Review of Home After Dark: One Man's Memories (Hardcover)

I have read this book again and if I could, I would give this book a five star rating. How can we judge another persons life. If the book is well written and interesting how can we? As a reviewer is it really fair to do so? If the person was a serial killer I would not give it the time of day to read it. But this book is different. I have to let what I wrote below stand but wish I could change it all.

I have had four men read different part's of this book and they really enjoyed it. I personally found some of his transgressions with women to be cold and harsh. But then this is his life story.So it is only fair to the author that I give his book a four star rating. It is well written and honest.

From a child born into poverty to a man who could grace the halls of any mansion or board rooms, this is the true story of Darryl E. Robidoux. At a young age, Darryl knew farming was not the life for him. Farming was back breaking work from dawn to dusk. He wanted more from life than that. Darryl never experienced parental hugs and had never heard his parents say that they loved him. That would affect his relationships as an adult.

At every stage of his life, the author's goal was to learn as much as he could absorb and to better himself. Despite dropping out of high school at the age of 16, he made it into college and first majored in Engineering, then later experience more premier education. He negotiated his career into the field of computer science at a time when computer systems were literally contained in buildings as large as a warehouse.

No matter who he worked for, he gave his all to them. He would be assigned to a project that might take days or weeks to complete. But, with Darryl's work ethics, he would always finish before his allotted time period. It became a challenge to him to be done faster and be better at what he did than anyone else.

One thing the author hopes people will understand about his book is that with enough self motivation and perseverance you can become who ever you want to be. No individual is shackled to their beginnings. It is your individual choices that go into making your dreams come true or not.

Daryyl E. Robidoux met the goals he set for himself and retired at the age of forty while his career took him through the early stages of computer development. This reviewer can't help but think tht when he retired, he learned to love and how relationships work. To not only receive but to give also.

Now days we only have to push a button on our computers and a whole world opens up to us, and we should always remember that the author was a part of the reason that we can.

He states unequivocally that he is a biological product of his parents, that can never be changed, but he likes the person that he is.

Thank you Mr. Robidoux for being part of a new industry that would later change our world in so many ways.

While working on this review I had a chance to email Darryl. We sent some some emails back and forth. I have a secret for you that I learned. Darryl is a sweet and a really nice man. It is the kind of man he is now that will be remembered the most.



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Review of The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World (Hardcover)

Greenspan calls "The Age of Turbulence" a "psychoanalysis of himself."It begins (first half) with his early life, describing the events that provided his learning experiences (including his desire to become a baseball player, then a jazz musician), and then goes to his life of implementing those lessons.

Undoubtedly the most interesting material included Greenspan's evaluations of the Presidents he had worked with. His observations were not the platitudes one might have expected."Nixon was very smart, paranoid," and was an equal-opportunity disparager of all ethnic groups. Ford was the most normal, and sometimes looked past politics to focus on the ethics of an issue.Reagan's ability to spout seemingless endless one-liners and stories was an "odd form of intelligence," according to Greenspan.Greenspan felt his relationship with Bush I was a disaster, with the President eventually blaming Greenspan for his losing the election to Clinton.Clinton, however, was most like a soul-mate to Greenspan - very intelligent, and one constantly working to soak up knowledge and understanding.Greenspan also labeled Clinton's '93 economic plan that focused on reducing the deficit as an "act of political courage."Finally, Greenspan's assessment of Bush II was that he was incurious about the effects of his own economic policy, and that Greenspan's biggest frustration with Bush II was his failure to veto any spending bills.

Greenspan was told that Bush thought he could better control Speaker Hastert and Whip Delay by signing the spending bills; they, however, were never reticent to spend more money to help assure more Republican congressmen.Greenspan also added that he disagreed with Bush II's supply-side economic thinking, and that his endorsement of "A" tax cut during 2001 was just that - not an endorsement of Bush's plan.Another problem was that the plan had no adjustment mechanism in the event assumptions did not pan out and the deficit began to rear up again.

On the other hand, Greenspan does not tell the whole story.According to Paul Krugman (New York Times, 9/17/07), he could have clarified himself a few weeks later when he appeared before a Senate committee on the same topic and evaded questions on whether the proposed tax cuts were too large.Two years later when more cuts were proposed, Greenspan did not object, and in 2004 he expressed support for making the Bush cuts permanent - accompanied by cuts in Social Security beneifts that he assured Congress in 2001 would not be threatened by the cuts.

The most incendiary comment in the book was clearly Greenspan's conclusion that the Iraq War II was all about oil.However, Greenspan is now "clarifying" his statement to Greenspan having told the White House that removing Saddam was "essential" to secure world oil supplies, and now stating (Washington Post interview, 9/17/07) that securing global oil supplies was "not the administration's motive."

Greenspan was initially elated when Bush II won, and brought in his old friends Cheney and Rumsfeld.However, he noted that "they changed," and that he did not agree with Cheney's "deficit's don't matter." There also seemed to be little value placed on rigorous economic policy debate or weighing long-term policy consequences - policy-making was firmly in the hands of White House staff (Rove, et al).A result was that Bush II's first two Treasury Secretaries (O-Neill, Snow) were essentially powerless.Summarizing, Greenspan saw the Republicans in '04 as having swapped principle for power, ending up with neither, and deserving to lose in '06.The "good news" was that they did not try to interfere with monetary policy.

Greenspan has come under increasing criticism himself for the current housing collapse and preceding bubble.His defense, in "The Age of Turbulence," was that the risk of broadening home ownership was worth the risk, that he didn't realize shady practices had grown so prevalent, and had tried raising mortgage rates in '04 and '05 by hiking rates on ten-year Federal notes (no impact).

Finally, looking to the future, Greenspan sees a need to raise taxes on energy to encourage conservation, and a risk of increased inflation - already prices are rising in China.As for ethanol, even if all U.S. corn was converted to ethanol, it would only provide less than 20% of our current oil usage.

An interesting and timely book!



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Review of The Letters of Kingsley Amis (Hardcover)

Amis's letters are a lot of fun, as you might expect. Amis is often as outraged and funny as in his best fiction (especially in the letters to Larkin). Often in literary appraisals he is acute, and he always seems true to something in himself, so that even when one disagrees--i. e., T. S. Eliot is not simply a pretentious bore--one goes along.

Good as this correspondence is, it isn't up to Larkin's letters because Amis doesn't believe or feel as deeply as Larkin does, nor does he have as focussed a perspective as Larkin, so the humor isn't set set off in such sharp contradistinction to a fundamental seriousness. Yet you keep reading because the book clears away cant and intellectual fustian so vigorously. Moreover, it gives just enough glimpse of Amis's biography: a sad, messy counterpoint spreads out in the background: the meanderings of a brilliant man with a zillion reactions and nothing firm to attach them to.

Larkin's parody of his own poem "Days" on page 1040 is not to be missed; it's in one of Leader's helpful footnotes.

This book weighs a couple of pounds, so is hard to hold--to be read at table rather than in bed. Couldn't the publisher have used lighter weight paper and given us smaller type and less margin?



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Review of Diaries, 1969-1979: The Python Years (Hardcover)

I have vivid memories of watching MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS every Saturday evening with group of fellow college students. We packed into the Grand Wazoo's apartment to watch the program on PBS followed by SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. What a hoot!

I was delighted when I opened MICHAEL PALIN DIARIES as a Christmas present. I read it while receiving therapy for my back. The book was a fantastic diversion. As for me, I looked forward to reading Palin's description of the clerical attacks on THE LIFE OF BRIAN.*Well, that part was at the end.Nevertheless, the entire diary was a pleasure and captured my interest.

One unexpected dimension of Palin's life that captured my attention was the unfolding relationship he had with his family including his parents, wife and children. In particular, the progressive decline and death of his father produced a profound portrait of Palin.It was touching.Less touching but still an attention grabber was Palin's portrait of the other Pythons.The personality of each Python was a candid and multidimensional.However, I wasn't surprised by these descriptions and reaffirmed Palin's reputation as being "the nice one."

As for THE LIFE OF BRIAN, my primary interest in reading this diary, the description of the evolution of the leper and crucifixion scenes was a real hoot. The evolution of the leper scene was more complex than imaginable.

* An Episcopalian Bishop asked a close friend (a priest) to discourage his flock to not view THE LIFE OF BRIAN. He and his Bishop never saw the film, but after I explained the storyline, my friend became less concerned.The protest of the film could have easily been included in the film itself. If the Python boys realized a protest would ensue, I am sure they would have done so.




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Review of Diana Ross: A Biography (Hardcover)

Even with Randy's third opus on Miss Ross I haven't any more of a clue as to who or what she really is but if you've bought the previous two books don't think this is just a rehash. It's a new book and impeccably researched and impeccably written.He's done his damnest to try to bring the complete person to the pages. Ross' own book showed she hasn't got a clue about who she really is (and, good grief, all the information and dates she had wrong or confused) and that she is the center of her universe, not the most sensitive to the feelings or viewpoint of others she's worked with.Since she'll never write the whole story, this book will do nicely.The most significant observation Randy makes is Ross'multiple personalities--almost every star in show business has them, a combination of sheer guts and ambition and power with total insecurity.It drives everyone around them nuts.(But not every star is a bundle of contradictions--some are in show business but not of show business and live their lives right side up.)As for Ross, I love her work--a fabulous career still chuggin' ahead--but I'd never want to get in her way.



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Review of Welfare Brat: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Intimate and powerful, Mary Childers' memoir of growing up in urban poverty in the 1960s Bronx leaves haunting images in its wake. Though arising from the usual sad litany of poverty - alcohol, drugs, unpredictable tempers, frightened children, abused women and dangerous streets - these images are singular, personal and painfully complex.

Like the time they had their roach-infested basement apartment painted, because a guy who owed the older sister's boyfriend a favor sent his crew over (this sister, Jackie, a high school drop-out, is already following in her mother's footsteps). Their mother, Sandy, exuberant at the prospect, drags the furniture away from the walls and urges the whole family to paint pictures of their own, whatever they want before the painters come to cover it up.

On the day itself, "no beer bottles in sight," Sandy takes them all to Coney Island, a trip which involves dragging cooler, stroller and duffle bag on two packed trains, where casual violence is always a danger. "Virtually every family on the train designates a hawk to detect the danger zones where action might flare....Everyone knows what happens if you interfere with teenage boys proving their manhood."

Though the lunch is only PB&J, "I'll be happy as long as Mom doesn't buy beer or, even worse, flirt one out of an innocent bystander." She doesn't and the day is idyllic. They take turns guarding the blanket. "I welcome my turn to guard our stuff. Reading on the beach without any of the kids bothering me is one of the most peaceful events of my life."

Sandy caps the day by taking the whole family on the roller coaster. Her glasses fly off in mid-whoop but her daughter Joan snags them in mid-air. Unfortunately a lurch slams her hand on the bar and a lens pops out. "Oh boy, wait until Mom sees this. She'll lose her temper. The day will be ruined....Mom believes Joan saved her glasses, and Joan and I dread admitting the truth. Joan squeezes back her tears as she rubs her hand with pain and worry." But the charmed day persists. Sandy's left eye is glass and it was the left lens that was lost.

Sandy is a mercurial figure who envelops her surviving seven children - six girls and one silent, outnumbered, beleaguered boy - with love, pelts them with curses, and leaves them hungry while she goes off partying. The atmosphere in their dank crowded apartment seesaws between giddiness and rage. And yet, suddenly, when one of the girls is hit by a car, Sandy promises God to quit drinking if the child survives - and does.

Not that her children trust the transformation. And the grinding cycle of poverty remains unbroken. Worn out by so many pregnancies and "bad habits" Sandy works even less, eking out their living on welfare alone and whatever her children contribute. While the fate of Mary's sisters remains precarious, her own determination is never in doubt.

"Most of the time I tell myself that my family feels like a lifeline, not a prison sentence, but I always have one eye on the door."

She is the one who insists on going to school, who braves any amount of resentment and ridicule to stay on the college-bound, escape-bound path. Taunted and persecuted by neighborhood kids as well as her mother, and even teachers sometimes for her welfare-brat clothing, Mary seldom wavers, as desperate as she is for friends and approval. An adrenaline-spiked stint with a neighborhood gang ends in shame when a boy's sneer jolts her back to herself. These kids are mean, racist bullies, she realizes. "I rolled in laughter when I should have been racked with guilt."

There are many threads that weave through Mary's story, but the cyclic, self-perpetuating nature of poverty is the strongest. There is one message children like her read loud and clear every day: "People who speak well and read widely may be admirable, but if you stand out, you'll be picked out. You're inviting trouble and loneliness when you distinguish yourself from your own by choosing to care about good grades, books, accents and magazine clothes.... Against my will, I've absorbed resentment and the nagging perception that my ambitions are disloyal, and worse, punishable."

Against the turmoil of the times: the assassinations, from JFK to MLK; the race riots and rampaging gangs; the fear of crime on the subway and on the street; the stigma and inadequacy of welfare, Mary keeps her eye on the prize - college. Escape. Her tumultuous, wrenching, sometimes funny story knocks home a serious lesson about the cycle of poverty. It takes more than brains, talent and hard work to escape the underclass. It takes steely determination, a tough shell and a willingness to go it alone.

- Portsmouth Herald



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Review of Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett/More in '04, California Edition (Hardcover)

Andy Kilpatrick did a great job as usual.The chapters are organized as short stories.These stories and pictures take the reader into the world that surrounds Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, family, friends, fans, and the Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary companies.The book is a solid account of Warren Buffett's and Berkshire's history.Furthermore, it includes many of the people that have been affected by this growing phenomenon called Berkshire Hathaway.

The author presents the story with a good sense of humor and he captures the spirit of fun each of these people bring to the annual meetings.I almost fell off my chair after seeing page 1464.This biography of investor Warren Buffett includes 1,500 pages and 750 photographs.It is a real valuable addition to anyone's library, and it is offered at a bargain price, relative to its intrinsic value.For those new to the study of the Buffett-Munger investment phenomenon, this book is a "must have" to your collection.The Compounding Success of the Graham-Dodd-Buffett-Munger investment ideas are conguent with ideas presented in the OPV book.Forget the Efficient Market Hypothesis!In an old school paper entitled the "Compounding Success Model", found somewhere on a web search, I had concluded that 10 major factors contributed to the Compounding Success of the Graham-Dodd-Buffett-Munger investment approach:
1. Rational and thorough business analysis, with keen emotional intellects that promote ethical information exchange.
2. Wide experience with analyzing and managing numerous different businesses.
3. Charlie Munger's Role as (a.)"Devils-Advocate" (Munger as therapist/analyst of investment decisions) and (b.) Munger's role in encouraging further limiting the portfolio towards "wonderful businesses."
4. Leverage via a Low Cost of Capital from Insurance Operations
5. Disciplined Tracking of Understandable Businesses
6. Analysis of Strategic and Sustainable Competitive Advantages of Industries and Businesses.Warren Buffett has a Masters in Economics from Columbia University and Charlie Munger has a Law degree from Harvard University. Both have a variety of operational business experiences.
7. Trustworthy First-Class Managements with proven track records.
8. Ben Graham's Mr. Market and search for the Margin of Safety. The Margin of Safety is the bargain obtained when purchasing at a market price below the intrinsic value estimation. Graham and Dodd taught: "An investment operation is one which, upon thorough analysis, promises safety of principal and a satisfactory return."
9. Satisfaction: Buffett stated: "Though "working" means nothing to me financially, I love doing it at Berkshire for some simple reasons: It gives me a sense of achievement, a freedom to act as I see fit and an opportunity to interact daily with people I like and trust."
10. Learning from Practice, Mistakes, and Experiences: "After many years of buying and supervising a great variety of businesses, Charlie and I have not learned how to solve difficult business problems. What we have learned is to avoid them."

Andy's book gives you a more comprehensive view of the human interactions that make these successes possible.I also got a big kick of Andy including my poem on page 1034.This book gives a very good account of Buffett's business and investing evolution.Any student of "investment decision making" should review this work. I learned more about this evolution by reading an earlier OPV edition.It described the growth from Benjamin Graham's classical "Value Investing" to the Buffett-Munger "wonderful business" purchases.

Of Permanent Value: The Story Of Warren Buffett is a big book that will appeal to fans of financial wizard Warren Buffett. It explores how Buffett began from scratch to form a business empire. It includes in-depth examinations of business philosophy while providing a fun and lively read.In my view, time is the friend of the wonderful book, and the enemy of the mediocre one. This one packs a big punch. In time, it will be a bestseller.



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Review of Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett, 2005 Edition (Hardcover)

This new edition is the most comprehensive and compelling history of Berkshire Hathaway and it's officers, owners and hundreds of people who have invested in, run, benefitted, admired, nurtured, or otherwise influenced the life of Warren Buffett, as well as countless other people,factors and strategies responsible for the unprecedented and still relentless growth of one of the most successful corporate enterprises of all time. 272 quick-reading chapters cover just about every facet of the Buffett mistique, personality, thought process and lifestyle. The investment executive author and former journalist nails down all the whos, hows, wheres, whens, whys and hows relating to this remarkable man from his youth through the 2004 Berkshire Annual Meeting which brought 20,000 enthusiastic shareholders to Omaha this past May. Frank Betz



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Review of The Luxury of Time (Hardcover)

A realistic, no frills story of a mother and wive dealing with her terminal illness, trying to stay alive for the sake of her children. The story is told in simple, no holds barred language and will strike a painful cord with all parents both male and female. It is strikingly realistic in the detail of everyday family life and reaches out to the reader in gripping style. Sad in places but ultimately uplifting.



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Review of Chairman of the Fed: William McChesney Martin Jr., and the Creation of the Modern American Financial System (Hardcover)

William McChesney Martin Jr. (no relation to me, as far as I know) is an important figure in US history. He led the Federal Reserve System from 1951 to 1970, successfully defending its independence in five administrations. This is the first, and to date the only, book-length biography of him.

Of course, the Fed's business is monetary policy, a dizzyingly abstruse subject. But Robert P. Bremner explains it so lucidly that even I, with only a rudimentary knowledge of economics, was able to understand it.

When the Fed's monetary policy goes wrong, the consequences are stark: failed businesses, lost jobs, lost savings. Not only do abstractions like GDP or CPI elicit consternation, but real people around the country suffer crushing reverses. By the same token, monetary policy is designed and carried out by real people with real supporters and opponents, families and careers, principles and ambitions. Robert P. Bremner draws adequate sketches of the main characters in William McChesney Martin's life and work, but I wish he'd rounded them out a bit more. In particular I think he's too nonjudgmental about Martin's opponents.

To appreciate Martin's virtues, however, it's not necessary to contrast them with his opponents' vices. Bremner recounts Martin's mistakes as well as his successes--indeed, Martin himself in 1970 took the blame for failing to avert what he called "the wildest inflation since the Civil War." But the human being and public servant who emerges from these pages is unfailingly dedicated, courageous--and honest. Those were the days.



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Review of Success Stories (Hardcover)

Success Stories by Michael B. Davie is one of the most unusual and inspiring books you're ever likely to come across.
Unusual because the book combines most aspects of a business book with a coffee table book that's heavy on both pictures and text.
Inspiring because much of the content concerns the life stories of highly successful people who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps to become rich and influential.
Of particular interest is the story of Michael G. DeGroote who immigrated to Canada as a child, barely spoke any English, dropped out of school at age 14 and landed his first job - hauling manure to Southern Ontario tobacco farms. From these humble beginnings, DeGroote went on to acquire and build Laidlaw into a multi-billion-dollar giant, then sold his shares to move to Bermuda and begin a new empire in the sun. All in all, a very inspiring, thought-provoking book. Highly recommended.



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Review of Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom From Black Barber Shops (Hardcover)

I truly loved this book. My heart leapt in my chest when I saw it on the book shelf. As a "kitchen-barber" for more than twenty-years I was ecstatic to see the subject matter bound withphotographs and ready to read.

The barbershop has for men of African decent been a respite from women, life's pressures, etiquette, censorship and sometimes reality for many years. This highly valued institution often serves the community as an outreach center, political platform, advice booth, stand-up comedy tryout club and therapist's couch. Craig Maybery has struck gold again with an enjoyable foray into the subtleties of African American culture. Like his book, "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats" Mayberry gives the reader a clear insight into the passion Blacks have for their turn at at an American tradition. It was so refreshing to see an accurate view of the black barbershop which isn't exaggerated as in the films, Barbershop I and II or butchered like the Showtime adaptation "Barbershop"; (What a MESS!)

Using 49 short biographical stories the author gives us an authentic look into the motivations, tragedies, humor and passions of the men and women who cut and style the afro-american hair shaft. The portraits of these barbers are as they presented themselves to the author. They are human: Flawed, Dedicated, Unique and Proud.

The only disappointment I had in reading this book was not being able to find present-day photos of all of the subjects interviewed. I intend to give several of these books as gifts. A beautiful tribute to the men (or women) everyone needs and uses and takes for granted and noone wants to lose. Your barber.



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Review of Gerald R. Ford (Hardcover)

Brinkley's account of the underappreciated Presidency and life of Gerald R. Ford was a fast and informative account of our 38th President.Though a biographer of Jimmy Carter, Brinkley gives Ford his due credit, but also manages to draw attention to Ford's mistakes, such as jettisoning Rockefeller from the Vice Presidency.Brinkley's 2003 interviews with Ford also provide rich background to a book that one can easily read in a single day.Since his death, the public adoration for Ford has been deafening.This biography hit the shelves only 6 weeks after his death, which is included in the
book.As a public school Social Studies teacher, I would highly recommend this book!



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Review of Gimme Shelter (Hardcover)

Very, very funny. I only wish we had this hilarious handbook during the two miserable years we spent searching for plausible, affordable real estate within commuting distance of Manhattan.



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Review of Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett, 2006 Literary Edition (Hardcover)

First, I want to mention two constructive feedback about this book. One is that this book is probably only suitable for Warren Buffett fanatics/fans. For general investors interested about Berkshire Hathaway or how Warren Buffett invest, this is probably not the best book to read (as it has so much more info. i.e. more than 1000 pages). Second is that I have read this book more than once and I still don't know how the book is organized (the chapters aren't following chronological order, alphabetical nor topical order), therefore it is quite confusing to read as you progress from one chapter to another. Only after you read enough chapter (or completed the book) then you can put it all in the big picture in your head (from Warren's childhood till his current Berkshire days). Nonetheless, kudos to Andrew Kilpatrick for putting this book together. Moreover, once you know the limitation, this book is easily considered the best book about Warren Buffett in my opinion.

Now about the content of the book. You will learn a lot about Warren Buffett and his life, and not only investing topic (investing decisions that he made throughout his career) but his life principles, family, and business in general as well. You will learn about his first job delivering papers when he was 13 (he filed income tax and deducted the bike as business cost), and how he build his first business (pinball machine business), created Buffett partnership, break it up (liquidate), acquire berkshire mills, creating Berkshire Hathaway as investment vehicle, and many other great investment decision/story that he made (Geico, See's Candies, Dairy Queen, General Re, Coca Cola, Salomon, Washington Post, Gillette etc)

Buffett concrete rules for investing are:
1. Never lose money
2. Never forget rule #1

I know it's easier said (what he say above about to never lose money) than done based on my 10 years of invesitng experience , but then again I'm no Warren Buffett.

In my opinion, here are the 5 strategy/skills that Warren Buffett uses (Mr. Buffett, please correct me if I'm wrong):
1. Intrinsic Value
2. Margin of Safety
3. Temperament (discipline and understanding Mr.Market)
4. Circle of Competence (knowing what your circle of competence)
5. Common Sense (which I think is the most important factor and encapsulate everything about Warren Buffett.)

You will learn that Warren is very good with numbers (calculating in his head) and memorizing so many facts and numbers. You will also learn that Warren is a man with a very good sense of humor.

There are so many things/chapters that I like on this book. Let me try to mention two of my favorite sections.

One is when Warren need to make a decision who would run Salomon ($150B institution with 8000 employees) within 2 days during their first crisis. There are 12 top-level managers that he interviewed. "This was the most important hire of my life", said Warren to the Columbia business students. The chapter explain his thought process of this candidate selection in detail. Warren mentioned that the good news (for the students and the candidate) is that he didn't ask what their grades were (laughter). Warren also said, "Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. and if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you. if you think about it, it's true, if you hire somebody without integrity, you want them to be dumb and lazy" (laughter). And he conclude the topic with this statement which I think is very powerful: "Pick the kind of person to work for you that you want to marry your son or daughter. You won't go wrong". By the way, he picked Deryck Maughan by the way for his integrity.

Another chapter that I really like is how Warren put the audience (of more than 2000 people) through Business School in an electrifying two minutes (The chapter about "Generics"). See how Warren answer the question of "Will developments in the generic brand area hurt coca-cola?" which is a very important questions. I'll try not to spill too much and take the joy of reading this chapter yourself but he basically explains in a nutshell (with all the details and numbers) how business and competition works (and using several other example like Gilette, Marlboro, Sam Cola etc) and how he convinced the audience (and me as a reader) that coca cola is considered immune to generics. He explains how one can save $500 for smoking generic brand (vs Marlboro) which is a lot of money. While a man will probably will only save $11 per year by not using Gilette Sensor and probably leave band-aids on his face and an uncomfotable experience for opting for generics/lower quality blades. And for coca cola, the net profit margin is only 1 cents per serving (can) while a lot of the ingredients cost (such as the aluminium close to 6 cents a can, sugar 1.3 ounce per can or 1.75 cents etc) the same regardless for coke or other cola company.

I'll stop here before it's getting too long. In summary, If you are a Warren Buffett fans, then this book is for you. If you are uncertain, you can get other books first (potentially less thick book), like "Warren Buffet Way" or maybe "Buffettology", and if you like them (Warren) or want to know more about Warren then get this book. I personally don't like it in the beginning but as time goes by (and after I re-read the book/chapters), I changed my mind, this book is a masterpiece.

As a Berkshire shareholder, I want to encourage all berkshire shareholders (and potential/future shareholders) to read this book to know more about the person in charge of your berkshire investment. I also want to encourage all shareholders to go to the annual shareholder meeting while Mr. Buffett is still in charge.

Last but not least, if I have to sum this book up in a word or two, I would use the word "WISDOM" to describe this book, though I have a strong feeling that Warren will disagree with me and think that the more suitable phrase is "COMMON SENSE"




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Review of Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett/2007 International Edition/in 2 volumes (Hardcover)

This is a relatively well-written book, telling the story of Warren Buffett in great detail. Let me emphasize this last part by repeating it: it tells the story of Warren Buffett _in great detail_.

Author Andrew Kilpatrick has tackled his subject with the dedication of a stalker. Throughout _Of Permanent Value_ readers will be told, not just how WEB has accumalated a mind-boggling fortune, but also how well he tips (or doesn't), who his favorite philosopher is and what type of car he drives. You'll learn of the different groups of Buffett fans, the relatives of Buffett, the foundation that will spread around his wealth after he's no longer tap-dancing to work. And you'll read accounts of (random) people who saw Buffett in China, who taught or went out with him when he was younger, and so on and so on ad infinitum.

As such, the book is primarily for those who want to know more about who Warren Buffett the person is, than about how one can be more like him financially. To those, then, who want to know how to invest like Buffett I do not recommend you read this book--at least not until after you've read the other, better books on this subject. These are _The Warren Buffett Way_ (my favorite), _The Making of an American Capitalist_, and _How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett_.

If you, however, _do_ want to know much more about Buffett than the average person, this book can not be recommended highly enough. Everything has been written down in the pages of this book--the only thing that wasn't discussed was whether Buffett wears boxers or briefs. (I'm sure Kilpatrick's saving this one for the next, revised edition however.)



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Review of A Comrade Lost and Found: A Beijing Story (Hardcover)

There are many biographical narratives about life in the Cultural Revolution.There is a whole genre for survivors who find a way out of the country. Another genre like the now classic, Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China puts the Cultural Revolution in a generational context. Yet another genre represented by Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China gives a then and now report. There is also fiction for each of the categories. I believe this book is unique because it is written by a former true believer, that is, a former persecutor who admits guilt.

The writer arrived in China in 1970, one of the first foreigners to study after/during the Cultural Revolution and participated in the denunciation of a classmate. While her act was small in comparison to what others had done, being on the persecution side, she is able to give clues as to the pshchology and temper of the times.As one survivor in Chinese Lessons observes, everyone claims to be a victim, but "do the math".

The breezy narrative ("Cult Rev") and the travelogue belie the serious content. This it the first volume I've read that compares this history to other mass hysteria movements like the Holocaust, where citizens were proud to inform, to destroy and to generally participate. This is also the first volume I've read that even mentions the psychological fallout, such as the compartmentalization of the persecutors and the damaged self of the persecuted.

Also important is that this is the first story I know of that reports on an every day (not a Deng Xiouping, etc,) fully persecuted survivor who is still in China.We learn about the many years she suffered, like an abandoned child, or a victim of child abuse and/or poverty, and of her careful steps in her own rehabilitation - it did not "just happen".

The author speaks to her own psychology of joining the movement. She wanted to fit in, to prove herself to the group.With the benefit of distance, life in Canada, knowledge of history and psychology she had the tools to understand what happened. China is collectively wiping this out today. In this book, many young people don't know much about the formerly life and death issues of "left' and "right".Wanting to leave China is not a crime and the youth probably don't know that once it was.Since so much of the literature of this time is created by the persecuted survivors who have escaped to the west, it may be that the whole sad generation of "Cult Rev" persecutors takes their stories to their graves.






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Review of Speaking for Myself: My Life from Liverpool to Downing Street (Hardcover)

Cherie Blair's main claim to fame is her marriage to Tony Blair who was Britain's Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007.However she is also an interesting individual in her own right: the daughter of a famous actor who has had a prestigious legal career as well as having a front row seat for recent political events.She was widely disliked in the UK, and I have to say that if you don't like Cherie Blair, this is probably not the book that will change your mind. I started reading it with an open mind, but by the end even I was getting tired of her! Having said that, I enjoyed reading "Speaking for Myself" and I recommend it (which may sound strange, but only if you think you need to like the subject of a biography to enjoy reading it).

One of the things that has always intrigued me about Mrs Blair is that she is such a contrast: a high achiever with a great deal of intelligence and yet so devoid of emotional intelligence that she is oblivious to the way that she comes across. It's clear from reading this book that she is a warm and caring person, intensely loyal to her family and friends, who does a lot for charity. It's also clear that she has poor personal judgement and no idea how to read situations.

Cherie grew up in working class Liverpool. Her father was largely absent from her life (she only found out that she had a new step-sister when she saw the birth notice in the newspaper). She was raised by her grandmother and mother and developed a strong sense of feminism from an early age. What's interesting is that she then chose to go into law - one of the most conservative occupations that she could have chosen - and to marry a man whose political ambitions meant that she was condemning herself to playing a support role. She makes a throwaway comment at one stage about how simple her life could have been had she chosen to marry someone else, but the fact is that she made her choices knowingly and yet proceeds to complain about the consequences at great length. It's hard to muster the sympathy that she clearly feels she deserves.

Cherie also has a preoccupation with financial security, which is not attractive but nevertheless understandable given her working class background. What she doesn't seem to get however is how inappropriate it is for a woman in her privileged position to complain about being hard up. Instead it's as if she thinks that if she just explains one more time about how Tony went from earning £80,000 per annum to £20,000 per annum when he became an MP, then we'd suddenly get it and feel sorry for her.

In the early days of Tony's political career, he and Cherie had a strong partnership. The dynamic between them changed when he became PM. Cherie had to accept that she didn't get to know what was going on and that Alastair Campbell would make decisions about what she could and couldn't do. She felt quite isolated in Downing Street (at one point she refers to herself as "the prisoner") and probably as a consequence she developed very close relationships with her hairdresser Andre and with her "lifestyle adviser" Carole Caplin. Nevertheless when things all fall apart with Carole, she comments that she didn't have the emotional energy to deal with Carole's misery. This section of the book is Cherie at her worst. She had gone through a miscarriage, felt financially insecure and was generally feeling sorry for herself. She is so pre-occupied with her own woes that she doesn't give much thought to the looming conflict in Iraq and she also never admits that she made errors of judgement (the inability to acknowledge her mistakes is a recurring flaw in her character).

The best parts of the book are when Cherie is talking about the places she's been and people that she's met. Her descriptions of official visits to China, Pakistan and Rwanda are fascinating, as are her observations about world players like the Clintons, President Bush, Vladimir Putin, the Royal Family and the very theatrical Silvio Berlosconi. (Putin's wife tells her that Putin has a rule that you must never praise a woman as that will only spoil her). She had a unique front row to history and she's very open about what she thinks. The book is also very amusing at times - I laughed out loud when she described sitting her driving test. She comes across as being very honest throughout, even when it's to her detriment (and it often is).

The book is long and could easily have been shorter. (There's too much about her early boyfriends for example.) It's not badly written, but a better editor would also have encouraged a greater degree of self-scrutiny. She's an interesting and complex woman but this is not the book it could have been. Nonetheless, despite these criticisms, I enjoyed it very much.



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