Book-Summaries

One up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch is an impressive book about fundamental analysis for stock picking. Following is my terse summary of the same. Emphasis on Fundamental Analysis Look around for companies that are performing well and invest in them before Wall Street institutional investors pick them In the long run, common stocks give the best rate of returns Only basic math is needed to analyze and pick stocks “Don’t gamble, invest your savings to buy good stocks and hold them till they go up and then sell them. If it doesn’t go up, don’t buy it” Investing directly in common stocks is a seven-card stud-poker hand Rules of investing in the market Buy a home (≠ house) before stocks Only invest what you can afford to lose (without impacting your daily life) Patience, Common sense, and willingness to do independent research Ignore short-term fluctuations There is nothing called a good or bad market Predictions are futile ...

This book seems to address the myth that primitive societies are more harmonious than our present societies.

Principles Investing is a sequential process The only goal is to maximize wealth over time. Do not “narrow frame” it to focus only on annual returns. A risk mitigation strategy must lower risk and hence increase CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate)

Some notable quotes from " How to Live" by Derek Sivers. It consists of 27 stories independent of each other. Some contradict ideas from others. And that’s what makes this short read even more provocative.

" What I learned losing a million dollars" covers the iconic rise and fall of Jim Paul in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a trader. Here are the key takeaways from the book Here are the key takeaways from the book

Thinking In Bets is a book by professional poker player Annie Duke. Its a book about better decision making under uncertainty.

The Half-Life of Facts is a provocative book that makes us realize that a lot of facts that we believe are factually true get overturned over time. It gives several examples of facts that were later proven wrong or became more precise as our measurements and understanding improved.

The book is a memoir of John Perkins who worked as an economic hitman.

The Mom Test is an intriguing book by Rob Fitzpatrick about how to do user research and validation of one’s product idea.

The book talks about what it means to be a staff engineer. It is an interesting read for those who would prefer to stay on the engineering as opposed to the management track of career growth.