Joys of Compounding Back to School with Chris Begg! - [Joys of Compounding, EP.29]
In this engaging discussion, Chris Begg, founder of East Coast Asset Management and adjunct professor at Columbia, shares insights on the legacy of influential investing educators. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship and real-world learning in shaping successful investors. The conversation also touches on their new course at Notre Dame, exploring the interplay of music, creativity, and investment education. Chris highlights the art of compression in songwriting and life lessons, illustrating how diverse experiences shape our understanding of finance and education.
01:33:15
Songwriting With AI And Family
- Chris began songwriting using AI finishing tools and wrote personal songs with his son River.
- The song for Paul and Rick captured deep shared experiences and moved them emotionally.
Compression As A Creative Habit
- Chris Begg frames his life work as compressing complex lessons into portable forms like essays and songs.
- Great thinkers compress worldly wisdom into memorable essences that can be taught and shared.
Podcasting As Compression And Compounding
- Podcasts and classrooms both compress and transmit distilled wisdom to networks of listeners or students.
- That shared compression and decompression is how ideas compound over time.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
Summer Reflections and Artistic Inspirations
03:23 • 14min
The Art of Compression: Songwriting and Life Lessons
17:02 • 4min
Reflections and Future Directions
21:27 • 7min
The Power of Knowledge in Investment Education
28:04 • 28min
The Foundation of a Global Investing Vision
56:21 • 10min
Enriching Education Through Guest Insights
01:06:49 • 26min
#402
• Mentioned in 45 episodes
The Matter with Things
Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World
Iain Mcgilchrist
In 'The Matter with Things', Iain McGilchrist delves into the neuroscience, epistemology, and metaphysics of the brain's hemispheres and their impact on human perception and understanding.
The book is divided into two volumes: 'The Ways to Truth' and 'What Then is True?
'.
McGilchrist argues that the left hemisphere's dominance has led to a skewed perception of the world, neglecting the vital role of the right hemisphere in integrating science, reason, intuition, and imagination.
He explores topics such as attention, perception, judgement, and the nature of reality, including concepts like time, space, consciousness, and the sacred.
The book is a call to re-enchant the world and ourselves by recognizing the deeper, more holistic understanding provided by the right hemisphere.
#108
• Mentioned in 108 episodes
The master and his emissary
The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World
Iain McGilchrist
This book argues that the division of the brain into two hemispheres is essential to human existence, allowing for two incompatible versions of the world.
The left hemisphere is detail-oriented, prefers mechanisms to living things, and is inclined to self-interest, while the right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility, and generosity.
McGilchrist takes the reader on a journey through the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought and belief of thinkers and artists from ancient to modern times.
He argues that the increasing dominance of the left hemisphere in today’s world has potentially disastrous consequences.
#653
• Mentioned in 31 episodes
The Lessons of History
Will Durant
Written by Will and Ariel Durant after completing the 10th volume of their 'The Story of Civilization' series, 'The Lessons of History' provides an overview of the themes and lessons observed from human history.
The book examines history from various perspectives including geography, biology, race, character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, growth and decay, and progress.
The Durants discuss the recurring themes of history, such as the balance between liberty and equality, the role of economics, and the inevitability of human nature's influence on historical events.
They argue that while there are no predictable regularities in the course of civilizations, there are common factors that contribute to their growth and decline.
#211
• Mentioned in 67 episodes
Finite and infinite games
James P. Carse
In this book, James P. Carse distinguishes between finite and infinite games.
Finite games are instrumental activities with clear rules, boundaries, and winners, such as sports, politics, and wars.
Infinite games, on the other hand, are authentic interactions that aim to continue the play, changing rules and boundaries as needed.
Carse explores how these concepts apply to various aspects of life, including culture, religion, sexuality, and self-discovery.
He argues that finite games offer wealth, status, and power, while infinite games provide something more subtle and grander, such as true freedom and endless possibility.
The book offers insights into how approaching life as either a finite or infinite game affects one's choices, satisfaction, and success.
#1916
• Mentioned in 14 episodes
Lila
An Inquiry Into Morals
Robert Pirsig
In 'Lila: An Inquiry into Morals', Robert M. Pirsig continues his philosophical journey from 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.
The story follows Phaedrus, Pirsig's alter ego, as he sails down the Hudson River and encounters Lila, a woman struggling with mental health issues and a chaotic life.
The book delves into Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality, distinguishing between static and dynamic quality, and explores themes such as morality, the interaction between intellectual and social patterns, and the critique of Western civilization's binary thinking.
Through Lila's tumultuous life, Pirsig examines whether individuals who embody dynamic quality can be considered morally good, and whether moral value is static or dynamic.
#154
• Mentioned in 88 episodes
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert Pirsig
This classic novel by Robert M. Pirsig is a personal and philosophical odyssey that delves into the author's search for meaning.
The narrative follows a father and his son on a summer motorcycle trip from the Midwest to California, intertwining a travelogue with deep philosophical discussions.
The book explores the concept of 'quality' and how it informs a well-lived life, reconciling science, religion, and humanism.
It also touches on the author's own struggles with his past and his philosophical quest, making it a touching and transcendent exploration of human experience and endeavor.
#56
• Mentioned in 150 episodes
The intelligent investor
Jason Zweig
Benjamin Graham
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'.
#76
• Mentioned in 135 episodes
Poor Charlie's Almanack
The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
Charles T. Munger
Peter D. Kaufman
Originally published in 2005, Poor Charlie's Almanack is a collection of eleven talks delivered by Charles T. Munger between 1986 and 2007.
Edited by Peter D. Kaufman, this book draws on Munger's extensive knowledge across various fields to provide a framework for rational and rigorous approaches to life, learning, and decision-making.
It is renowned for its sharp wit and rhetorical flair, making it an essential read for investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to enhance their wisdom and critical thinking skills.
#180
• Mentioned in 77 episodes
The outsider
Colin Wilson
In 'The Outsider,' Colin Wilson examines the psyche of the Outsider through the lives and works of various literary and cultural figures such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, Hermann Hesse, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
The book delves into the Outsider's experience of dislocation and his struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that seems devoid of it.
Wilson argues that the Outsider is a metaphysical man who seeks a transcending meaning and purpose for human existence, often feeling isolated and disconnected from society.
The book is both a study of the Outsider's predicament and an impassioned call for a new form of existentialism that could provide a satisfying and objective religious understanding of life.
We've got just the class to help you get back into that learning machine mode. We're stoked to be joined by our good friend Chris Begg, founder of East Coast Asset Management and adjunct Associate Professor at the Helibrunn Center for Graham and Dodd investing at Columbia Business School. He teaches security analysis, perhaps the most legendary investing course in higher education.
In today's class, we offer some historical context on the legacy of the adjunct investing professor, addressing why the practitioner teacher has played such a formative role for so many of the world's greatest investors.
We also share our own teaching journey and the curriculum and guests that have helped make our respective classes so impactful. We even include a preview of our brand new class at Notre Dame, Investing in the Good Life, which is in partnership with the Shedi Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society, and the College of Arts and Letters.
Please enjoy our Back to School Special with our friend and the dawn of compression, Chris Begg.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Joys of Compounding is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Joys of Compounding, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Follow us on Twitter: @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus
Show Notes
(00:00:00) Welcome to The Joys of Compounding
(00:03:23) Summer Highlights and Personal Reflections
(00:08:24) Music and Podcasts: Inspirations and Reflections
(00:16:43) The Art of Songwriting and AI
(00:21:48) Season Two Reflections and Guest Highlights
(00:33:18) The Legacy of Practitioner Teachers
(00:48:00) Influential Teachers and Their Impact
(00:50:24) Value Investing Principles and Classroom Dynamics
(00:52:32) Personal Teaching Journeys and Early Influences
(00:57:14) Memorable Teaching Experiences and Guest Lecturers
(01:11:57) The Role of AI in Education
(01:26:23) Future Plans and New Beginnings