Kyle MacDonald
I first became aware of the ORP project when I heard a mention of it on Alice Cooper’s radio show (yes he has a show, yes he is quite funny). Unemployed dreamer Kyle MacDonald decides he is tired of sponging off his patient girlfriend Dom. Faced with the choice of finding full-time employment or providing for her in a creative way, MacDonald starts http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com. Over the course of a year, MacDonald plays the “Bigger and Better” trading game, eventually ending up with a house of his very own. The press goes nuts in both the US and Canada and MacDonald bemusedly gets swept along. What I find most about the book is MacDonald’s careful consideration and ground rules for what constitutes a good trade. He coined the terms “funtential” – how much fun is included in the trade. MacDonald is truly a nice guy who thoroughly deserves his house.