Business Book Summaries

They come to Omaha by the tens of thousands, flocking to an annual meeting that has become legendary for investors, businesspeople, and fans of one of the most savvy capitalists on the planet. They come to eat steak, buy furniture at a discount, and bask in the brilliance of value investor extraordinaire, Warren Buffet.

Hedge fund founder, financial blogger, and professional skeptic Jeff Matthews got his own highly-coveted ticket to the Berkshire Hathaway meeting held only for shareholders and their guests–and proceeded to post reports on his blog, offering tempting glimpses into the much-discussed meeting. Now Matthews delivers a full-length account of his adventures at this infamous financial hoedown.

•    Does Buffett’s famed penny-pinching cripple his companies?
•    Why does Buffet–a bridge partner and best friend of Bill Gates–not own any technology stocks?
•    How does the extremely rational Buffett square his well-known social progressiveness with his lily-white audience of investors?
•    Is Buffet really an “Oracle”?
•    What information, insights, and ideas do the meeting’s attendees pick up-and how do they put this information to use in their own investments?
•    Will Berkshire-Hathaway survive his death?

Matthews also applies his financial acumen to harvesting potent lessons from his experiences that you can use as you survey the investment field, from finding how the world’s greatest investor evaluates not only businesses but the people who run them, to the importance of “just readingand thinking” and the value of having a smart, cynical partner.