Favourites
Marc Faber Aka Dr Doom. The financial analyst and economic historian behind monthly newsletter The Boom, Gloom And Doom Report has lived in Hong Kong for 26 years. His company, Marc Faber Ltd, provides investment advice and manages money. He also writes columns for Apple Daily, Capital Magazine and international publications, such as Forbes.
Favourite book: Resume De L'Histoire Du Commerce Et De L'Industrie by Adolphe Blangui. It's a condensed economic history of the world since antiquity and reads like a novel. I admire someone who can write about such a complex subject in so few words.
Magazine: The Spectator which is, in my opinion, the most thought-provoking and critical magazine.
Film: I like Casablanca because it is sexy, sensuous, sentimental and action-packed. Other favourites: On The Waterfront, a social study of violence in the docks of America and the early days of the union movement; La Grande Illusion, which shows the nonsense of war; and Nous Sommes Tous Des Assassins, another social study about the difficulty of making judgments about criminals.
CD: At home I sleep, in the office I work, in the car I listen to the radio. The only time I listen to music is when I'm in a bar or club. But I do like Elvis Presley.
Car: A tank to flatten all the Rolls-Royces and Mercedes-Benzes which block the way of my Harley-Davidson ... and to blow up ugly buildings, such as the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Place to take a guest in Hong Kong: China City and B Boss - after a heavy dinner, they are perfect places to go for dessert.
Way to keep fit: Smoking and drinking relieve me of stress and keep me happy.
Way to spend a Sunday: Sleeping in the morning and reading and writing in my office throughout the afternoon until late evening.
Holiday destination: Watching animals is for me a very peaceful and relaxing way to spend a holiday. My favourite places are the Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador, for birds, sealions and dolphins; Botswana for African wildlife; and Alaska for whales and bears.
Scent: The smell of women.
Cosmetic/beauty product: Aramis' RNA direct moisture cream keeps me looking young - it works wonders for a hangover.
Accessory: My Hewlett Packard Palmtop computer for storing my addresses, telephone numbers and a vast amount of economic, historical, political and geographical statistics.
Hairdresser: Kim Robinson, whom I've come to know through my wife, Supatra. He's a very creative hairdresser and a very individualistic person.
Meal: Good French cheese with baguette and red wine - a meal rarely available in Hong Kong owing to the lack of good French cheese.
Restaurant: Supatra's because it was this year voted the best Thai restaurant in Hong Kong by the Thai Tourist Authority, plus I can eat there for free (he is married to the owner).
Alcoholic drink: A Bloody Mary from the St Regis Hotel bar in New York, where it was invented.
Shop: Sex shops in Hamburg. I'm always amazed at the imagination and obsession people have with sex objects, most of which are totally useless.
Artist: Rubens. It's amusing that thousands of his works are shown in museums all over the world, yet he painted only a few.
Designer: The late Gianni Versace for his incredible creativity - he revolutionised men's fashion by making casual clothes acceptable. And Moschino for the cynicism of his designs for women.
Person: Buddha because his objective was not to create a dogmatic religion but to provide a philosophy of life which centres around self-improvement.
