Charlie Munger is a modern-day polymath and one of the most respected investors of all time.
He credits reading 500 pages/day with much of his success—his children even call him a book with legs.
Here are 20 of his favourite books:
1/
In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Stephen Levy.
“I hate to admit this because I’ve ignored high-tech all my life, but I read that book In the Plex about Google, and I found it a very interesting book.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Plex-Google-Thinks-Works-Shapes
2/
The Outsiders by William Thorndike
“A book that details the extraordinary success of CEOs who took a radically different approach to corporate management.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Outsiders-Unconventional-Radically-Rational-Blueprint
3/
Influence by Robert Cialdini.
”You couldn’t start with a better book than Cialdini’s Influence to avoid being manipulated by vendors and by lenders using the standard tricks of the vendor and lender trade.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Influence-New-Expanded-Psychology-Persuasion/
4/
Living Within Limits by Garrett Hardin.
Recommended in Charlie’s Book, “Poor Charlie’s Almanack.”
https://www.amazon.com.au/Living-Within-Limits-Economics-Population/
5/
The Warren Buffett Portfolio by Robert Hagstrom.
”I read it and I was flabbergasted to find it not only very well written, but a considerable contribution to the synthesis of human thought on the investment process.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Warren-Buffett-Portfolio-Mastering-Investment
6/
Damn Right by Janet Lowe.
“That Janet Lowe book about me has had a very interesting sub-chapter, so to speak, in its distribution. I notice a considerable number of people buying that book and sending one copy to each descendant.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Damn-Right-Berkshire-Hathaway-Billionaire/
7/
Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson.
It’s hard to write a bad book on such an interesting subject.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Benjamin-Franklin-American-Walter-Isaacson
8/
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
“Generally speaking, envy, resentment, revenge and self-pity are disastrous modes of thought”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/
9/
Models of My Life by Herb Simon.
“And some shareholder sent me a book that not many of you will like, by Herb Simon I think, Models of My Life. sAnd it’s a very interesting book for a certain academic type.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Models-My-Life-MIT-Press/
10/
Genome by @mattridley.
”It is a fabulous book. Of course, I’m recommending a bestseller, but they’re selling it in the airport.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Genome-Autobiography-Species-23-Chapters/
11/
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr by Ron Chernow.
“One of the best business biographies I have ever read. That was just a wonderful, wonderful book. And I don’t know anybody who’s read it who hasn’t enjoyed it.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr
12/
Andrew Carnegie by Joseph Wall.
Recommended in Charlie’s Book, “Poor Charlie’s Almanack.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Carnegie-Joseph-Frazier-Wall
13/
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David Landes.
“I would heartily recommend it. He knows way more economics and science than is common for a history professor. And that gives him better insight ”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Wealth-Poverty-Nations-Some-Rich
14/
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.
“I have recently read a new book twice, which I very seldom do. And that book is Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. And it’s a marvelous book.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Guns-Germs-Steel-Patterns-Life/
15/
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.
“I had to read The Selfish Gene twice before I fully understood it. And there were things I believed all my life that weren’t so, and I think it’s just wonderful, when you have those experiences.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Selfish-Gene-40th-Anniversary
16/
Master of the Game by Connie Bruck.
“I very much enjoyed Master of the Game, a biography of Steve Ross, who headed Warner and later was, co-chairman of Time Warner…. she’s a very insightful writer and it’s a very interesting story.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Master-Game-Fantastic-Undertaker-Conglomerate
17/
Benjamin Franklin by Carl Van Doren.
“I am rereading a book I really like, Van Doren’s biography of Ben Franklin, and I’d forgotten how good a book it was. We’ve never had anybody quite like Franklin in this country. Never again.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com.au/Benjamin-Franklin-Carl-Van-Doren
18/
The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond.
Recommended in Charlie’s Book, “Poor Charlie’s Almanack.”
https://www.amazon.com.au/Third-Chimpanzee-Jared-Diamond
19/
Deep Simplicity by John Gribbin.
“It’s pretty hard to understand everything, but if you can’t understand it, you can always give it to a more intelligent friend.”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Simplicity-Bringing-Order-Complexity
20/
Ice Age by John Gribbin.
“Best work of science exposition and history that I’ve read in many years!”
–Charlie Munger
https://www.amazon.com/Ice-Age-John-Gribbin
That’s 20 of Charlie Munger’s favourite books.
What else would you add? Let me know in the comments.
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