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Introduction The Complete TurtleTrader is an investigative narrative about the experiment run by Richard Dennis and William Eckhardt in the 1980s and its outcome. It details the trading techniques in question and shows that nurture trumps nature in investing. Author Michael W. Covel is an author, a blogger and an entrepreneur. He is the owner of TurtleTrader.com and TrendFollowing.com. Other than this book, he also authors “Trend Following”, “Trend Commandments” and “The Little Book of Trading: Trend Following Strategy for Big Winners”. He is also the director of the documentary film “Broke: The New American Dream”. Content The Complete Turtletrader has 14 chapters sandwiched between a preface and an endnote. An afterword appears before the 4 appendices. The author starts with the experiment that started it all and told us about Richard Dennis. Then he introduces some of the Turtles and delves into the philosophy and rules of trading that they were using. The book moves along the timeline and tells the abrupt ending of the experiment. The author also shows the career pathway of a few Turtles and the performances of those who continue trading. Besides that, this book also shows some figures who managed to make big money…

Introduction The 5 Love Languages is all about love. All the advice is based on the author’s experience as a marriage counsellor and his own life experiences. Author Gary Chapman is a speaker and counsellor who help people to form lasting relationships. He frequently hosts marriage conferences. He has numerous books related to the emotion and love. Besides that, he is also the host of a few radio programmes related to his expertise. Content The book has 14 chapters. At the conclusion of the book are 2 questionnaires, The Five Love Languages Profile for Husbands and The Five Love Languages Profile for Wives. The author starts with how we fall in love and what happens after the infatuation ends, the 5 different languages of love and how to express love in these languages. He also mentions about how should we love our children. The questionnaires at the end of book are meant to let us find out which is/are our primary love language(s). Review This book is mainly about how to express love in a way that is valued by our loved ones. According to the author, the failures in relationships are principally due to the expression of wrong love…

Introduction Quiet is a book about introverts (or intraverts in academic term). The content of this book is based on the author’s research and personal experiences. Author Susan Cain is a writer and blogger. She specializes in the field of psychological non-fiction. She has a blog on psychologytoday.com. The author was a lawyer and negotiations consultant before becoming a writer. She is the co-founder of Quiet Revolution, a company with initiatives in the areas of children, lifestyle and workplace. Content The book has 4 parts with an introduction and a conclusion. Part 1 is about the extrovert ideal, Part 2 talks about the influence of nature and nurture in temperament, Part 3 discusses about the culture difference in the extrovert ideal and Part 4 is about the tips and practical guides for introverts to survive or flourish in the world. Review This book strikes a chord with me because I am a self-confessed introvert. As the author told, not every introvert is socially awkward but introverts shine when they are in their comfort zone. Introversion is a result of nature and nurture; the author substantiates this claim with plenty of scientific results. In a world where extroverts stand out, introverts…

Introduction Measure What Matters is a book about a management system known as objectives and key results (OKRs). It has a foreword by Larry Page, the cofounder of Google. Furthermore, the names in the subtitle (Google, Bono and the Gates Foundation) further pique my interest in this book. This system is not developed by the author but by Andy Grove in Intel. Author John Doerr is an investor and chairman of Kleiner Perkins. He cofounded a graphics software company while earning his master’s degree. He joined Intel in 1974 and advanced to be one of its most successful salespeople. The author dabbles in venture capital after being offered a job with Kleiner Perkins in 1980. He is the backer of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, including Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt (Google), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Scoot Cook and Bill Campbell (Intuit). Content Measure What Matters is divided into 2 parts. The first part is about the system’s features and how it turns good ideas into superior execution and workplace satisfaction. There is a total of 14 chapters in this part. The second part is about the application and implications of OKRs. This part contains 7 chapters. There…

Introduction Adaptive Markets is a book detailing the Adaptive Market Hypothesis proposed by the author. It aims to improve the current dominant economic theory, the Efficient Market Hypothesis, with behavioural economics. This is not a pure finance book as it references several fields, ranging from evolution to psychology. This book has received many recognitions in the business and finance field. Author Andrew W. Lo is a Professor of Finance at MIT Sloan School of Management. As an academic, he has published numerous articles in his field. Other than that, he is also the author of several books related to economics, business and finance. He has a number of awards under his belt. He is also involved in the investment business through AlphaSimplex Group. Content Adaptive Markets starts with an introduction and the main body is divided into 12 chapters. The introduction gives a brief explanation on the birth of the adaptive market hypothesis. The author first explains some basic economic theories and their application. He also points out the shortcomings of these theories. Then he uses results from biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociobiology and theory of evolution to point out the need of a new theory. After that, he moves on…

Introduction The Value of Everything is an economic book. It aims to stir a debate about “value” in current turbulent economic times. This book is chosen as one of the best business books 2018 in the economics category by strategy+business magazine. Author Mariana Mazzucato is an economist and Professor in Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London. She is also the founder of Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose in the same institution. The author is a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers and UN Committee for Development Policy. She is an avid author who has published 10 books. Content This book begins with an introduction and contains 9 chapters. Chapter 1 is A Brief History of Value, followed by Value in the Eye of the Beholder: The Rise of the Marginalists. In these 2 chapters, the author introduces selected theories of classical and neoclassical economics. Chapter 3 is Measuring the Wealth of Nations and talks about gross domestic product. Chapter 4 is A Colossus is Born. The Rise of Casino Capitalism is Chapter 5. These chapters discuss the changes in the financial system. Chapter 6 and 7 are Financialization of the Real Economy…

Introduction Lee Kuan Yew, a name that is widely recognized in the ASEAN region, is the former leader of Singapore. This is a book about his political life with the aim to describe and not to critique. Authors Han Fook Kwang is an Editor-At-Large of The Straits Times, a newspaper in Singapore. He was a former civil servant of the Singapore government. His area of expertise is the political segment. Warren Fernandez is the Editor-In-Chief of The Straits Times. He works for the paper since 1990 and left to Royal Dutch Shell in 2008 before returning. He also specializes in the political segment. Sumiko Tan is also an editor of The Straits Times. She has been with the paper since 1985, starting as a crime reporter. She pens the longest-running column in The Sunday Times. Content This book has 4 main sections after the Introduction. The first section is The Making of a Politician which has 3 chapters. The second section is Ideas that Made a Nation which contains 7 chapters. The Man Behind the Ideas is the fourth part and has just a single chapter. The last section is In his Own Words: Selected Speeches and Interviews which consists…

Introduction Bad blood is a book about the rise and fall of Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes. Theranos was an infamous blood-testing company. At one time, it was valued as a unicorn. However, it was exposed to be faking its claim of devising blood tests that needed very small amounts of blood, jeopardising the lives of patients in the process. Author John Carreyrou is an investigative reporter at the Wall Street Journal. He has won Pulitzer Prize twice before his investigative work on Theranos. The investigation of Theranos won him George Polk, Gerald Loeb and Barlett & Steele awards. Content This book has a total of 24 chapters, complete with a prologue and an epilogue. Each chapter has a main theme and provides a glimpse into the dubious operation of Theranos and the author’s investigation. Review It took me less than a day to finish this book. The author writes this book in a way that resembles novel. The pace is fast and the story is riveting. It makes me want to know what happened next. In this book, the author exposes how Theranos was managed. It is definitely not a healthy work environment. There are secrecy, intimidations, personal…