Damn Right! Behind the Scenes..

About the book and its Contents:

Many books are written about Warren Buffett, but there are very few, perhaps only one book, that talks about his sidekick, Charlie Munger. If there are a lot of things you can learn about Warren Buffett, there are certainly things you can also learn from the wisdom of his sidekick. In this book, you will get to understand how Mr.Munger became Warren Buffett's right-hand man and how he has influenced the latter's investment philosophy.

Review

This is a one-of-a kind book that talks about a rarely talked about figure. A must read.

Difficulty Level = 2/5

This is more of a biography but one will certainly glean a lot of finance knowledge from this.

Personal Rating = 5/5

This is one book that you must have and read.

Personal finance tip for today:


Even master investors were students once and learned from other master investors. Spend time and money to learn, not just from seminars, but also from books. Books may not bring you money directly, but they will improve your skills, which in turn will help you earn more.

Snowball: Warren Buffett and The Business of Life

About the book and its Contents:

Snowball is probably the latest and most comprehensive biography made about Warren Buffett, one of the most successful and wealthiest investors in the world.

Almost a thousand pages thick, this extensive biography begins with the history of Warren Buffett's family (his parents and siblings), moves on to his childhood years, school years, married life, investment and business decisions, and ends with his latest business and personal life update.

Review

For those who are truly interested in knowing the factors that helped shape Warren Buffett and his principles to date, this is one book you must have and read thoroughly.

It certainly would give light to any misconception readers and fans may have had with reading some articles about him.

 

 

Difficulty Level = 2/5

Though the book is thick, it is easy to read, provided you're interested in reading biographies.

Personal Rating = 5/5

Personal finance tip for today:
Just as a snowball gets more powerful the longer it rolls down the hill, the same can be said with the power of compounding. Make sure that you make use of compounding in investing and not let compounding work against you.

Stocks For The Long Run

About the book and its Contents:

This wonderful 380 page hardbound book is about the power of stocks in the long-run is written by Jeremy Siegel, a Professor of Finance at The Wharton School of the Univesity of Pennsylvania.
In one chapter, it discusses the long history of the S&P Index and its historical performance. In another chapter, it discusses how other investment vehicles such as gold and treasury bills have performed against stocks. But in essence, this book is about persuading the reader that stocks have, in the long-run, have outperformed other investment options.

Review

This book will let you appreciate the power and value of investing in stocks for the long-term. This book is not meant for short-term traders.

Difficulty Level = 2/5

Although 380 pages long, this is a somewhat easy read.

Personal Rating = 5/5

This is an excellent book that bases its analyses on factual historical data. If you want to learn more about stocks, especially US stocks, then this is it.

Personal finance tip for today:

Although stocks do indeed outperform other investments in the long-run, it is not a good idea to place all your money in stocks, especially if you plan to use part of that money in the short to medium term.
The amount you place will depend on many factors, which include: your appetite for risk, financial situation, expected needs, and many more.

The Financial Times Guide to Investing

About the book and its Contents:

This is a comprehensive book that covers: investment basics; the various investment vehicles/options; company analysis; and portfolio management.





To be more specific, it explains the difference between investment and speculation; how the stock market works; how accounting is used by companies in real life, and taxes.

Review

 

This is indeed a definitive companion. While it is not as definitive as a finance encyclopedia or dictionary, this is much more interesting to read. 

 

Difficulty Level = 1/5

 

This book is meant for novices in finance as well as for those who want to be more professional in their level of knowledge.

 

Personal Rating = 4/5

This is one book that you can keep for a long time.


Personal finance tip for today:

An investment differs from a speculation in that an investment is based on sound judgment, research based on facts, and is normally long-term. A speculation on the other hand, is based on a hunch and is normally short-term in nature.