March may have been the month with the most books that I stopped reading. I put down quite a few books that did not make my March reading list. For whatever reason, a majority of the books I started reading never resonated with me. What I ended up with in my March reading list was a collection of high-quality books. I am excited about this list that includes books I have either re-read or plan to read again. Teh books in my March reading list include Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings, A Confederacy of Dunces, Meditations, and Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth. For all of the books I have read this year, including the ones on my February reading list, check out my reading lists [HERE].
Outside of Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings, A Confederacy of Dunces, Meditations, and Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth are all books I have red before. All four books in my March reading list were incredible. However, I will give the nod to Meditations as my favorite book in my March reading list. Let’s dive into the books.
Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings
Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings by Alex W. Morris is a book where Morris edited hundreds of hours of video and more than 1,700 questions asked over the past 31 years at Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings. The book is a comprehensive and highly accessible form of the most interesting material Morris gathered from the Berkshire archives. Buffett and Munger Unscripted cover topics like capital allocation, how to judge and compensate management, the nature of financial markets, and the power of long-term time horizons. The book contains endless quotes and insights from everything from investing to business. I learned countless lessons on how to avoid difficult decisions, the first question to ask yourself before a new investment, how to recover from unsuccessful investments, finding the right people to partner with, and Buffett and Munger’s book recommendations (there are a ton). Other Berkshire, Buffett, and Munger books to check out include The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett’s Words of Wisdom: Quotations and Interpretations to Help Guide You to Billionaire Wealth and Enlightened Business Management, All I Want To Know Is Where I’m Going To Die So I’ll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense, Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012, Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor, and Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth.
A Confederacy of Dunces
Describing this book myself would do an injustice to the book description that matches the debauchery of this hilarious book. “A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black mustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs. So enters one of the most memorable characters in recent American fiction. The hero of John Kennedy Toole’s incomparable, Pulitzer Prize-winning comic classic A Confederacy of Dunces is one Ignatius J. Reilly, an obese, self-absorbed, hapless Don Quixote of the French Quarter, whose half-hearted attempts at employment lead to a series of wacky adventures among the lower denizens of New Orleans.” If you need fiction and laughter in your life, read A Confederacy of Dunces. Other New Orleans books to check out include Napoleon: A Concise Biography, Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans, The Last Madam: A Life In The New Orleans Underworld, The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square, Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny, and Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair.
Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, translated by Gregory Hays, provides Aurelius’ writing concisely and clearly from the original Greek text. The book highlights how direct and powerful Aurelius’ words still are. Hays does a fantastic job making ancient writing approachable. He also helps readers describe the thoughts of one of the world’s most powerful leaders. Throughout the book, you will find actionable advice on everything from how to live to dealing with adversity and interacting with other people. I love the straightforward style of Hays’ translation. I equally appreciated how Meditations offers you an intimate look at someone as powerful as Aurelius. This was my third time reading Meditations. It is a book I can see myself reading on an annual basis. Other books on philosophy worth reading include How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition, How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, Right Thing, Right Now: Good Values. Good Character. Good Deeds., Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual, Letters from a Stoic, and The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living.
Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth
Charlie Munger studied math at the University of Michigan, trained as a meteorologist at Cal Tech Pasadena while in the Army, and graduated from Harvard Law School without earning an undergraduate degree. How is this even possible? Munger was one of America’s most successful investors, was Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and was Warren Buffett’s business partner and confidant for nearly forty years. Munger was and is one of the best people I know to learn business lessons from. He teaches you how to be successful in life and finance. Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth is a compilation of quotes from Munger’s long life. The quotes were pulled from interviews, speeches, and answers Munger provided at the Berkshire and Wesco annual meetings. Munger provides invaluable insights on how to achieve financial success and the philosophies of life. Munger’s investment tips, business philosophy, and ways of life are as unique as they come. Pair this book with All I Want To Know Is Where I’m Going To Die So I’ll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense, Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor, and The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett’s Words of Wisdom: Quotations and Interpretations to Help Guide You to Billionaire Wealth and Enlightened Business Management.
