January started with a bang in terms of my January reading list. I read Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor, and Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way. All of these books in my January reading list are superb. My favorite book was Empires of Light. For all of the books I have read, you can check out my reading list here.
Empires of Light dives into how the modern world benefited from the electrification age. Edison and Tesla are two figures I look forward to learning more about. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is not my favorite Benjamin Franklin book but it is still solid. Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor helped me with using mental models for life and investing. Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way profiles someone I have known about my entire life but knew very little about his business acumen. Now, let’s unpack the January reading list.
Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World
Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jonnes is the story of the three pioneers in the world of electricity. Many people know the name Edison but Tesla (outside of Elon Musk’s company) and Westinghouse may be names you don’t hear as often. Edison kicked off the race to electrify the world by creating the first incandescent light build and first direct current (DC) electrical networks. Tesla followed soon thereafter by pioneering the use of alternating current (AC). George Westinghouse, an industrialist from the gas industry, saw the value of Tesla’s AC system and partnered with Tesla kicking off what’s known as the War of the Electric Currents. The book ends with a race of DC vs. AC, the creation of the electric power industry, and patent wars to defend each of these inventor’s technologies. My main takeaway is that Edison was an incredible inventor who unfortunately couldn’t see the value in AC, Tesla was an equally talented inventor who would have been better off financially licensing his technology to Westinghouse, and Westinghouse is someone to model your character after by the way he treated others.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is Ben Franklin’s attempt to distill the wisdom he’s learned from his life to his son. It’s a story about all of the incredible work Franklin did throughout his life as a public servant, entrepreneur, father, businessman, inventor, writer, and diplomat. When reading the book I was consistently blown away by the amount Franklin accomplished in his life. It seemed that every day he was inventing a new product, writing an incredible article, negotiating treaties overseas, managing relations with the Native Americans, guiding the United States in its early days, and thinking about life. Franklin is an individual who has inspired me since reading Benjamin Franklin: An American Life followed by Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership. He’s just one of those people we can all learn from in our quest to explore the world.
Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor
Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor by Tren Griffin may be the best book I read all year, and we’re in early January. I highlighted text on nearly every page of this book that covers his investing strategy by using Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholder’s letters, interviews with Munger, and commentary from other fund managers. What I appreciate most about Munger is how clear his mental models are for anyone to use. Munger and his partner Warren Buffett developed their investing philosophy around Ben Graham’s value-investing approach. This book distills Munger’s investing style for your portfolio. He’s able to convey timeless wisdom for you and me to use.
Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way
Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way by Ryan White is an autobiography of one of my favorite musicians. The book covers Buffett’s beginnings in Mobile Alabama (we went to the same high school) from his rise through the music ranks with his Coral Reefer Band to eventually becoming a massive tropical and lifestyle brand. His musical career took him from New Orleans, Nashville, Key West, and eventually around the world. Through this journey and struggle, he built a huge following of loyal fans. This allowed him to create the Margaritaville brand which encompasses restaurants, merchandise, resorts, and all kinds of products. It’s hard not to appreciate how hard Buffett worked to create songs that told a powerful story in each song that fans (Parrott Heads) could relate to. He was able to build a loyal following by being true to himself. Buffett was also great at putting on the persona of a laid-back, carefree guy who in reality was relentless in his pursuit to become great. What a fantastic book!
