All the Way to the Bank documents experiences and encounters most people will never come close to experiencing in a hundred lifetimes. At times, these stories were hard for even Ben Koshkin to believe-and he lived them!
"Bumbling is outstanding, different, educational, and highly entertaining." – Clayton Lee, Clayton Lee Counseling
"Having heard the stories from [Ben Koshkin] all these years, it was nice to have them come to life on paper. [His] writing style and how the book was structured made this an easy read that kept my attention throughout. Our perception of life and people in the Middle East is certainly different from reality." – Brad Dill, BD Realty Advisors
“If I knew what my son was doing, I would never have survived to live this long.” – Naomi Koshkin Friedman, Ben’s 101-year-old mother
Product Details
- Publisher: Indigo River Publishing (September 12, 2023)
- Length: 304 pages
- ISBN13: 9781950906246
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Raves and Reviews
“Fascinating read. Read it cover to cover. Reads like a diary with reality and humor.” – George Freda, Purple Heart Korean Veteran
“Fascinating read of [Ben Koshkin’s] experiences and real estate dealings in the Middle East!” – David Schwarz, Realtor at Transwestern
“A personal memoir of a guy from Houston who stumbled into the real estate business in Kuwait and discovered vast cultural differences. It's a good read full of humorous anecdotes of the author's encounters with oil-rich Arabs in the Middle East and Houston. With his delightful storytelling style Koshkin has altered our understanding of Arabs, who they are and how they think.” – Fred Hofheinz, Former Mayor City of Houston
“Forty years ago, Ben Koshkin did something few Americans ever do. He got inside the world of fabulously rich and powerful Kuwaitis. Fortunately, for the rest of us, he’s written a book that tells us what it was like. He’s not rich and they were billionaires, but because they liked the way he did business, they invited him to wild parties, took him on gambling junkets where losing millions was a good time, offered him opportunities to make money, and became his friend. Because Ben Koshkin is a natural born storyteller, the book is fun, but it is more than fun. It’s a meditation on a collision of cultures, and it will make you think.” – Dr. Allen Matusow, Professor at Rice University
“...insightful and fun read of his firsthand account doing business in often perilous situations in the Middle East…As Ben learned, often the hard way, our perception of the Middle East is not what Ben found to be true in his adventures.” – Charles Foster, Chairman Immigration and Nationality Law Foster LLP
“I found [Bumbling] quite interesting and informative. From a Texas businessman's perspective, I found the business methods and practices pretty wild. You have had an amazing education in Mideastern people and their way of life. Thanks for sharing your experiences.” – Dick Rogers, Subdivision Developer
“...one of the most interesting and eye-opening books I have ever read.’” – Candy Gilmer
“This is one of the most interesting and eye-opening books I have ever read. All I can say is, ‘Wow, great job Ben.’” – Candy Gilmer
“...an absolutely hilarious adventure…The duck hunt itself is an episode of what should be made into a series for Netflix.” – John Cates, Founder of Lifeway Substance Use Disorder Program
“The book strikes me as a fascinating biographical narrative, giving one a true perspective of the Arab culture. If I knew what my son was doing, I would never have survived to live this long.” – Naomi Koshkin Friedman, Ben’s 101-year-old mother
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