I am going on week long cruise to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary in mid July and the thing I am most dreading (besides the shuffleboard tournaments) is being effectively cut off from the internet for a week.
So in an effort to not lose my mind, I want to load up my iPad with some good investment books that will help me pass the time.
Any suggestions on what to read?
I just finished Peter Lynch’s classic “One Up on Wall Street” and “Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements” - both great recommendations I found here on the Motley Fool boards.
What I’m looking for are books that really had a profound effect on your investing philosophy.
They don’t have to all be investment books either. I’m open to almost anything.
At this point. its either get lost in a good book or spend too much time playing blackjack.
I think the books will be more profitable in the long run.
I just read Zero to One, a book about entrepreneurs, startups, what makes a successful business, and so forth. It is well-written, and the chapters are both short and engaging. There is a great chapter about Green Tech and why nearly all green tech companies originating around 2005 failed miserably–it is a case study but with broad lessons.
For what it is worth, I am not a business guy at all–just a scientist who enjoys investing. This book helped me think more critically about potential investment opportunities.
I would ask the cruise people about internet since a friend of mine goes on cruises during the school year and still manages to teach her on-line classes from the ship.
There are three books I would recommend off the top of my head.
The first is “The Davis Dynasty.” It is a book on the life of a guy that many consider one of the worlds best investors. It is a great story that comes with some investing lessons that I found very entertaining.
The second is called “The first billion is the hardest.” It is about the life of T. Boone Pickens and how he became known as one of the greats in the energy world. Good an entertaining book with many great life lessons. I was turned onto this by my interest in Clean Energy Fuels as a potential investment. Great book overall
The third is called “The Outsiders.” It is a set of mini stories about 8 of the best CEO’s and how they successfully ran their companies. Great book though I found it a bit on the dry side. I read it one story at a time as I am feeling in the mood. Currently I am on the 5th CEO. This book contains some great information and can help you determine what to look for in a great company leader.
Have a great time on the cruise and good luck fending off boredom.
“The Zurich Axioms” by Max Gunther
it’s hard to describe this slim volume the sub title says “the rules of risk and reward”
some quotes “if you are not worried you aren’t risking enough” and “chaos is not dangerous until it begins looking orderly” and “long range plans engender the dangerous belief that the future is under control… react to events as they unfold in the present”
