Here’s what I’ve been reading for the past three months:
- The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie — Carnegie’s approach to business was different. He thought big at a time when most industrial companies were small and privately owned. His autobiography covers his rise from Scottish immigrant to bobbin boy to telegraph messenger to building a steel empire to becoming the richest person in the U.S and giving it all away. While Carnegie paints himself in an obvious positive light at times, the book offers insights into the early adoption of modern business practices. (Notes)
- Fortune Tellers: The Story of America’s First Economic Forecasters — The early 1900s saw a rise in market and economic forecasters. The book presents biographies of the five biggest forecasters of the 1920s. Roger Babson and Irving Fisher were the biggest. John Moody, Herbert Hoover, and others played a prominent role, as well, in shaping the forecasting industry, economics, and social discourse during a massive market boom that ended in the 1929 crash. None turned out to be very good at it. By the time the Great Depression was well underway, all five had quit the forecasting business. (Notes)
- The Forgotten Depression 1921: The Crash that Cured Itself — A deep depression hit the U.S. after WWI and set the stage for the Roaring 20s. The book covers that period and the government’s response (or lack of response in this case) to correct it. I set this book down a few chapters in because it covers a similar period to that of Fortune Tellers — too much history — but will revisit it after the next book is finished.
- My Life and Work — Henry Ford shares his approach to business — production, eliminating waste, wages, etc. — in his 1922 autobiography. Notes to come once the book is finished.
Need some other fall reading ideas? Try these book lists:
- Best Books by Nobel Prize in Literature Winners — Books by Nobel Prize-winning authors that were recommended in interviews done on the site Five Books.
- 7 Great Investing Books for Beginners — I counted 19 book recommendations in this Morningstar list for beginner and non-beginner investors.
Related Reading:
Quarterly Reading – Summer 2024
Quarterly Reading – Spring 2024