The Joys of Compounding: The Passionate Pursuit of Lifelong Learning, Revised and Updated

by Gautam Baid

Overview

Value investing is not just a system for success in the market. It is also an intellectual toolkit for achieving a deeper understanding of the world. In The Joys of Compounding, the value investor Gautam Baid builds a holistic approach to value investing and philosophy from his wide-ranging reading, combining practical approaches, self-cultivation, and business wisdom.

Distilling investment and life lessons into a comprehensive guide, Baid integrates the strategies and wisdom of preeminent figures whose teachings have stood the test of time. Drawing on the work of investing greats like Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Ben Graham, as well as philosophers and scholars, he artfully interweaves the lessons learned from his many teachers. Baid demonstrates their practical applications in the areas of business, investing, and decision making and also shows that these ideas can be applied to one’s own life with just as much reward.

A celebration of the value investing discipline, this book also recounts Baid’s personal experiences, testifying to his belief that the best investment you can make is an investment in yourself. The Joys of Compounding offers curated reflections on life and learning for all investors, investment enthusiasts, and readers seeking a dose of practical wisdom.

This revised and updated edition highlights Baid’s distinctive voice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231552110
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	06/02/2020
Series:	Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	357,174
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Gautam Baid, CFA, is the fund manager and managing partner at Stellar Wealth Partners India Fund. He is also the founder of Stellar Wealth Partners Private Limited, a firm that offers stock ideas for investors in the Indian stock market. In 2018 and 2019, he was profiled in Morningstar’s Learn from the Masters series.

Table of Contents

Foreword
1. Introduction: The Best Investment You Can Make Is an Investment in Yourself
Part I: Achieving Worldly Wisdom
2. Becoming a Learning Machine
3. Obtaining Worldly Wisdom Through a Latticework of Mental Models
4. Harnessing the Power of Passion and Focus Through Deliberate Practice
Part II: Building Strong Character
5. The Importance of Choosing the Right Role Models, Teachers, and Associates in Life
6. Humility Is the Gateway to Attaining Wisdom
7. The Virtues of Philanthropy and Good Karma
8. Simplicity Is the Ultimate Sophistication
9. Achieving Financial Independence
10. Living Life According to the Inner Scorecard
11. The Key to Success in Life Is Delayed Gratification
Part III: Common Stock Investing
12. Building Earning Power Through a Business Ownership Mind-Set
13. Investing Between the Lines
14. The Significant Role of Checklists in Decision-Making
15. Journaling Is a Powerful Tool for Self-Reflection
16. Never Underestimate the Power of Incentives
17. Always Think About the Math, but Avoid Physics Envy
18. Intelligent Investing Is All About Understanding Intrinsic Value
19. The Three Most Important Words in Investing
20. Investing in Commodity and Cyclical Stocks Is All About the Capital Cycle
21. Within Special Situations, Carefully Study Spinoffs
Part IV: Portfolio Management
22. The Holy Grail of Long-Term Value Investing
23. The Market Is Efficient Most, but Not All, of the Time
24. The Dynamic Art of Portfolio Management and Individual Position Sizing
25. To Finish First, You Must First Finish
Part V: Decision-Making
26. Read More History and Fewer Forecasts
27. Updating Our Beliefs in Light of New Evidence
28. Life Is a Series of Opportunity Costs
29. Pattern Recognition
30. Acknowledging the Role of Luck, Chance, Serendipity, and Randomness
31. The Education of a Value Investor
Conclusion: Understanding the True Essence of Compounding
Appendix A
Appendix B
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Gautam's book is wonderfully insightful. It is truly a pleasure to read and a reminder of some of the most essential tenets of sound investing.

Sanjoy Bhattacharyya

Gautam Baid presents exactly the types of examples and insights from fabled investment practitioners that I believe can help investors avoid common yet predictable traps. The Joys of Compounding is a most useful reference for lifelong investment learning.

Thomas A. Russo

Gautam Baid is a marvelous role model because he's such a joyful and passionate student of worldly wisdom. This book, which is infused with invaluable insights and inspiring quotations from many great investors and thinkers who have guided him on his journey, is a powerful reminder of how enriching it is to dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of continuous, lifelong learning.

William Green

This book forces readers to think about compounding in terms of human traits such as positive thoughts, good health, good habits, wealth, knowledge, and goodwill.

Enterprising Investor

Over the years, as I’ve realized the importance of learning through wisdom instead of suffering, my favorite gift has been to give a person a great book. This book is going to go to the top of that list.

Arnold Van Den Berg

An instant classic! Gautam Baid’s book is the definitive guide to lifelong learning for investors and anyone seeking to reach their full potential. A must read.

John Mihaljevic

Gautam’s book The Joys of Compounding provides a foundational framework on investing that is required reading for all investors. This book is the best investment one can make from those beginning their investment journey all the way to experienced practitioners. Successful investing requires a lifelong love of learning and this book provides a broad array of concepts and tools to guide you with your own personal investments or making investments for your clients. The most comprehensive investing book I have ever read. I highly recommend The Joys of Compounding for anyone interested in becoming a better investor.

Paul Lountzis

Destined to become a must-read investment classic.

Rational Walk

This edition benefits from a clearer focus on Gautam’s voice and insights as well as offering a fresh opportunity to learn and relearn those key lessons that will make us better investors and better human beings.

Guy Spier

To be great at something, you must first be passionate about it. Through his writing, the passion that Gautam Baid has for value investing is palpable. His pursuit of lifelong learning through voracious reading is inspiring, and investors who are motivated to improve their craft would benefit by reading this book.

John Huber