Now, I have read most of the Warren Buffett books out there. Most of them had the same information on them, but Snowball blows all the other Warren Buffett books away. Think you have read everything about Warren Buffett, think again. Snowball is filled with tons of new information. Granted, I have read through the first 8 chapters. Unlike some amazon reviewers, I am taking my time and soaking the information.

The Presentation

The book is HUGE (900+ pages). The paper quality is not that great but who cares!

Some early chapter information

I wont give too much away but from the top of my head here are some talking points.

• Warren Buffett’s 1999 Sun Valley speech  at the height of the tech bubble. Warren reiterates Ben Graham’s idea of stocks being a voting machine in the short term and a weighing maching in the long term.
• Early Buffett family history
• Warren Buffett’s childhood struggles with his moms “blowups”
• Warren’s fascination with numbers and the creation of the “bathtub game”
• Warren trying to get his neighbor to invest 10K in his partnership.

There is a ton of information in the early chapters. I cannot wait to continue reading this book.  I checked out the Amazon.com reviews today and 19 out of 19 have rated this book 5 starts ( out of a 5 star rating system). I would give this book a 10 out of 5. Its that good!

Its been a long time coming. A book about Warren Buffett in which Buffett played a major role in. The book officially went on sale yesterday Sept. 29th and early reviews say its as good as advertised. 4 reviews have been written on Amazon.com. All 4 reviewers gave the book a 5 out 5. Caution though, unless these individuals received early copies, I would not trust a review  posted on the same day, especially for a book thats 976 pages long. Here is what amazon reviewer “Jordan Calonego” had to say about Buffett’s Snowball:

Alice Schroeder has done a wonderful job parsing the incredibly interesting and complex life of one of the world’s true, living legends.

This should become the tome to site for all things Buffett. It is thorough, examining his family history, his father’s career, and details of his youthful adventures; which in many instances, went well over the moral line he now teaches people to steer away from. The hardships suffered by close family members of the financial, psychological, and personal variety are honestly portrayed through the biography, as are details of the complex relationships he has had with women throughout his life.

For students of business and investment, the book details clearly the growth of his business knowledge early on and the success of his many investment partnerships. Alice details the countless problems he experienced once owning Berkshire Hathaway and the businesses that were later rolled in to create the present Berkshire. The details of his many acquisitions highlight his unique intelligence, as well as the intellect of his contemporaries, who in-fact were first to discover many of the corporate gems he acquired over the years. His collaboration with other investment managers proved vital to his success, contrary to much of what has been said elsewhere. Lastly, flaws are exposed in his investment acumen numerous times with regard to operations of target companies, and his early judgment in management teams. The very fact that he has been so successful, even given these errors, is testament to his unique abilities as a businessman.

The book highlights Buffett’s amazing focus and zest for life. His relationships and personal experiences, which have never been exposed in any detail, have led to the unique character of Warren Buffett. His development into a great human being and quest to create something enduring in Berkshire, the Foundations, and his many “students”, is wonderfully explained in this thoroughly enjoyable biography.