# Anyone Reading anything good lately?



## Freedomeer (Jan 3, 2018)

My last weeks reads were: 

Mastering the Market Cycle - Howard Marks 
Principles - Ray Dalio

Both excellent reads and highly recommended. 

What is everyone reading now a-days?


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## *PetePerfectMan* (Jan 24, 2019)

I started reading "The Intelligent Investor" - Benjamin Graham last February and until now.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

By the way, I think Dalio's book is also available for free as a PDF download.

I plan to re-read Fooled by Randomness as I only skimmed it before, and I need to do a more in-depth read.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

I've just started Empire of Deception true story of a fantastic swindle carried out in Chicago in the early 1920s. A good read if you are interested in the history of financial fraud.
http://www.deanjobb.com/empire


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## newfoundlander61 (Feb 6, 2011)

The Wealthy Barber Returns is an interesting read, half ways through the book this week.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

*PetePerfectMan* said:


> I started reading "The Intelligent Investor" - Benjamin Graham last February and until now.


If anyone likes Ben Graham, he gave these lectures in 1946. Their pretty good and they are free.

https://www.wiley.com/legacy/products/subject/finance/bgraham/


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## *PetePerfectMan* (Jan 24, 2019)

OptsyEagle said:


> If anyone likes Ben Graham, he gave these lectures in 1946. Their pretty good and they are free.
> 
> https://www.wiley.com/legacy/products/subject/finance/bgraham/


Thank you man. I have read this before and I have learned a lot from this.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Factfulness by Hans Rosling. The world is a better place than most people think, poverty disease war etc are disappearing at a rapid rate. The term Third World or Developing World has lost its meaning because so many former third world countries are on practically the same footing as the more developed countries. Mostly based on his analysis of statistics from sources like the United Nations and World Bank, he has shown that a lot of our ideas are 50 years out of date. I'm only about 1/4 of the way through it, but learning something new on practically every page.

If you want to understand what is really going on in the world this book is a must read.


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## Freedomeer (Jan 3, 2018)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> Factfulness by Hans Rosling. The world is a better place than most people think, poverty disease war etc are disappearing at a rapid rate. The term Third World or Developing World has lost its meaning because so many former third world countries are on practically the same footing as the more developed countries. Mostly based on his analysis of statistics from sources like the United Nations and World Bank, he has shown that a lot of our ideas are 50 years out of date. I'm only about 1/4 of the way through it, but learning something new on practically every page.
> 
> If you want to understand what is really going on in the world this book is a must read.


Agreed. This is a great book. Also go to HumanProgress.org

The media is all doom and gloom when things are pretty damn good!


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

The important lesson to me is that things are not hopeless, improvement and progress are not only possible, they are happening all around us at a rapid rate. Another important lesson is that success builds on itself, if people achieve just a little it makes the next step easier, if you keep going in the right direction you become more and more powerful until nothing can stop you.


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## pwm (Jan 19, 2012)

David A. Stockman "The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America" 
From the NY Times:
_The Great Deformation is a searing look at Washington's craven response to the recent myriad of financial crises and fiscal cliffs. It counters conventional wisdom with an eighty-year revisionist history of how the American state-especially the Federal Reserve-has fallen prey to the politics of crony capitalism and the ideologies of fiscal stimulus, monetary central planning, and financial bailouts. These forces have left the public sector teetering on the edge of political dysfunction and fiscal collapse and have caused America's private enterprise foundation to morph into a speculative casino that swindles the masses and enriches the few._

It was on the best sellers list in 2013 but still relevant. I'm only halfway through. He's a Republican but he heaps his scorn on both parties equally.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

This may sound crazy but one of the books that got me focussed on smart money was actually a mortgage table book. I picked it up at Chapters. Mortgages had come down from 17 to about 10 percent.

I picked up the book of tables and saw how much I could impact my mortgage simply by moving to bi weekly instead of monthly, by increasing those payments slightly, and by making even small annual additional payments. Very quickly and with no real financial pain my mortgage amortization went from 22 years remaining to 17. And it kept on going down from there. Those tables are what made us decide to avoid other debt and plow all my then commission income directly into reducing the principal. That in turn allowed my spouse to become an at home mother when we subsequently had children. That book of tables made me realize the power of compound interest-interest rec'd and interest paid.


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## pwm (Jan 19, 2012)

Good on you ian. After I bought my first house, I also found a mortgage amortization table and discovered that my payments were almost entirely interest. I immediately made a plan to pay the maximum principal each year after that. Even with only one paycheck coming in, I was able to make that yearly payment. I bought a bigger house, but I had that payed off at the 12 year mark.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> The term Third World or Developing World has lost its meaning because so many former third world countries are on practically the same footing as the more developed countries. .


Third world used to be a political descriptor, rather than an economic one. First world were countries aligned with the US, Second world were Soviet-aligned countries, and Third world were countries that did not have an allegiance. Generally poorer countries that didn't have the money to spend on foreign interventions, though technically Switzerland would have been a Third world country, as would Sweden, Ireland, Finland.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

It's waiting at the library for pickup, but I'm excited to read How To Hide An Empire: A History of the Greater United States.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Red Notice


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## Freedomeer (Jan 3, 2018)

Thanks for the suggestions. I have grabbed several from the library.

This post was quite useful:

https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/the-psychology-of-money/


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## s1231 (Jan 1, 2017)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> The important lesson to me is that things are not hopeless, improvement and progress are not only possible, they are happening all around us at a rapid rate. Another important lesson is that success builds on itself, if people achieve just a little it makes the next step easier, if you keep going in the right direction you become more and more powerful until nothing can stop you.


Baby Steps - Dr. Leo Marvin :encouragement:


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## s1231 (Jan 1, 2017)

s1231 said:


> Baby Steps - Dr. Leo Marvin :encouragement:


https://www.investivate.com/jim-rohn-inspirational-quotes/

“Success is neither magical nor mysterious.
Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.”
Jim Rohn

((From my understanding about concept of baby steps, skipping the basic fundamentals (of economy, health, society, environment or any) won't work / will likely corrupt if it's continue. 
Back toward the basic will change the results.))


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## Danny (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks s1231. I think I will look into Jim Rohn a bit more. Looks interesting. Currently reading "The Outliers" byMalcolm Gladwell. I would recommend this book.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

...there's no accounting for individual taste or preferences..
I've a friend who continuously sends out recs on movies or books he's enjoyed, & praises them to the hilt.
. I wouldnt be caught dead seeing or reading any of 'Em! lol


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

jargey3000 said:


> ...there's no accounting for individual taste or preferences..
> I've a friend who continuously sends out recs on movies or books he's enjoyed, & praises them to the hilt.
> . I wouldnt be caught dead seeing or reading any of 'Em! lol


I browse the cheap movie bins at Walmart and automatically reject anything with guns or explosions on the cover. This eliminates about 75% of the offerings. If you set aside the kids' movies that takes care of most of what is left.

The only decent movie I have bought recently was Gold, a movie starring Matthew McConaughey loosely based on the Bre X story. Before that, the last good movie was Grand Budapest Hotel.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Freedomeer said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. I have grabbed several from the library.
> 
> This post was quite useful:
> 
> https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/the-psychology-of-money/


I looked at the story you linked. My first thought was, never mind the woman who lived like a dog for 100 years so she could leave a fortune to charity. Tell me about the other guy and how he lived like a king for 50 years on other people's money. Somehow I don't think that was the lesson we were supposed to take away.


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## s1231 (Jan 1, 2017)

Danny said:


> Thanks s1231. I think I will look into Jim Rohn a bit more. Looks interesting. Currently reading "The Outliers" byMalcolm Gladwell. I would recommend this book.


Actually, I was somehow stumbled into Mr. Rhon's quotes then got me some interested.
There are many resourceful quotes I've read in the past years. 
These type of quotes are often lead me positive, re-think, back toward my basics or core and it works well for me.

#18 's movie affects me unique way. (not intend promoting)
The funny part for me is this cynical comedy link with wise proverb that I know. 
It probably should be keep stay as personal instead of sharing. (too late now:biggrin

baby steps = one of Mr. Rhon's quotes = wise proverb 
accomplish =  success = power & force


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Picked up, completely by random chance, a copy of phycho-cybernetics by maxwell Maltz. The title really threw me off as it’s one of the original self help books. It really helped me to understand the thinking of people like Sags and Pluto.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Beaver101 said:


> Red Notice


About 2/3 way through. Definitely recommended. https://www.amazon.ca/Red-Notice-Finance-Murder-Justice-ebook/dp/B00LD1ORX6


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Reading Lindon MacIntyres book Wake about the tsunami in NFLD, the mining industry in NFLD in the 30's onward. Lots of interesting things in the book so far.

Reading Josh's Dean's K129 about the CIA project to secretly build a ship to lift a sunken USSR sub from the bottom of the Pacific.

Just finished re-reading Ben MacIntyres's The Spy and the Traitor. True story about a famous KGB colonel who spyed for the UK and was exfiltrated out of Moscow to Finland, Norway, then to the UK whilst under investigation. Better than any spy novel.


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## john.cray (Dec 7, 2016)

I recently discovered masterclass and found that the courses there are of incredible quality.
Maybe someone else would find https://www.masterclass.com/classes/paul-krugman-teaches-economics-and-society particularly engaging.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

....half-way thru "Lightfoot", gordie's biography, of course...


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Just finished The Silk Roads - A new history of the world. Peter Frankopan - an academic historian. 

For me, a bit of a heavy read, especially at first. Would only recommend it to those who enjoy history.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Now reading Michelle McNamara's book I'll be in the Dark. It is about the Golden State Killer. SO far it is very good.

Also started Francisco Cantu's book The Line Becomes a River. Author was a former US Border Agent and a fullbright Fellow. Good start.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

john.cray said:


> I recently discovered masterclass and found that the courses there are of incredible quality.
> Maybe someone else would find https://www.masterclass.com/classes/paul-krugman-teaches-economics-and-society particularly engaging.


This is a very impressive service. If I were retired and looking for stimulation, this would be great. Not referring to the Krugman in particular (I know he is rather polarizing), but there are a lot of interesting people on the site.


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## scorpion_ca (Nov 3, 2014)

I have been reading the "Mastering the Market Cycle" by Howard Marks. It is a good book.


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## PabloPenguino (Dec 10, 2019)

I recently finished Ronan Farrow's "Catch and Kill." It was quite interesting and well written. I am now reading "Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker. It's good so far, but I'm not far into it yet.


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## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

While buying some books for Christmas gifts, I picked up "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" for myself.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

hboy54 said:


> While buying some books for Christmas gifts, I picked up "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" for myself.


Isnt that the same author who wrote "I Don't Give A Rat's ***!" ??


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