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Burn Zones: Life Band Hands Review

Part memoir, part inspirational story, BURN ZONES: PLAYING THE BAD HANDS OF LIFE by Jorge P. Newbery is the true story of the life of a modern Renaissance man, a self-made success that will not stop at nothing to achieve your goals.

Newbery begins his narrative with a short introduction that informs the reader what he means by the concept of “burning zone.” It’s a notion that Newbery borrows from his pro cycling days and refers to a period of extended and total effort that routinely separates the winners of a competition from those who finish behind them. It’s a metaphor Newbery embraces throughout his book, using it to describe the various obstacles he and his loved ones faced on the road to success.

Newbery’s drive for excellence began at a young age. When he was only seven years old, he took a paper route and woke up before dawn just to earn some extra money. By the age of eleven, he had saved enough money to buy an ice cream cart, pedaling the frozen treats around his neighborhood, and like any good entrepreneur, he was obsessed with providing his customers with only the highest quality products.

At the age of sixteen, Newbery was an outstanding student among the best in his class, but he was tired of traditional education and wanted to put his skills to the test in the real world. Newbery, the youngest son of liberal and supportive parents, dropped out of high school and began his career. Having always been in love with the Los Angeles punk music scene, Newbery began producing records of young punk rock talents. He narrates memorable concerts and emphasizes his savings during this period, living at home and saving quite a bit of money.

After several years and numerous successes, Newbery reached the peak of his record tycoon abilities and sought to conquer a new challenge. He discovered that challenge in the form of a gift his father gave him for his nineteenth birthday: a used racing bike. Knowing that the Summer Olympics would be held in Los Angeles for years to come, Newbery quickly wished to enter the world of competitive bike riding. He trained non-stop for dozens of months, pedaling hundreds of miles a week, eventually achieving semi-professional status, competing alongside some of the most elite names in cycling. But after an extremely disappointing performance at the Tour de México, Newbery abandoned his cycling dreams and sought to enter new ‘burning zones’.

A serendipitous acquaintance with a real estate broker led him to a career as a loan officer, a position that later connected Newbery with the valuable opportunities he needed to enter the housing market. Newbery bought, and quickly transformed, several mid-size housing projects in Southern California. These successes eventually led him to purchase the Woodland Meadows Housing Project in Columbus, Ohio, a decrepit and gritty complex of over a thousand units. Newbery’s ingenuity, savings, and drive allowed him to change Woodland Meadows, creating a desirable place to live for his tenants and a considerable profit for Newbery.

But it all turned south when a series of bad changes and misfortunes led to the collapse of Woodlands Meadows and criminal charges were brought against Newbery. Losing everything, Newbery refused to give up and instead went through his toughest ‘burn zone’ and rebuilt his life slowly and surely. Throughout his trials, he never lost sight of his goal of being the best.

BURN ZONES tells an undeniably impressive true story of a successful, motivated and undeniably ambitious entrepreneur. Conveyed frankly and accurately, Newbery’s prose conveys many of the greatest achievements and defeats of his life, all in an effort to inspire his readers to conquer their own burned-out zones. Though a bit disjointed at times and perhaps overly optimistic in tone and scope, BURN ZONES ultimately makes for an enjoyable read for those interested in real-life success stories.