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The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life |  | Author: Alice Schroeder
Publisher: Bantam
List Price: $20.00
Buy New: $8.68
as of 11/21/2009 02:09 CST details
You Save: $11.32 (57%)
New (45) Used (15) Collectible (1) from $8.66
Seller: value_booksellers
Rating:  205 reviews
Sales Rank: 1507
Media: Paperback
Edition: Updated
Pages: 832
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.6
ISBN: 0553384619
Dewey Decimal Number: 332.6092
EAN: 9780553384611
ASIN: 0553384619
Publication Date: October 27, 2009 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as “The Oracle of Omaha.”
Although the media track him constantly, Buffett himself has never told his full life story. His reality is private, especially by celebrity standards. Indeed, while the homespun persona that the public sees is true as far as it goes, it goes only so far. Warren Buffett is an array of paradoxes. He set out to prove that nice guys can finish first. Over the years he treated his investors as partners, acted as their steward, and championed honesty as an investor, CEO, board member, essayist, and speaker. At the same time he became the world’s richest man, all from the modest Omaha headquarters of his company Berkshire Hathaway. None of this fits the term “simple.”
When Alice Schroeder met Warren Buffett she was an insurance industry analyst and a gifted writer known for her keen perception and business acumen. Her writings on finance impressed him, and as she came to know him she realized that while much had been written on the subject of his investing style, no one had moved beyond that to explore his larger philosophy, which is bound up in a complex personality and the details of his life. Out of this came his decision to cooperate with her on the book about himself that he would never write.
Never before has Buffett spent countless hours responding to a writer’s questions, talking, giving complete access to his wife, children, friends, and business associates—opening his files, recalling his childhood. It was an act of courage, as The Snowball makes immensely clear. Being human, his own life, like most lives, has been a mix of strengths and frailties. Yet notable though his wealth may be, Buffett’s legacy will not be his ranking on the scorecard of wealth; it will be his principles and ideas that have enriched people’s lives. This book tells you why Warren Buffett is the most fascinating American success story of our time.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 205
 My 2 key takeaways October 27, 2009
Mokwit (Thailand)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
For me the value of this was:
1) A portrit of somebody who realised he did not fit the profile for success in the corporate world and focused on what did fit his profile i.e. investing, which drew on his strengths without being hampered by his weaknesses. Inspirational.
2) The description of his time working under Graham, in combination with reading between the lines of what Graham himself wrote, allowed me to confirm to my own satisfaction that my understanding of how Graham really operated was correct. Got you, you old fox. (Graham tells you indirectly, but you have to read between the lines from the standpoint of having knowledge in that area already to pick up what he is saying, as the 'tells' are very subtle).
Financial Secrets Revealed! October 26, 2009
Victor Sidhu (Santa Monica, CA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Most readers of books about famous wealthy titans seek a path to their own personal financial success. Maybe Alice Schroeder's story of a wealthy Warren Buffett can reveal how-to-do-it? Snowball delivers! But unless you are already a self-made rich person, you are likely to miss, ignore, or reject Buffett's advice. It seems too simple, too obvious. For example, Buffett counsels investment in common stocks, held over time, but not as an active investor. Avoid market timing and high fees. Just invest in a low-cost stock index fund whenever you have spare cash. Leave it alone. Let it compound. Don't borrow. Sound familiar? Sounds just like Jack Bogle of Vanguard fame. While you are investing, Buffett reminds you to invest in yourself with training and education, and only work for someone or a firm that you truly admire.
Then, for success in the business world, Buffett (and Gates) recommend "focus". "Intensity is the price of excellence". Buffett offers six principles: 1) avoid broken promises, 2) avoid burned bridges (don't show rancor, you can always tell them to go to hell later), 3) avoid confrontation, don't criticize, 4) allies are essential, 5) commitments are sacred, so should be rare, 6) grandstanding accomplishes nothing.
So there you have all the secrets for success. Readers may be a tad disappointed, but there is plenty more in Alice's tome to enjoy (960 pages including 121 pages of notes). She uses a fun and easy construction of exposition with large font, short chapters and lots of interesting examples and tales. She exhibits a brilliant power of description, not only of Buffett but also of how his family and contemporaries viewed the world of their time. She is a competent financial analyst, so you expect and she delivers cogent analysis based on documented interviews and facts. She also takes the time in her text and end-notes to explain many of the business terms and concepts Buffett employs. Some readers may find her story rambling. Be prepared to relax and enjoy her side tales. My only gripe is that she ends the book on a sour note. In the last three pages, she shifts to first person to reveal her subpoena from GeneralRe/AIG prosecutors. I'd rather end with a more pleasant picture of Warren riding off into a billionaire's sunset of foundation good works. [...]
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life October 20, 2009
Katherine Norland (California)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This audio CD is well done, the reader of the book is every good at making you feel like it really is Warren talking at certain points. If you want to know all about Warren's life, this product is excellent. He was very vulnerabale in it, open and transparent; which was heart warming whether you agree with his choices and lifestyle or not. If you are hoping to gleen some sort of usable action plan to become rich like him, this is not the book for that, it's merely a life story.
Too huge, requires editing September 25, 2009
Patrick M
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was unable to finish the book, Its too huge. Some information kept repeating itself. It was interesting read, but not good enough to keep me hooked to finish this book. A good editor and a condensed version will do a fine job. And I don't like the rough cut!
 Best Business Biography I Have Read So Far... September 10, 2009
Cheow Yu Yuan (Singapore)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was attracted to The Snowball because of 2 factors:
1) It was about Warren Buffet, the world's greatest businessman and investor.
2) The phrase "Life is like a snowball. The important thing is finding wet snow and a really long hill" at the back of the book. This phrase is worth a million dollar!
For the price of $23.10, this book is definitely worth buying. It is 838 pages long and it detailed some of the best business ideas that Warren Buffet had implemented throughout his life.
If you are looking for a good read on business biography, The Snowball is the one to go for.
Ian Cheow.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 205
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