Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor [Hardcover]

Janet Lowe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2007

When Warren Buffett Speaks. . . people listen.

"If people want to improve their investing skills, it has to help to study how the Master does it. This short book outlines Buffett's philosophy and techniques."
—Peter S. Lynch, Fidelity Investments

"Common sense with a deft irony . . ."
—John C. Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group and author, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

"It was Warren Buffett's thoughts and philosophy that first captivated investors. Janet Lowe has done us all a great service by collecting and arranging Warren Buffett's wit and wisdom in an easy-to-read and enjoyable book."
—Robert G. Hagstrom, Portfolio Manager, Legg Mason Growth Trust mutual fund, and author, The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition

"A must-read. Buffett's wit and wisdom is a roadmap for anyone looking to succeed in business, investing, and life."
—Steve Halpern, Editor, www.thestockadvisors.com

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Most people come to know of Warren Buffett through his ability to generate wealth. However, as Janet Lowe reveals in her book, Warren Buffett Speaks, Buffett is more than a money-making machine. Warren Buffett Speaks is a library of notes and quotes that have been collected over the years, aimed at revealing the many aspects of the World's Greatest Investor--his wit, personality, and wisdom. The first half of the book deals with Buffett's view of life, family, and friends, while the latter half focuses on Buffett's investment philosophy and observations about the market. This book is a must for every Buffettologist. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"Some nice touches include a General Electric chronology and a short glossary of company lingo." -- USA Today, September 17, 1998 --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (August 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470152621
• ISBN-13: 978-0470152621
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1 x 7.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( B ) > Buffett, Warren

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended, November 2, 2005

By 

Ron - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor (Hardcover)

If you are interested in reading about Buffett and his investment approach, this book is useless. This is a very short collection of quotes, most of which you will run into anyway.

If interested in Buffett as an investor, one good book is The Essays of Warren Buffett. If you want to save money even on this one, without missing out on the content, just download the letters to shareholders Buffett has written over the years and posted on Berkshire Hathaway's website, for free of course.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Warren Buffett, you'll love this book!, January 31, 2000

By 

Senior Market Editor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor (Hardcover)

I'm a big fan of Warren Buffett already, but I have to say this is one of my favorite books of recent years. It's quite an easy read and very well written. Authored by someone who also appears to be a big fan of Warren Buffett. The book is well laid out, with sections on a number of topics. It imparts a variety of Mr. Buffett's business and investing wit & wisdom through quotes and interesting stories relating to both his personal and investing life. Not only may this book help you become a better investor, but it may also help you become a better person as well. Highly recommended, whether you invest in stocks or not.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Collection of Quotes, April 26, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Leeper "kem2070" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor (Hardcover)

This is the wit and wisdom of Warren Buffet, the "World's Greatest Investor." Not all of the quotes are from him but are from friends, family, and colleagues. As mentioned in the book, this is more along the lines of Will Rogers. It is not strictly aphorisms on investing.

Just seeing Buffett's name sparked my enthusiasm in the book. Thinking this book would have a lot of investing tips, I was disappointed. The first part of the book consists of sayings on life in general. As the book progresses, then some investing thoughts are covered. When they are covered, they are not easily converted into a personal strategy to make a quick profit.

This does not mean that it is without merit. The key idea I will take from this book is to invest in companies rather than stock. If your research shows that the company is solid, you should invest in that company. Another idea is to invest as if you were going to leave for 5-10 years and had no way to change the investment.

There is a repeat of at least one quote. "You don't need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ." A rather encouraging thought about investing.

If you are looking for a guide to investing, then this is not your book. If you were looking for ideas to think about that would help shape long-term goals, then this would be more helpful. I would wait for the book by Warren Buffett.