10 Book Recommendations From Warren Buffett's Right-Hand Man
Avid reader Charlie Munger shares his top picks.
If you want to pick the best restaurant in town, you'd probably ask
the person who eats out the most. If you want to know where to buy great
clothes, you'd go to the friend with the overflowing closet. And if you want to
know what to read, you should probably look to the guy who has devoured the most incredible number of titles.
Charlie Munger
could make a good case for being that guy, though his long-time business partner Warren Buffett could probably give him a run for his money.
Blog Farnam Street quotes Munger as saying:
"In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad
subject-matter area) who didn't read all the time--none. Zero. You'd be amazed
at how much Warren reads--and how much I read. My children laugh at me. They
think I'm a book with a couple of legs sticking out."
So which books
stand out from the towering stack of material Munger gets through?Farnam Street's Shane Parrish rounded up a
few dozen suggestions from the tycoon. Here's a sample:
1. Fiasco: The Inside Story of a Wall Street Trader
Fiasco
may not be pleasant reading, but it is powerful. "This book will
make you sick," claims Parrish.
may not be pleasant reading, but it is powerful. "This book will
make you sick," claims Parrish.
2. The Selfish Gene
A 1976
bestseller from Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene caused a revolution in how both scientists and lay people think
about evolution. Rather than our genes helping us survive, what if people were
just around to help their genes reproduce?
caused a revolution in how both scientists and lay people think
about evolution. Rather than our genes helping us survive, what if people were
just around to help their genes reproduce?
3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
A classic on persuasion from Robert Cialdini, Parrish
claims Munger has "given away more copies of this book than any
other."
, Parrish
claims Munger has "given away more copies of this book than any
other."
4. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Another classic on its
topic. Amazon calls it "one of the primary business texts of the modern
era, it is based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, a group that
deals with all levels of negotiation and conflict resolution."
on its
topic. Amazon calls it "one of the primary business texts of the modern
era, it is based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, a group that
deals with all levels of negotiation and conflict resolution."
5. Deep Simplicity: Bringing Order to Chaos and Complexity
This one from
astrophysicist John Gribbin on chaos theory doesn't sound like light reading,
but it does sound fascinating. Go on, give your brain a workout.
from
astrophysicist John Gribbin on chaos theory doesn't sound like light reading,
but it does sound fascinating. Go on, give your brain a workout.
6. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
As Parrish
notes, this book is recommended by both Bill Gates and Munger. That's a pretty strong endorsement. But if you're
still on the fence, it also won a Pulitzer, while the New Yorker raved
that "the scope and the explanatory power of this book are
astounding."
is recommended by both Bill Gates and Munger. That's a pretty strong endorsement. But if you're
still on the fence, it also won a Pulitzer, while the New Yorker raved
that "the scope and the explanatory power of this book are
astounding."
7. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
"At 800
or so pages this is the perfect book for a week-long vacation," claims
Parrish (who may or may not share your taste in summer reading). Titan traces Rockefeller's life from his humble origins as the son of
snake-oil salesman to his pinnacle running the much feared monopoly Standard
Oil.
traces Rockefeller's life from his humble origins as the son of
snake-oil salesman to his pinnacle running the much feared monopoly Standard
Oil.
8. Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points
That Challenge Every Company
Munger isn't
the only one who liked this book by
Intel's Andy Grove. Steve Job also recommended it. "This book is about one
super-important concept. You must learn about Strategic Inflection Points,
because sooner or later you are going to live through one," he said.
by
Intel's Andy Grove. Steve Job also recommended it. "This book is about one
super-important concept. You must learn about Strategic Inflection Points,
because sooner or later you are going to live through one," he said.
9. Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field: How Two Men
Revolutionized Physics
This book might
not sound like the most exciting subject for the non-expert but Parrish assures
readers that "it's just the best book of its kind I have ever read, and I
just hugely enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down."
might
not sound like the most exciting subject for the non-expert but Parrish assures
readers that "it's just the best book of its kind I have ever read, and I
just hugely enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down."
10. How the Scots Invented the Modern World
If, like mine,
your knowledge of Scottish history doesn't extend much further than Braveheart and Trainspotting, this choice will
definitely be illuminating. Publisher's Weekly called it
"a successful exploration of Scotland's disproportionately large impact on
the modern world's intellectual and industrial development," through the
work of some of the nation's great thinkers, from Adam Smith to David Hume.
will
definitely be illuminating. Publisher's Weekly called it
"a successful exploration of Scotland's disproportionately large impact on
the modern world's intellectual and industrial development," through the
work of some of the nation's great thinkers, from Adam Smith to David Hume.
BY JESSICA
STILLMAN
http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/10-book-recommendations-from-warren-buffett-s-right-hand-man.html?cid=em01014week20a
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