J E Warr

JE Warr is an intriguing figure, straddling the worlds of authorship and financial empowerment with a down-to-earth flair that’s hard to ignore. As the author of Once a Rhinoceros is in Your Kitchen It Can’t be Ignored, he’s crafted a book that’s less about highfalutin theories and more about gritty, practical wisdom drawn from a life of hard knocks and relentless curiosity. He’s also written financial books such as Shelter From the Storm, How to Save Money Even If You’re Broke. He is a prolific short story writer with books like Ghost Writers, Christmas Gifts, Short Tails. With just a high school diploma, Warr’s no ivory-tower scribe—he’s a self-made man who’s dodged bankruptcy, scaled entrepreneurial heights, and carved out a niche in insurance and securities. His books are a folksy blend of personal yarns, financial strategies and action packed novles, and a call to arms against the “financial flu” of conventional wisdom. He’s got a knack for tossing out “JEisms”—pithy sayings that stick like burrs on a hound dog—and a passion for shaking up the status quo, whether it’s challenging bankers or rethinking retirement.

As the founder of the Second Chance Hope Group, Warr’s mission takes on a sharper edge. This outfit, tied to efforts like crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., one on GoFundMe titled “Eliminate DWIs, Save Lives, Educate For Success”), is all about transforming lives through financial literacy and community support. The group’s focus seems to zero in on folks reentering society—think ex-offenders or those recovering from trauma—arming them with tools to master money and dodge recidivism. Warr’s approach is hands-on: workshops, seminars, one-on-one coaching, covering everything from budgeting to investing. The group’s ethos, from what I can glean, is about empowerment through knowledge—teaching people to fish, not just handing ‘em a pole.

Warr’s backstory adds grit to his creds. He’s tangled with the financial giants—claims they tried to “cork him up” with legal muscle—and even spent five years locked up, for daring to write a book that exposed the financial industry. That didn’t silence him; it fueled him. His foreword buddy, Jim Beall, a Sandia National Labs scientist, paints him as a financial maverick who’d rather ask “What if?” than bow to dogma. Together, they’ve cooked up strategies that flip the script on debt and retirement, like turning mortgage notes into gold mines or ditching 401(k) roulette for self-directed IRAs. Warr’s not polished—his style’s rough-hewn, like a barn dance caller—but that’s his charm. He’s a good ol’ boy with a rebel streak, aiming to hand you the reins to your own financial corral.