It’s a short list this quarter. My book reading took a hit because studying took over my reading time. It will likely remain the case for most of this year.
Here’s what I’ve been reading the past three months:
- Obvious Adams — It’s an old, short book about a fictional advertising agent with the lesson to not try to be too clever. Just keep it simple. It’s well worth the little time it takes to finish.
- Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son — It’s another old book that’s aged fairly well thanks to its mix of humor and wisdom. It tells a fictional story, via letters written from a father to his son, offering timeless advice on business, career, life, and more. (Notes)
- The Man Who Solved the Market — The book tells the story behind Jim Simons and the Medallion Fund’s phenomenal results. It’s an interesting read on the history of the man and the people he assembled. Just don’t expect to walk away with a strategy to replicate his results.
- Quantitative Momentum — I bought this when it came out and finally got around to reading it. The authors do a good job explaining momentum, why it likely works, including examples of how to implement it. I don’t plan on giving up my value ways. But I do see potential use cases within an existing value strategy.
- Fundamentals of Financial Planning — This is what took over my study time. Like most textbooks, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re taking a CFP course that requires reading it.
- Buffett’s Partnership Letters — I read these letters years ago, so this is my second time through. This time, I converted the letters into ebook format to make reading/notes easier. I’ll have posts and notes on it once I’m done.
Book lists for more reading ideas:
- Warren Buffett’s Recommended List
- Crowdsourced Best Reads of 2019 via Shane Parrish on Twitter
- Crowdsourced Books with the Most Wisdom/Page via James Clear on Twitter
Last Call
- The Hidden Dangers of the Great Index Fund Takeover – BusinessWeek
- The End of the Beginning – Stratechery
- Eight Lessons from Market History – Evidence Investor
- Crazy Tales of Financial Fraud – A Wealth of Common Sense
- ‘Gut Feelings’ Are Driving the Markets – R. Shiller
- What I Believe Least – M. Housel
- Patient Capital: How Long is the Long Run? – S. Godin
- Lessons From Our Most Read Five Questions Interviews – ValIdeas
- The Psychology Of Surprise Endings (podcast) – NPR
- What I Learned in Avalanche School – NY Times