book Archives - Page 2 of 3

“The hedgehog and the fox”, a witty take

Isaiah Berlin’s essay “The Hedgehog and the Fox” has been a source of intellectual curiosity and amusement since its publication in 1953. Berlin, a British philosopher and historian of ideas, was inspired by a fragment of poetry from the ancient Greek poet Archilochus: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” Berlin used this fragment to classify writers and thinkers into two broad categories: hedgehogs, who see the world through the lens of a single idea or principle, and foxes, who have multiple viewpoints and are not constrained by a single ideology.

“Die with Zero” by Bill Perkins: Book Report (haha)

The premise of “Die with Zero” sounds provocative: Bill Perkins argues you should plan to spend all your money before you die, optimizing for maximum life experiences rather than maximum wealth at death. Not “die debt-free” — that’s a different book. Perkins is talking about people who will almost certainly die with millions in unspent savings because they never gave themselves permission to spend it on things that actually mattered while they were healthy enough to enjoy them. The title is deliberately extreme. The actual argument is more nuanced than it sounds.

I picked it up because I’m interested in the other end of the FIRE question — not just how to achieve financial independence, but what to actually do with it.

Cashvertising (book review)

Are you tired of your marketing efforts falling flat? Do you want to know the secrets to create compelling ads that actually convert? Look no further than “Cashvertising” by Drew Eric Whitman.

As a seasoned copywriter with over a decade of experience, Whitman knows a thing or two about crafting messages that resonate with consumers. And lucky for us, he’s shared his expertise in “Cashvertising”, a must-read for anyone looking to up their advertising game.

“Early Retirement Extreme” review

Are you tired of working for the man and dreaming of an early retirement? Look no further than “Early Retirement Extreme” by Jacob Lund Fisker. This book is not your typical personal finance guide. It’s an unconventional approach to achieving financial independence and retiring early.

The (book in the) 2020 letter from Warren Buffett to Berkshire Hathaway investors

I’ve already blogged about Buffet’s annual letters twice: in 2018 I wrote about a few quotes, and in 2019 I wrote about some lessons learned.

Now I have to confess that after some six or seven years of reading them they are getting a bit repetitive, although there is always something new. This year the new thing is some interesting idea Buffett shares from a quasi-obscure book from 1924 I had never heard about before: “Common stocks as Long Term Investments” by Edgar Lawrence Smith.