Common Stocks and Common Sense
Books | Business & Economics / Finance / General
Edgar Wachenheim, III
Deep insight and candid discussion from one of Wall Street's best investors Common Stocks and Common Sense provides detailed insight into common stock investing, using a case-study approach based on real-world investments. Author Edgar Wachenheim is the 28-year CEO of Greenhaven Associates, boasting an average annual portfolio comparable to Warren Buffet's. In this book, he shares his knowledge and experiences by providing detailed analyses of actual investments made by himself and other investors. The discussion covers the entire investment process, including the softer, human side, with candid insight into the joys and frustrations, intensities and pressures, and risks and uncertainties. The unique emphasis on behavioral economics and real-world cases set this book apart from the herd—but it's Wachenheim himself and his deeply-examined perspective that elevates the book beyond a mere investing guide. Between 1990 and 2014, a typical portfolio managed by Wachenheim enjoyed an average annual return in excess of 18%, achieved using relatively conservative stocks and no financial leverage. As a proponent of evidence and example, his analysis of real cases serve as a valuable education for anyone looking to improve their own investment practices. Understand investment through the lens of a Wall Street leader Dig into the details of real-world common stock investing Learn how to invest creatively and minimize risk Go beyond theory to study strategy on a case-by-case basis Investment principles and strategies are easy to find—entire libraries have been written about theories and methods and what 'should' happen. But this book goes beyond the typical guide to show you how these ideas are applied in the real world—and what actually happened. Investors seeking real insight, real expertise, and a proven track record will find Common Stocks and Common Sense a uniquely useful resource.
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Author
Edgar Wachenheim, III
Pages
224
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons
Published Date
2016-03-25
ISBN
1119259932 9781119259930
Community ReviewsSee all
"Close to being a 5-star. Unusually many good insights and practical advice for an investment book. <br/><br/>The book is written by an investor that has done the real thing with large amounts, so his words are not merely opinions like a lot of investment writing but has actually worked very well in practice. <br/><br/>Besides general investment process discussions there are 12 real case studies of investments Edgar made while running Greenhaven Associates. While I'm sure they were carefully selected (11 out of 12 worked out very well), the author does have a very stellar record of a 19% CAGR over 25 years and is currently managing ~$6 billion at Greenhaven Associates (also, Glenn Greenberg worked for him before starting Brave Warrior). I think including some more cases of failed investments would have made the book even better. <br/><br/>On the negative side, there was one quite appalling moment when the author called out two of his investors that left him during the 2000 IT boom by name and then went on to belittle them. The author was trying to make a point about being independent and not following the herd, but this could obviously have been done in a much better way. Praise by name, criticize by category. <br/><br/>All in all, there was a lot of good stuff in here. If you are a professional equity investor, you will like it."
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Daniel Glaser