Written by Benjamin Graham, 'The Intelligent Investor' is a seminal work on value investing that has inspired millions since its original publication in 1949. The book emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between investing and speculation, calculating the intrinsic value of companies, and maintaining a margin of safety. The revised edition includes updated commentary by Jason Zweig, who provides modern examples and insights to help readers apply Graham's principles in today's market. Warren Buffett, a disciple of Graham, has praised the book as 'the best book about investing ever written'.
In 'Skin in the Game', Nassim Nicholas Taleb argues that having personal stakes in the outcomes of decisions is crucial for fairness, commercial efficiency, and risk management. The book highlights how individuals and systems that are insulated from the consequences of their decisions often make poor choices. Taleb draws on historical and contemporary examples to illustrate the importance of symmetry in risk and reward, and how this principle affects various domains, including politics, economics, and personal life. The book emphasizes that true learning and improvement come from experiencing the consequences of one's actions, a concept encapsulated in the Greek idea of 'pathemata mathemata' or 'guide your learning through pain'.
Soul in the Game is a personal and philosophical exploration that combines Vitaliy Katsenelson's life experiences with timeless wisdom from Stoicism and classical music. The book provides practical advice on cultivating emotional resilience, balancing ambition with contentment, and finding joy in everyday life. It serves as a guide for those seeking a fulfilling and happy life.
In Episode 256 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with the CEO of Investment Management Associates, Vitaliy Katsenelson. Vitaliy is a well-known value investor and author of several books on investing and life. His latest, “Soul in the Game,” is a philosophical exploration of the sources of life’s meaning told through a collection of day-to-day observations and insights about Vitaliy’s early childhood in Russia, his experiences as a parent, and his love of classical music, and most importantly of art, which features prominently in their discussion.
This conversation combines two of the objectives that Demetri laid out in the introduction to a recent episode he published on the subject of courage and self-actualization, namely his desire to take a more holistic approach to exploring and analyzing the macro challenges that we are all facing as a community, but which affect each and every one of us as individuals. Vitaliy has made that very easy to do, because he writes so prolifically about both of these things, whether it is the principals of value investing, his thoughts on the macro economy, markets, stagflation, or the path of interest rates, as well as how to cultivate objectivity, the benefits of introducing randomness into your life, and learning how to separate the things that you can’t control from the things you can.
You can access the full episode, transcript, and intelligence report to this week’s conversation by going directly to the episode page at HiddenForces.io and clicking on "premium extras." All subscribers gain access to our premium feed, which can be easily added to your favorite podcast application.
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Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas
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Episode Recorded on 06/28/2022