The Essential Buffett: Timeless Principles for the New Economy Paperback - 2002

Applying Buffett's principles to technology and international investing From the bestselling author of The Warren Buffett Way and The Warren Buffett Portfolio comes The Essential Buffett: Timeless Principles for the New Economy. In this fresh take on Buffett's irrefutable investment methods, Robert Hagstrom shows readers how to apply Buffett's principles to technology and international investing using real-life case studies of successful fund managers like Legg Mason's Bill Miller. Following the Buffett model, Hagstrom explains Buffett's four timeless principles: 1) analyze a stock as a business; 2) demand a margin of safety for each purchase; 3) manage a focus portfolio; 4) protect yourself from the speculative and emotional forces of the market. Then Hagstrom shows how Buffett's thinking can be applied in the new economy, addressing technology investing, international investing, small cap stocks, and socially responsible investing. Perhaps most valuable are Hagstrom's insights into the psychology behind Buffett's focus investing. For the first time, we are given sure-fire guidelines on how to become a winning Buffett disciple. The Essential Buffett will include convenient sidebars featuring key Buffett ideas, enabling readers to quickly compare Buffett's fundamental tenets.

Forty-five years ago, Warren Buffett began a career managing money.

Critical Praise for The Essential Buffett

"Far more than a first-class distillation of the investment wisdom of Warren Buffett, The Essential Buffett is an education. By placing Buffett's approach into a broader context, Robert Hagstrom captures not just the key ideas of this century's investing giants, from Ben Graham to Phil Fisher, but also lucidly explains the theoretical foundation of their insights, including probability theory and psychology. This is not simply an investing book; it is an investing library."
--CHRIS DAVIS, Portfolio Manager
Davis New York Venture Fund and Selected American Shares

"Robert Hagstrom has written an excellent book that sets out some of the most important concepts of investing used by many of history's best investors, most notably Mr. Buffett. As Buffett has argued, investing is not simply buying shares of a stock; it is a process of understanding a company's business model as well as its intrinsic value. Hagstrom successfully argues that Buffett's approach can and should be applied to all investments. At a time when investors are questioning whether the New Economy requires new rules, Buffett's principles are very important to keep in mind."
--DAVID DECKER, Portfolio Manager, Janus Strategic Value Fund

"A lively demonstration that Warren Buffett's principles are more relevant than ever in the rapidly shifting investment landscape of the 21st century. By applying Buffett's tenets to tech investing, Robert Hagstrom shows how 'the world's greatest investor' can help us navigate the shoals of the New Economy."
--KAY BOOTH, Director of Global Equity Research
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.