5 comments about The Best Investment Advice I Ever Received: Priceless Wisdom from Warren Buffett, Jim Cramer, Suze Orman, Steve Forbes, and Dozens of Other Top Financial Experts.

1. "Best Investment Advice I Ever Received" is a quick and easy read. It includes a lot of great advice offered by those who really know what they are talking about. Truly, these individuals have earned our respect. This is not a so-called great book. However, Liz Claman has put together a work that can be profitably read for five to ten minutes at a time. It easily deserves 4 3/4 stars out of 5.



2. I was moving cross-country and this was one of several audiobooks I purchased for the trip. I'm not a newbie to this material so perhaps that is why I almost drove myself into a ditch with boredom. Probably best for someone who doesnt read the WSJ or watch CNBC on a regular basis.



3. Dozens of authors means there is no developed coherent thought.
   
   You could read this and you might find a few gems, but you'd find more in other works. Benjamin Graham can give you better insight into value investing, John Bogle has the sell on index funds, William Bernstein will give you the low-down on asset allocation, and Jim Cramer will do a better job introducing you to market psychology and the business cycle.



4. This book provide many views on investments from many interesting people who are considered at the top of their games. It is an interesting read.



5. Whoa! How will last week's turmoil on Wall Street affect your organization and your team members? Here's a simple idea to bless your staff. Every morning around the coffee pot or the water cooler, hold a stand-up check-in meeting of no more than 10 minutes.
   
   After reviewing the day's priorities, read a page or a paragraph from this insightful book. Fast forward 10, 20 or 30 years. Many of your team members will be retired--if they have managed their investments prudently. Ask your staff how many hours they have invested in the last 12 months on learning about prudent money management practices?
   
   You can help them prepare for retirement by adding several financial planning books to your resource library, including this one. The subtitle reads, "Priceless Wisdom from Warren Buffett, Jim Cramer, Suze Orman, Steve Forbes, and Dozens of Other Top Financial Experts."
   
   With 20/20 hindsight almost a year after the publication of the paperback (November 2007), it's still revealing to read and discern the wisdom from these 65 business and financial experts.
   * "It is startling to know that a $23,000 investment at birth, invested at a 6 percent annual interest rate, would grow to $1,015,334.35 at age sixty-five." (Paul O'Neill)
   * "There was a wonderful money manager decades ago who said you should invest the way you play tennis. Unless you're a pro, just try to get the ball over the net. In investing, just try to get the ball over the net and let compounding interest do the rest." (Steve Forbes)
   * "His advice was remarkably simple: Save. Save a lot and save often. One of the unique characteristics of Americans is that we generally don't realize that savings and consumption are mutually exclusive. You simply can't do both." (Richard Bernstein)
   
   You'll find more wisdom in this quick-reading book. Buy it and your ROI could be stunning. It's a helpful resource to "The Budget Bucket," one of the 20 buckets in my book, Mastering The Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-profit.

5 comments about Getting Started in Value Investing (Getting Started In.....).

1. You will either get Charles Mizrahi's book in the first 10 minutes or you won't get it. This is a book for those rare stock market investors who invest based on rationality and by first figuring out what an investment is worth and then trying to buy it at a discount to its value. Although titled Getting Started in Value Investing, don't let it fool you because it is also for the very seasoned value investor. Charles is a masterful communicator sprinkling many stories and anecdotes throughout each chapter. One of the best things about this book is it is easy to read and understand, which is the best compliment an author can get, particularly when explaining complicated investment ideas. All true value investors should make this book part of their library and place it in-between Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor and Phil Fisher's Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits.
   - Robert P. Miles, author, The Warren Buffett CEO



2. I was almost saddened when I finally ended reading the last chapter of this work, because it was so interesting and, as one reviewer put it, "a deceptively simple book".
   
   This is a really entertaining book that starts with demolishing some usual misconseptions about value investing and the (in)famous Efficient Market Theory. Then it explains to reader why most of the hot money in Wall Street is almost incapable to find bargain price stocks and finally Mr. Mizrahi tells reader how to find bargain priced treasures himself. The examples Mr. Mizrahi uses are so simple and novise-friendly, that you can read them without any prior knowledge about the subject and still understand them quite well.
   
   "It is not risky to buy securities at a fraction of what they are worth.", said Warren Buffett once. This book is so valuable that it will propably sell at a fraction of what it is really worth too.



3. This is probably the best book for any level of investor who in interested in learning more about value investing. I have recommended this book to a number of my friends and gave a copy to my sister in law. Mr Mizrahi writes in a easy to read style which will allow any reader to understand exactly what he is saying. One of the best ways to describe this book is as a condensed version of Graham and Dodd's "Security Analysis." After reading this book, much of what Graham and Dodd said became much clearer. This book provides the perfect blueprint for investing in stocks and making it though tough times like these. One of the best features of this book is how Mizrahi lays out exactly how to read and analyze a balance sheet. Someone need not be an accountant to be able to translate a balance sheet into a meaningful document. The chart provided in the book makes the process of reading a balance sheet even easier. By reading "Getting Started in Value Investing" along with Jim Cramer's "Sane investing in an insane world" you will receive two distinct and important views about investing. Neither of these books offer "stock tips"; rather they force an individual to do their own research and homework about the stocks they are interested in. By reading these books will become a more informed investor, and you will be able to avoid many of the pitfalls investors make.



4. This is a good introduction to Value Investing. However, I have deducted one star in its rating mainly because the valuation chapter is weak. The author should rewrite that chapter and focus on Graham's simple formula as well as a true Discounted Cash Flow model instead of the P/E and EPS based valuation.
   
   Furthermore, the glossary and index should also be significantly expanded, for instance, Shareholder's Equity does not appear in the glossary, nor in the index, yet it is an important concept to understand. The same goes for other important concepts. The author is also too repetitive and has a tendency to mix the explanation of different things instead of properly separating them. This is confusing sometimes.
   
   But these things aside, and considering the general lack of outstanding texts in this field, I would still recommend this book to someone wanting to gain an understanding of what Value Investing is all about. If the author were to fix the things I mention above I would not hesitate to give the book a top rating.



5. As an avid reader of dozens of value investing books, from Benjamin Graham's "Security Analysis" to Marry Buffett's "Buffettology", and Phil Town's "Rule #1", I have to say that I wish I read "Getting Started in Value Investing" first. Each of the aforementioned texts where valuable, but Mizrahi's book does the best job describing value investing soup to nuts. Beginning investors who are serious about pursuing a path to financial freedom by managing your own investments and attaining above-average market returns would be well suited to begin with this book, as part of a broader self-education program. What is Buffett's secret that Mizrahi so succinctly describes? Buy long-term positions in excellent companies with durable competitive advantages that you understand WITH A MARGIN OF SAFETY. It sounds simple, and it is. But simplicity does not mean that it does not takes some hard work, and tremendous patience to succeed in value investing. Read this book, it is a great first step.
   
   Even after reading dozen's of investing books, this is still the one I grab for the 20-minute recap before making large investment decisions.

5 comments about Even Buffett Isn't Perfect: What You Can--and Can't--Learn from the World's Greatest Investor.

1. Incredibly bad book. I invest at one of the largest hedge funds so have some credibility in this commentary. You will not become a better investor by reading this book, you will only waste your time and there are many other better books out there to read. Problems that I have with this book:
   
   -The main recommendation comes from Steve Forbes (which is ok I guess) with the problem being that the author writes for Forbes and that Steve Forbes' intro is more a promotional piece / argument for the Steve Forbes tax policies than any kind of a value add.
   
   -The book isn't written by a professional investor. The guy is a market commentator but really doesn't have much talent in deducing overall generalizations about how to invest money and I really wouldn't give his advice much credit. Sorry
   
   Overall I was just really frustrated with the buying experience of this book and that I was stuck on a 4 hour plane ride with nothing but Sky Mall, a dead laptop battery, and this book to keep me company. Sky Mall and staring at the back of my dead laptop was the better read.
   
   I wouldn't get online and make such a negative commentary unless I really thought it was that bad. Believe me. Don't waste your time with this.



2. In a few short pages, the author summarizes the wisdom, and occasional errors of the greatest investor of all time. The executive summary for each chapter, makes the author's analysis available to even the most impatient reader. Defintely a top choice for summer time investment reading, particularly in these troubled times.



3. This book is short, easy to read and to the point. While the author does an excellent job of explaining Buffett's favored investment strategies, he also looks at other strategies, such as momentum, that work well. The book's real strength comes in the second half. Buffett has few faults when it comes to investing, but he has been pushing policies that make no sense. This is the only book I've seen that examines these issues and isn't afraid to ciriticize the man. The chapters on corporate governance, taxes, options and earnings guidance are particularly enlightening.



4. Mr. Buffett may not be perfect, but given his "extreme" level of net worth, he must have done something right with his investment portfolio. And let's be clear - Berkshire Hathaway has always been managed like an investment portfolio. Vahan Janjigian provides a clear and concise explanation of Buffett's strategy and investment process, and gives the reader some insights on successful wealth generation. And this is the only book that criticizes his views on taxation. Not too long; not too complicated; but very informative and well written. A perfect "end of summer" read.



5. Congratulations to Mr. Janjigian for writing a book that not only does a great job in discussing Buffett's investment styles, but also and more importantly communicating the key investment concepts that individual investors should be aware of, in a very easy to understand manner. While there have been many, more detailed books written on Buffett's investment approach, I think Vahan effectively uses the different investment approaches employed by Buffett to highlight and to some extent caution individual investors who attempt to emulate Buffett by stating that what might be good for large long term investors like Buffett (who have access to top level managements), may not necessarily be true for individual stock investors. An investor like Buffett can make big concentrated bets based on his understanding of management and management's strategies, something that an individual stock investor may lack as a function of limited/no access to top level managements.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain a good understanding of the basic and key investment concepts, and I would recommend that colleges handout this book to incoming students in order to educate them with the basics of sound investing principles. I sincerely hope that this book is the first in many more to come!

5 comments about The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America.

1. What can I say except for the book is by god himself. It is an easy and interesting read. highly recommended to all those who want to get an idea on how to invest in stocks successfully!



2. The best book on investment ever. Had a lot of humour as well as a great education on investments. Very simple, easy to read and understand. It is also a combination of Fisher and Benjamin Graham.



3. This book provides such simple, common sense advice you read it and think to yourself: "I know that, so why don't I do it?" Distractions, impatience and emotions represent the three challenges most investors and managers will face on a regular basis, Warren Buffett seems to have a way of drilling down to what's most important in the decision making process, and he provides blazingly clear and simple insight on how to create superior value, both for your company and through your investments.



4. Crazyman's Economics
   
   Warren Buffet is a true success story when it comes to American entrepreneurs. If you follow his advice, your chances of making money in the market will increase, but you're still gambling on a game of chance. Buffett himself admits that the greater the motion, the smaller the return to the investor.
   
   In the end, we should celebrate Buffett's success and his willingness to share his advice. But please remember, that Buffett's advice will not make you any richer than a book on basketball by Michael Jordan will make you a hall-of fame basketball player.



5. There are many books about Warren Buffett. But this is the best one to read as the words are from Warren Buffett himself with excellent editing by the author. It has lot of insights and fun to read.

5 comments about Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist.

1. Before writing my impressions of this book, I think it is first important to identify the reviewer so others can see my perspective. I am a young graduate with limited to no investing experience. I became interest in Warren Buffett after reading a fair amount of articles on Buffett the person; his success in investing, his political views, his recent contribution to the Gates charity, and most importantly, his character. I became intrigued enough to inquire about the details of who this man is and his philosophy.
   
   This was exactly what the book offered; it is a biography, not an investment guide. That said, it is not really possible to unlink Buffett the person and Buffett the investor. His core values are too in entwined for it to be anything other. Lowenstein does a great job of presenting information in terms that a layman like myself can understand (with some help from simple research) while still providing enough information to get the details about Buffett's investment strategies and core values.
   
   I found the book to be both informative and enticing. It has instilled in me a great respect for the man, as well as an interest in becoming less of an investment layman. The book is a bit dated, now being about 13 years old, but after reading it, I find this point moot. Buffett's approach has been the same since he learned from Graham, just with more information and an increasing scope in which to apply his tactics.
   
   In my opinion, Lowenstein did a fantastic job researching his subject matter. The book is ripe with references and further signs that he truly knows his subject. I also found little to no signs of a subjective approach in respect to either glorifying Buffett or demonizing him, as far as is humanly possible. Buffett's mistakes are presented as clearly as his amazing triumphs (and they are quite amazing). Lowenstein's approach is instead to provide as clear as possible a presentation of Buffett's character, which is again entwined with his (enormous) successes and (minor) setbacks.
   
   Highly recommended for those interested in his character. Again, this book is a biography, not an investment guide, but it seems hard to separate the two in regards to Buffett.



2. I gave this book 4 stars only because it was published in 1995, which is over a decade ago. It is a good source for background information about a corporate executive I respect--and there are few of those to be found. Buffett told the author he would nothing to help or hinder, and the journalistic quality and information is well-presented and -documented. A good place to learn more about the "Oracle of Omaha". I'd like to see Lowenstein do a follow-up covering the more recent years.



3. Well researched, analyzed, and written.
   
   I see why Buffett was silently acceptive in autographing it. Superb job in reporting both analytical economics and personal life. Truth.
   
   I will read more from this author.



4. Read this because you want to know about the man and the method, not the money. I admire the billions of dollars that he's amassed on his own terms, but it's his history, relationships, and singular outlook on life that had me plowing through this tome like it was a short story. I am a reborn fan of biographies, and a new follower of financial books. I hope there are other books out there like this: clear, absorbing, and off-beat enough to make you laugh like a fool on a packed metro. I never dog-ear, but I had to all the way through this book for the stellar quotes dashed off here and there. One being, off the top of my head: "God sent me a blessed gift in the form of a Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report." AGH! And don't get me started on Mrs. B. Extremely worthwhile read.



5. When I first came across this book, I had planned on reading a Buffet biography for quite some time. I hesitated for a while because there were so many options. As I enjoyed reading Roger Lowenstein's, When Genius Failed, I made my decision to read this particular book based solely on my knowledge of the author. Fortunately, Lowenstein did not disappoint. Indeed, this Buffet biography is very well written and will be entertaining to both the lay person and professional investor, alike. If I could suggest one or two improvements, it would be for the author to reduce the overall length and sprinkle in a few more investing ideas. Also, potential readers should be aware that most of the content ends in the 1990s when the first edition was printed. So, much of the color about his friendship with Bill Gates and his first non-US investment, Israeli-based ISCAR, is missing.
   
   Just as he did in When Genius Failed, Lowenstein does a great job describing historical accounts of entertaining or semi-dramatic events in Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist. Remarkably, the author is able to paint very clear pictures of scenes that occurred 50 years ago. This particular work is especially impressive as the author received no assistance from Buffet himself making the task of collecting details on such events very difficult.
   
   Unfortunately, the book contains very little explanation of Buffet's investment strategy. This book is not an investing textbook, which is understandable. Rather, it is a biography that has some elements of Buffet's investing wisdom explained. It would be nice if it had more details on the investing front.
   
   Some readers might find the book a bit longer than necessary. Of course, the wordiness may be a matter of personal preference. I would argue that most readers will stay thoroughly entertained throughout the book.

5 comments about The Little Book of Value Investing (Little Books. Big Profits).

1. Don't let the small size of this book fool you! For anyone who is looking to build, over time, a valueable (read: multi-million dollar) portfolio of stock investments; this book might be all you would need. This book started a path for me that lead me to works by value-investing notable as Benjamin Graham, David Dodd, Mary Buffett, and more. After reading very famous texts by the above authors and more, I decided to revisit this work. I am floored by what Chris Browne presents here now I have a much more through understanding of the details.
   
   My advice is to BUY BOTH THE BOOK AND AUDIO-CD. Play the audio cd in your car or I-POD a few times to get the general idea. From there, take the text and follow the CD; highlight any ideas that grab you attention as well as any tips/techniques that he gives (particularly at the end of the book). You may not want to delve into the chapters on reading foreign financial statements--a little advanced for the beginner, I assure you!
   
   One you have a good understanding--get started. As I write this (02/2008), there are an abundance of good values in the market. I'm currently investigating a couple of wonder-investments as we speak. I argue this: anyone thinking of buying this book should buy it ASAP! As Chis Browne would say, there are too many stocks on sale....."...and you want to buy stocks when they are on sale".



2. The author states that over a long period of time value companies have outperformed the growth companies. You buy a value company when you pay less its intrinsic value (Buy Stocks On Sale). The key aspect of value investing is an ability to analyze financial statements of the company. The author explains, in the very friendly manner, such indicators of an intrinsic value like Operating Income, Current Assets vs Total Assets (and liabilities), Operating Margin, EBITD Margin, "Margin of Safety" and so on.
   
   The author declares that you can reduce the risk of loss in case of one stock's failure by building a diversified portfolio. However, when it comes to emerging markets, the authors suggest bewaring of them because of the frequent political disasters in particular countries. I do not agree with the author's advice of totally avoiding emerging markets. As an ETF of U.S. stocks like SPDR Trust (SPY) saves from one company's failure, an ETF that includes most of emerging countries, like iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEF) can save from a failure in one of the countries. Alternatively, you can build a portfolio of stocks in different emerging countries (as if you do this for U.S. stocks) by yourself without using an ETF or an index mutual fund.
   
   The author also proclaims that cognitive psychology explains why some investors make huge losses because of fear, panic, or following the crowd when it comes to hot sexy stocks. If you like the topic of how cognitive psychology affects investors, I can recommend "The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't" by Kenneth L. Fisher.



3. Great book as an introduction to the principles of value investing as laid out by Benjamin Graham. Very easy to read. With about 140 pages, you can get through this book in a couple of hours.
   
   I'd use this as a warm up book to Intelligent Investor.



4. I learned from a broad range of investing books, and I got this one primarily because it was a short book. I'm only about half way through it, but I think it is very well written. It has some important information on how to approach researching a company. One of the glaring failures is how rapidly the trading environment can change. The book specifically tells investors to avoid China, and I've been making a lot of money investing in my first Chinese company. Read and learn, but ultimately decide for yourself on what you want to buy.



5. This a very clear and concise book--another one, all of which seem lately to contain the same wisdom: buy low (and buy smart). I'm trying. You can still pay too much, or buy too soon, or catch the wrong end of a falling knife, etc. But it's certainly a far better idea than taking hot tips from e-mails, or from brokers.

5 comments about Security Analysis: The Classic 1940 Edition.

1. This book inspired generations of investment masters. Warren Buffett, John Templeton, Jim Rogers, just to name a few. In the book, Graham teaches how to find stocks with good discounts.



2. This is still the best book ever written about investing in the stock market. Long but very good.



3. If you are interested in investing in securities then you should have this book. Although the material is more than 60 years old it remains the baseline for security analysis. This is a reference book, but investors should get into the habit of picking this title up and giving it a read when they have a bit of spare time. It is well indexed and clearly written. There is a lot of historical information also.



4. If you believe in value investing, and you have already read Intelligent INvestor, then this is a fantastic supplement to your library on the subject.



5. This is one of the bibles of value investing. I wouldn't suggest it for a novice investor, though. It's geared more to the experienced investor. Buy it after reading Graham's other book, Intelligent Investor, which is much more reader friendly.

5 comments about The Buffettology Workbook: Value Investing The Warren Buffett Way.

1. Written by Mary Buffett, former daughter-in-law of Warren Buffett, and David Clark, a portfolio manager, "The Buffettology Workbook" is the best investment I've ever made. The financial formulas you'll find in this book are all the ones they should teach in business school, but don't.

   The book is broken down into 23 chapters, each no more than a few pages, so you can read a chapter a day (and continue to review the chapters for the rest of your investing career). The first seven chapters give a breakdown of Warren's investment philosophy, value investing. Here, you learn about the short-sightedness of the market and the bad news phenomenon. Also, the authors identify the difference between commodity-type businesses and consumer monopolies, and tell you why it's far better to own consumer monopolies. Once you understand these concepts, you're halfway toward success as an investor. Now, you need to learn how to identify the correct buying opportunity. That's where the true value of this book comes into play, offering formulas and equations you won't find most books.

   The remaining chapters in the book focus on the examination of financial statements, the acquisition of pertinent information (what's important and what's not), then they tell you how determine an investment's desirability. You'll learn the value of high rates of return on shareholder equity, how to measure management's ability to utilize retained earnings, and Warren's ideas for the Internet and short-term arbitrage commitments.

   I read this book beginning to end the day I got it, but I'll continue to familiarize myself with its formulas for the rest of my investing career. Although it marks only the beginning of one's investment knowledge, learning these bedrock principles are what separate successful investors from mere average ones... Buy this book!

   Britt Gillette
   Author of "Conquest of Paradise: An End-Times Nano-Thriller"




2. This is one of the worst investing books I have ever seen. Not only does it have absolutely nothing to do with the way Warren Buffett actually invests, it completely makes up investing methods.

   For instance, the book talks about discounting future streams of income. The Oracle of Omaha was quoted at a Berkshire Hathaway meeting as saying he NEVER uses discount future cash flow.

   Even worse, this book promotes "book value growth" as a method for evaluating a stock's worth. Book value is an accounting term representing the net equity for a firm on ONE PARTICULAR DAY IN TIME. Change the date of the balance sheet and the value calculated by book value growth may change dramatically.

   If you want to invest like Warren Buffett, check out The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham.




3. This is a good book and it is an even better book if it is used with their other book entitled The New Buffettology - which is better than the first edition entitled just Buffettology. In regard to the reader from TX Buffett uses growth of book value to determine the relative performance of Berkshire Hathaway - just check out the annual report. And Buffett is on record saying that a company is worth its future income stream discounted to present value - though Charlie Munger and I have never seen him do it. This was brought up at the 2001 Berkshire annual meeting. As far Ben Graham is concern Buffett and Munger are both on record saying that they no longer use the Graham's method - still worth the read though. Tim Vick, who wrote "Wall Street on Sale", loves the Buffettology series so much he wrote the cover recommendation. Check it out! And get on the program! You won't be sorry you did!!!



4. For those of you that are time-pressed, this is the best book in the Buffettology Series to read in order to glean a few secrets on the investment techniques of the Oracle of Omaha. The workbook covers both the qualitative and quantitative sides of Buffett's value investing approach, and provides the basic techniques one can implement in order to invest with a reasonable amount of success.
   
   The workbook is not exactly the best book on investing that I have read (that title goes to Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor), but in its defense, it does provide a simple to implement investment strategy. Most of the techniques hinge on a few simple ratios and knowledge of simple present and future worth. Additionally, most of the limitations associated with the techniques are clearly and simply stated.
   
   The book has several merits. The chief merit of the book is that its approach to investing is self-contained, and emphasizes the qualitative aspects more than the quantitative aspects. In passing, readers that focus more on Part One of the book and skip Part Two, the quantitative part, could easily obtain a dramatic improvement in their investment results. Written in simple, easy to understand language, the target audience of this book is most likely that individual who depends on the Internet for all of her information on companies, as such sites as Yahoo, MSN and Value Line are routinely cited in the text as sources of information. The book is very well organized, quite possibly with the idea that it would fit the mold of a chapter-a-day format. Most chapters are usually no more than five pages long, with easy, cheesy word problems and true/false questions at the end of most every chapter to reinforce key concepts. The title of each chapter basically states the key concept to be learned, and key points are highlighted at the end of each chapter. Although it provides some theory and rationale for the techniques it attempts to teach, this is kept to a minimum, and the book focuses almost exclusively on application of the techniques. Those readers that are only interested in the methodology can simply skip to the 22nd Chapter titled 'Doing It Yourself: Buffettology Worksheet'. Thus, the book makes every effort to make learning, and ultimately using, the techniques as painless as possible.
   
   The major demerit of this book rests in its insistence on doing all calculations on a per-share basis. But then, this is how much of the information that is easily obtainable through such channels as Value Line and other sources is presented. One minor demerit is that the authors do not seem to be aware of the virtual ubiquity of MS Office, making it possible to perform all of the calculations in the book in one Excel spreadsheet, but then again, this is a minor demerit. Although there were a number of minor typographical and mathematical errors in the book, I am willing to overlook this, as the thinking and reasoning behind any investment proposition is more important, and is clearly presented throughout the book.
   
   Overall, I rate the book to be worthy of reading. It presents a simple and straightforward investment approach, and does not require an advanced degree in rocket science to implement it. All it really requires is a basic understanding of fractions, decimals and percents, and most important, a willingness to think and reason through the investment proposition. However, those of you with strong quantitative backgrounds will be very dismayed with this book (as I was initially), but as I said before, if you focus exclusively on Part One of the book and Chapter 22, then you will see a dramatic improvement in your investment results going forward.



5. Many books have been written about Warren Buffet's way of picking the right stocks at the right time, but the books of Mary Buffett and David Clark are the most sound, concise and actionable. There is another book by different author (by Robert G. Hagstrom) similar to Mary Buffett's writings: "The Warren Buffet Way", but it misses the important topics laid out in the Mary Buffett's publications. These major topics are: what are the differences between a "consumer monopoly" and a "commodity"; how to calculate the rate of return over a long period of time before choosing the investment; and so on. There is another great book about Warren Buffet and his investment strategy - "Buffet: The Making of an American Capitalist" by Roger Lowenstein, but it better describes Warren Buffet's biography and his relations with family, friends and the society, rather than how did he evaluate the companies. But please note that "Buffettology" is not a replacement of the book by Roger Lowenstein, I highly recommend reading both of them. What is you can omit is the book by Robert G. Hagstrom, above mentioned.
   
   I would recommend an abridged audio version of the Mary Buffett's work, instead of the printed book. The audio version discloses the most important factors of Warren Buffet's investment principles pretty well. Some of the background information is available on free letters to shareholders and Warren Buffet's lectures, but you might not want to crawl thought all these; you might want to save time and just listen or read the Mary Buffett's work, where all this information is perfectly summarized and laid out in a consistent way.

5 comments about Winning the Loser's Game: Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing.

1. Charles was not the first to blow the whistle on active investing but was the first to write a book for the average investor. His advise and counsel are outstanding. In fact he has been called by the current administration to establish criteria for self funded social security investing. The book is a basic tutorial every investor should have on his bookshelf.
   
   Piscaqua Research in a study covering the period 1987-96 found that only 10 out of 145 major pension funds, or just seven percent, out performed a portfolio consisting of a simple 60%/40% mix of the S&P 500 index and the Lehman Bond index respectively.
   
   Or is it logical I ask for you to believe that you can predict which actively managed funds will out perform, or are you overconfident of your skills? If you are trying to find the great fund managers who will out perform in the future ask yourself: what am I going to do differently in terms of identifying the future winning fund managers, than did the pension plans and their advisors? And if you are not going to something different what logic is there in playing a game at which others with superior resources have consistently failed?
   
   If you a really serious in finding an investment technique that will provide you with reasonable return with less risk I suggest the following little book. This is a little book that I have written and contains the essential of how to invest. Just click on the title to find the book.
   
   
   The book is titled How to Make Money in the Stock Market-Buy 2,500 different stocks for $1000 - Pay no Commission. Easy to read packed with precise directions for success. A cookbook for the investor just follow directions. I enjoyed this book a great deal. It shows how indexing and diversification strategies work and why they are so important to investing success. Unlike many other books, this one is not only informative, but also useful. There should be no question as how to implement the author's strategy and measure your progress. He skillfully addresses asset allocation, and shows how to minimize tax consequences by assigning securities to tax deferred accounts. The author does not dwell on lengthy longwinded discussions but cuts to the quick with useful recommendation and directions for the novice and experienced investor as well. I recommend this book for all investors.Just click on the underlined title to go to the reviews of the book.The author answers all yiur questions by Email within 24 hours.How to Make Money in the Stock Market-Buy 2,500 Different Stocks-Pay no Commission



2. Ellis manages an active fund, which completely goes against the premise of his book. If he truley believes what he wrote, he would act accordingly. However, that isn't why I gave the book 2 stars. I gave the book 2 stars because it is basically a 2-3 page paper expanded to be a full book by using fillers. There is one simple concept, and it doesn't take an entire book to get across.



3. This book gives a further mesage than "buy an index fund". It gives the reader a pragmatic view of investing. The message should be this "Investor know yourself and the scenario where your playing, then act consecuently". Investing is a serious activity and should be taken seriously. Too many traps are set for those who take it as game and too many avoidable dissapointments take place. This book is a great book and a must read for anybody, particularly for those who want to invest their money. For those who may want further reading I would encourage them to read Wealth: Grow It, Protect It, Spend It, and Share It (Paperback) (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks) and The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits), they're both easy to read and will give you further knowledge of how seriously investing is.



4. An advanced look at how to invest in the markets. This is a must-read for all investors looking to get a deeper understanding of making money in stocks.



5. Ellis exposes the money managers who claim they can buy a security for you cheap, let it rise up, and then sell just before it drops. The real truth that Ellis lets us in on is that these people don't know anymore than anyone else, and what REALLY effects the markets are random events that nobody can predict. He also shows that the money managers really only make money buy churning transactions, no matter how high or low a security is. He returns us to finance 101 that tells us MARKETS are efficient, trying to time the market is not.

5 comments about The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett's Words of Wisdom: Quotations and Interpretations to Help Guide You to Billionaire Wealth and Enlightened Business Management.

1. "The Tao of Warren Buffett" is a concise Bible of the world's most successful investor's thoughts on business, investing, and life! Its a wonderful read and I highly recommend it! The Buffett quotes are both enlightening and often very funny, and the commentary to the quotes is aimed at giving the reader greater insight into Buffett's investment methods. I particulary found this comment insightful:
   
   "The key to Warren's success is that he has been able to identify exactly what the economic characteristics of a wonderful business are - a business that has durable competitive advantage that owns a piece of the consumer's mind. When you think of gum you think of Wrigley, when you think of discount store you think of Wall-Mart, and when you think of a cold beer you think of Coors or Budweiser. This elevated position creates their economic power."
   
   It is simply one of the most entertaining and enlightening investment books out there!



2. Warren Buffet is a man of integrity. He is a true teacher about career, family, financial investment and life itself. This is a great book for everyone including accounting students, MBA grads, novice investor, and anyone who wants to save for retirements.



3. My husband & I take a lot of road trips, and listen to audio books to pass the time. This one was interesting enough, although somewhat repetitive. No earth shattering info, but funny at times.



4. I loved this book. It contained a lot of great wisdom on investing, and life.



5. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R32UTBALIT3SLG