The Coming Wave delves into the impending technological revolution driven by AI and synthetic biology, arguing that this wave will have a more dramatic impact on humanity than any previous technological advancement. Suleyman discusses how these technologies will create immense prosperity but also threaten the nation-state and global order. He examines historical technological waves and their societal implications, proposing the 'containment problem' as the essential challenge of our age. The book explores the potential for catastrophic harms, overbearing surveillance, and the need to forge a path between catastrophe and dystopia. Suleyman offers 10 steps to contain the rapid expansion of these technologies, though he acknowledges the complexity and potential failure of such containment efforts[1][3][5].
In 'The Psychology of Money,' Morgan Housel delves into the psychological and emotional aspects of financial decisions. The book consists of 19 short stories that illustrate how personal history, worldview, emotions, and biases influence financial outcomes. Housel emphasizes the importance of behavior over knowledge in managing money, highlighting the power of compounding, the dangers of greed, and the pursuit of happiness beyond mere wealth accumulation. He advocates for a frugal lifestyle, long-term perspective, and a balanced approach to investing, stressing that financial success is more about mindset and discipline than about technical financial knowledge[2][3][4].
In 'Clear Thinking', Shane Parrish provides a comprehensive manual for improving decision-making and personal growth. The book highlights how most people operate on autopilot, driven by behavioral defaults shaped by biology, evolution, and culture. Parrish offers strategies to recognize and capitalize on pivotal moments between stimulus and response, using stories, mental models, and a 4-stage decision process (define, explore, evaluate, execute). The book aims to help readers build self-knowledge, self-control, and self-confidence, and to make better decisions by balancing emotions with rational thinking and gathering high-quality information.
Most families who obtain immense wealth squander it by the third generation. But Chris Davis comes from a family whose grandfather and father all became independently wealthy of each other, and Davis has done the same. How does that keep happening? In this conversation, we find out.
Shane and Chris discuss life and investment lessons he learned from his father and grandfather, why writing is more important to clarify one's thinking no matter who's reading it, and the surprising benefit of reading physical newspapers and wearing ties to work. Davis also shares his value-investing philosophy, what he learned from working with and meeting Charlie Munger, and what parents can do to raise kids who aren't entitled. Davis talks about his alcohol drink tracker and why it's important to him, why he never puts himself in situations where envy can grow, and the insights from Warren Buffett's key letter about why investment managers underperform.
Chris Davis is on the board of Berkshire Hathaway and The Coca-Cola Company. Davis is Chairman of Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc., an independent investment management firm founded in 1969. Davis joined Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc. in 1989 as a financial analyst, and in 1995, he became a portfolio manager of the firm’s flagship funds.
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos
Newsletter - I share timeless insights and ideas you can use at work and home. Join over 600k others every Sunday and subscribe to Brain Food. Try it: https://fs.blog/newsletter/
My Book! Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results is out now - https://fs.blog/clear/
Follow me: https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish
Join our membership: https://fs.blog/membership/
Sponsors:
Eight Sleep: Sleep to power a whole new you. https://www.eightsleep.com/farnamstreet
(00:00) Intro
(03:20) Life lessons Davis learned from his grandfather and father
(26:24) The importance of writing things no one reads
(36:55) Davis' experiences through financial crises
(52:31) Why Davis loves managing a mutual fund
(55:49) Why Berkshire Hathaway operates with margin
(01:01:05) What is risk?
(01:04:02) On low interest rates and their future impact
(01:14:46) The mismatched timelines between CEOs, companies, investors, and policy
(01:22:19) How Davis and Munger met
(01:30:20) Lessons learned from Munger
(01:41:29) Why avoiding weaknesses is the ultimate recipe for success
(01:55:46) How to raise non-entitled kids and avoid lifestyle creep
(01:16:10) On happiness
(02:27:00) Good vs. bad board meetings
(02:31:34) Three generations of wealth
(02:37:15) On success
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices