Warren Books

Warren Hope and Jonathan Barker have done a good job of editing Norman Cameron's poems. The author of a number of brief, witty poems, Cameron's work deserves to be better known. He coined a little collection of thoughtful and memorable myths that at once criticize and delight in the paradoxical lot of modern humanity.

I own a number of books described as "Collector's Guide"s and "Pottery Identification and Value Guide"s and most of them have a short history section and then some combination of catalog pages and photographs of examples, lines, and marks. Useful but limited.

However, this book contains evidence of substantial research into the history and aesthetics of various potteries and potters of North Carolina. He discusses various clay sources and, most important of all, offers numerous photographs of the bottoms of the illustrated pottery pieces. He also discusses the quite striking glazes used.

I was surprised to discover that certain unmarked pieces I had bought over the years in the Ohio Pottery area were in fact from North Carolina potteries.

Very recommended.

Edited just to add that Dr. James (his name is A. Everette James, Jr. not James A. Everette, Jr.) and his wife Dr. Nancy Farmer were awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the Governor of North Carolina for their service to the state.

This isn't exactly a fair and impartial review. I've been asked what I thought of this book before and you'll find that reaction within its pages. If your afraid this is yet another book pontificating the virtues of a fine claret, it's not. Through laymans words with cheerfull illustrations, this is a perfect gift for anyone with any wine ambivalence (love the taste, hate the sonorous sound!)

I really like this new book with its blend of personal history, comments on the US educational system, significant findings on climate change, and suggestions for change. The material on the National Science Board and interactions with national figures give excellent insights into the way our nation deals with science. This book should be an inspiration to a lot of people, including youth who might be or should be considering their educational goals, including possibly scientific ones. Dr. Washington has had quite a life and career, and it makes for good reading.

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"

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"

I only wish Jon Warren would put out a 2nd Edition. This edition written in 1991 has 41,000 listings of paperbacks from 1929-1981. Although not all books by all publishers are listed through 1981. It is the only reference book on paperbacks that is so complete.

Sections are divided by Publisher's and books are then listed in numerical order, which makes it easy to find most titles. Price guide gives quotes for Good, VG, and F. It also lists the cover artist, and whether or not it is PBO (paperback original).

If you can get your hands on this hard to find book. Do so.

Bennis has written almost 30 books thus far, most of them on the subject of leadership. Those who have already read several of them will find no "new tricks" in this book and may, in fact, share my discomfort with any use of the word "tricks" other than in the quite specific "old dogs" context. The last thing our world needs is having more tricksters in positions of leadership but we do need leaders who inspire in others (in Bennis' words) "a sense of purpose or meaning...a sense of belonging, community, team, or group....[and] a sense of power, involvement, connection, and alliance"

In another book, Bennis draws a comparison between managing people and herding cats. Some day, I hope he will write a book (perhaps dedicated to Noah) in which he suggests what can be learned from both the male and female lion as well as from the termite, the orca whale, alligators and crocodiles, the prairie dog, the hyena, etc. For Bennis, the "new trade is all about vision, meaning, purpose, and trust -- and what it takes to maintain these essential elements in modern organizations." I assume he agrees with me that only a few can occupy the highest executive levels in an organization (CEO, COO, CFO, etc.) but literally everyone in the same organization can be a leader in the sense of taking appropriate (repeat, "appropriate") initiatives. They will do so, however, only if their organization's leaders "have the capacity to enroll [them]" in a compelling vision. In Section 3, Bennis identifies and then explains several strategies which are needed to achieve that engagement:

1. Release the brainpower of people

2. Work for the long-term interests of all stakeholders

3. Adapt to a new style of leadership

4. Form new global alliances

NOTE: For small-to-midsize organizations, this probably involves forming strategic alliances with other, much larger organizations which are global in both their nature and scope.

5. Reinvent the organization

6. Solve problems before they have names

7. For everyone involved, be a leader of leaders

8. Share the power [i.e. share authority as well as responsibility]

9. Make the case for co-leaders

10. Create leaders at every level

NOTE: Noel Tichy has a great deal of value to say about #10 in The Leadership Engine. I also highly recommend Bennis and Goldsmith's Learning to Lead. If massive organizational transformation is required, I recommend O'Toole's Leading Change and Katzenbach's Real Change Leaders.

In his Postscript, Bennis discusses the importance of authenticity. Without it, there can be no mutual trust and respect, nor cooperation (much less what Bennis calls "creative collaboration"), nor any possibility of completing the transition to the New Trade. "Tomorrow's organizations will be federations, networks, clusters, cross-functional teams, temporary systems, ad hoc task forces, lattices, modules, matrices -- almost anything but pyramids. An organizations can become and then remain "authentic" only to the extent that its people (especially its leaders) are "authentic." The structures of the future may be temporary but certain basic values must remain constant. The components of a new paradigm suggest what these non-negotiable values are: focus on quality, service, and the customer; collaboration and unification; nurturing interdependence; respecting, honoring, and leveraging diversity; continuous learning and constant innovation; [at least for larger organizations] being globally competitive; and finally, having a much broader focus: "My community, my society, my world." If your own organization lacks these values now, and does nothing to invest itself with them, it has no authenticiuty...and frankly, no future.

So much of the time we receive our history distilled by other people's views. Of course there's nothing wrong with this, but sometimes it is refreshing to read what the people at that time thought was happening. Documents like the ones collected in Warren Billing's book are often the only way we know of certain events and practices, especially in seventeenth century Virginia, when so little was recorded and so little is known.
Mr. Billing's notes on the chapters give context and an experienced evaluation, but the best thing is to dig into the documents themselves. The chapter on the lifestyle and treatment of the African people in Virginia is especially interesting and brings up a section of history usually forgotten or ignored. Because so many of our founding fathers were from Virginia, the seventeenth century background is important to understand the laws and lifestyle they were coming from.
Virginia is well known as a center of colonial revolt in the eighteenth century. This book shows the often forgotten story of the just as important previous century through the eyes of those who experienced it.

Emzara, Noah's wife, plays a key role in this cute tale. Although this story is not from the Bible, it complements the actual one from the Bible by giving an imaginary look at what life might have been like on the ark.

The illustrations are wonderful, and I like the fact that the author, Warren Ludwig, has retained a sense of reverence in the story. When faced with the problem of the elephants eating too much food, "Noah began praying."

For a fun book that helps children become familiar with Noah and the ark, this is a good choice.