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July 9, 2025

This Week: July 4th Push—Four Books Added

In 2024, I challenged myself to accelerate my learning by reading a book (usually a biography) a week. To date, I’ve done it for 70 consecutive weeks. I wanted to share what I was reading and also keep track for myself, which was difficult (see here), so I created a Library section on this site. I added to it all the books I’ve read since my book-a-week habit began in March 2024, and I’ve committed to adding my latest read to the Library every Sunday (see the latest here).

That left the books I’d read before 2024 unshared and untracked. I set a goal to add my old reading to the Library over time. It began with a Memorial Day Challenge to add five books (see here) and continued with my challenging myself to add two books every weekend until my backlog is gone. This past weekend was a holiday weekend and my sixth weekend. I decided to push myself a bit and added four more books:

That’s the update on my July 4th goal.

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July 5, 2025
4th of July Challenge: Log 4 Books in My Library
This 4th of July, I’m diving into my reading past and adding four books to my library.
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Connected Books
Hedge Fund Market Wizards
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April 2023

A biographical anthology about 15 of the most successful hedge fund managers. Divided into three sections—Macro, Multistrategy, and Equity—the book is based on in-depth interviews that explore each investor’s strategies, principles, and mindset, revealing what enabled their long-term success. The managers profiled are: Colm O'Shea, Ray Dalio, Larry Benedict, Scott Ramsey, Jaffray Woodriff, Edward Thorp, Jamie Mai, Michael Platt, Steve Clark, Martin Taylor, Tom Claugus, Joe Vidich, Kevin Daly, Jimmy Balodimas, and Joel Greenblatt.
Great sections on Ed Thorp, Jamie Mai, and Joel Greenblatt. Learned about Thames River—an incubator and seed investor in hedge funds, including Ken Griffin’s Citadel. The summary of lessons across all managers at the end was especially useful. Read the 2012 hardcover.
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How to Read a Book
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May 2023

A framework book for gaining a deeper understanding from what you read. It provides a step-by-step approach that helps readers learn from books and develop original insights. A key concept is the four levels of reading: Elementary Reading (basic literacy), Inspectional Reading (skimming to grasp key ideas), Analytical Reading (methodically questioning a book’s arguments), and Syntopical Reading (reading multiple books on a topic and comparing them to develop your own insight).
The concept of syntopical reading stuck with me—reading across multiple books to answer a question, not just absorb one author’s view. Asking “What’s the main argument or tree trunk of this book?” changed how I read. Originally published in 1940. I read the 2014 paperback reprint.
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Security Analysis, Seventh Edition
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November 2023

A framework to value investing that explains how to identify, analyze, and buy stocks trading below their intrinsic value. Originally written in 1934 by Benjamin Graham during the Great Depression, the book is considered by many to be the bible of value investing. This Seventh Edition includes a foreword by Warren Buffett and chapter introductions by notable investors such as Seth Klarman, Todd Combs, and Howard Marks—bringing modern relevance to Graham’s timeless principles.
Originally published in 1934, the core content feels dated, but the 2023 edition adds value through chapter introductions by top investors. These intros offer golden nuggets on perspective and approach that are highly relevant to today’s environment. Seth Klarman's writings were my favorites. Very long read (~800 pages). Read the 2023 hardcover.
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Devil Take the Hindmost
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December 2023

A historical account of financial speculation, tracing major bubbles from the 1600s through the 1990s dot-com crash. The author focuses on how individual and crowd psychology—amplified by loose monetary policy—has repeatedly fueled euphoric booms followed by devastating busts.
Read 2000 paperback.
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