I recently read the book “A Few Lessons for Investors and Managers From Warren Buffett” by Peter Beverlin. It is a compilation of quotes from Warren Buffett.

Here’s what I learned:

1. Buy Wonderful Companies: One of the biggest thing that Buffett was influenced by Charlie Munger was the idea of buying wonderful companies at fair prices instead of purchasing companies solely because they are cheap. Sometimes it’s worth far more to invest in better companies. As Buffett explains, "Looking back, when we’ve bought wonderful businesses that turned out to continue to be wonderful, we could’ve paid significantly more money, and they still would have been great business decisions.”

2. Find Companies with a Moat: Buffett believes in investing in companies with an enduring moat. Once that is done, instead of focusing on the stock price, focus on if the management team is improving the company’s moat on a yearly basis. As he explains, “The most important thing [is] trying to find a business with a wide and long-lasting moat around it … protecting a terrific economic castle with an honest lord in charge of the castle.”

If you wanna learn more, feel free to read my blogpost on the book: https://biographynuts.substack.com/p/chapter-89-a-few-lessons-for-investors

Hey guys. I have created a WhatsApp channel where I will be posting summaries of non-fiction books every weeek. If you are interested, then please join

I read a lot of non fiction books. I read hard copy actual books. But my memory is terrible! What is a good app to scan pages of a book and save extracts / Notes from books? Thanks

ok, I launched a local non fiction book club. I have picked two books to start with, Soldiers and Kings (which won the NBA last week) and Sapiens. They are for Feb and March meetings.

I had a question from a member asking if we will read biographies and comedies? My plan for this club was to discuss the serious non fiction of today. To me that means books that are award winners and top selling books.

Since this is my first book club, am I making a mistake by not watering down the reading list? My plan was to keep my personal likes and dislikes out of the book lists. For example, I considered Nexus, but thought the ai discussion might be a stretch for some people ( I am a former R&D engineer). I try to stay away from politics and religion.

How do YOU pick books to discuss?

In 2020, when I was 20 years old, I had an experience that shattered my life in ways I never could have imagined. I’m 24 now, and while I’ve come a long way since that day, the memory still lingers. I’ve always had this underlying fear of the unknown, something that’s been with me since I was a kid. But nothing prepared me for what happened that Saturday morning.

It was during the pandemic, and like many people, I was spending a lot of time online, even trying out some dating apps. One morning, I was live-streaming with my “date box” open, mostly just scrolling through my phone and not paying much attention to the stream. Suddenly, a new presence entered the date box, completely uninvited, and started speaking. The voice caught me off guard, and when I looked back at the screen, I was met with something that felt… out of this world.

In that instant, my vision went black and white. It felt like this presence on the screen was reaching out, trying to pull the very soul out of my body. I was paralyzed with fear, trapped in its gaze, and I could feel myself slipping away. In that moment of sheer terror, I managed to call out, “Jesus!” And just like that, the hold over me broke. I was freed from whatever had tried to claim me, but I was left completely shaken. I sobbed, terrified and exhausted, barely able to process what had just happened.

After that encounter, I realized I couldn’t ignore what I’d experienced. I threw away anything remotely tied to new age practices—crystals, spells, all of it. It hit me that although I’d drifted from Jesus for years, He still answered when I needed Him most. In that terrifying moment, it felt like I’d come face-to-face with two forces: one trying to take my life, and another rescuing me, all within a few minutes.

For a long time afterward, I was a wreck. Already struggling with fear, I found it almost impossible to sleep alone or in the dark. I kept my lights on, and I’d have someone on the phone just to make it through the night. Strange things happened in my room, too. One part of the room would turn unbearably hot, and my bed would shake at random times, day and night. It was as if some lingering presence wanted to remind me of what I’d seen.

But I didn’t give up. Through it all, I began to deepen my relationship with God, learning about prayer and finding peace in His presence. Slowly, the strange occurrences stopped, and I found myself healing, both physically and spiritually. Today, I’m still in the same bedroom where it all happened, but now I feel peace instead of fear.

This experience had such a huge impact on my life that I ended up writing a book about it, called Face Everything and Rise by Deborah Rendel. It’s on Amazon if you’re curious and want to know the full details. I’m even planning on turning it into a series someday.

I’m also open to hearing any advice, or if you have any idea about what that encounter possibly was—I’m all ears.

It’s been a journey, to say the least. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully understand what happened that day, but I know I’m no longer alone. The fear that once paralyzed me has lost its power, and I’m finally able to rest in the safety and peace that I once thought I’d never feel again.

I recently had the chance to read the new autobiography by Andrew Wilkinson, the founder of Tiny Ltd, and I absolutely loved it!

I wrote a blogpost about it: https://open.substack.com/pub/biographynuts/p/chapter-88-never-enough-from-barista?r=l7fwz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Here’s a recap of what I have learned:

1. Have an Entrepreneur Mindset: From a young age, he was already looking for ways to make money. By the time he was 20, he was scratching business ideas on scraps of paper and in the margins of books.

2. Have great role models: While he first started idolizing Steve Jobs, he slowly became a big fan of Charlie Munger who not only inspired him to become a better investor but also a better person.

3. Have a bigger purpose than money: After becoming rich, he quickly realized that it did not lead to happiness on its own. As PT Barnum once said, “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” Find a bigger purpose!

Finally, in his book, he explained that when he first started his web design business, he would send cold emails to CEOs by guessing their emails to generate new business. I tried his advice and managed to send him an email and connect with him! I ended up being lucky enough to even receive a signed copy of the book from him.

R. Gopalakrishnan, a Tata Group veteran, explores the life cycle of innovation through a captivating metaphor: the life of a human being. https://youtu.be/H4LFMrO9Uq4?si=BLEvSWehUaRNDAb4

i graduated college 10 years ago with a ba in literature, and did talk about campbell for (maybe) a week. have had this on my shelf for years.

Anyone have something similar?

Just finished empire of the summer moon (gwynne) and the tiger (vaillant). Loved them both. Looking for more that are similar.

I liked learning about the history of places that I didn’t know much about before (western frontier of america and far east Russia, respectively), the character driven stories, and narrative arcs.

Thanks

Just finished rewatching The Social Network and I’m looking for a book that goes over the creation of Facebook or something similar. I know it’s based on the Ben Mezrich book but I haven’t heard great things about it

Following some great advice I got up here I created the Pascack Valley Non-fiction Book Club. Here is our charter. Did I miss anything? The group I created on Facebook will list a schedule and location.

This group supports the Pascack Valley Non-fiction Book Club (PVNBC). The PVNBC is a group that will meet on the first Saturday of each month in the afternoon at a public location to discuss our book of the month.

A schedule of books to be discussed will be posted up here 2-3 months in advance of each meeting. Chosen books will consist of recently published books that have been positively reviewed in the media. Listening to books (ie on Audible, for example) is qualified too!

Meeting will consist of a 5 minute round robin discussion about this months book followed by an open discussion by members. Attendance at meetings will be limited to 10 people to enable discussion. This book club is open to any resident of the area (including Rockland County) who is interested in a lively discussion of current non-fiction once per month in a public space.

Jay explores the evolution of love through the four life stages from the Hindu context: Brahmacharya, Grahastha, Vanprastha, and Sanyasa. He gives framework to think and introspect as well as lot of example to resonate. Book Discussion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvRVNMkNDsw

Does anyone have book recommendations specifically about the Sioux during the 1800s?

Who they were. Their customs. Civilization. Details. A great history book please!

Of the books I have read in the last quarter, I recommend the following:

Black Rednecks and With Liberals by Thomas Sowell  This book presents the kind of eye-opening insights into the history and culture of race for which Sowell has become famous.  As late as the 1940s and 1950s, he argues, poor Southern rednecks were regarded by Northern employers and law enforcement officials as lazy, lawless, and sexually immoral.  This pattern was repeated by blacks with whom they shared a subculture in the South.  Over the last half century poor whites and most blacks have moved up in class and affluence, but the ghetto remains filled with black rednecks.  Their attempt to escape, Sowell shows, is hampered by their white liberal friends who turn dysfunctional black redneck culture into a sacrosanct symbol of racial identity.  In addition to Black Rednecks and White Liberals, the book takes on subjects ranging from Are Jews Generic? to The Real History of Slavery.

The Well-Gardened Mind:  The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith  A distinguished psychiatrist and avid gardener offers an inspiring and consoling work about the healing effects of gardening and its ability to decrease stress and foster mental well-being in our everyday lives.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris  Argues that the increasing power of Christian fundamentalists in American politics threatens the country's citizens, blames the Bible for promoting intolerance of other faiths, and describes atheism as "an admission of the obvious."

Mental Immunity:  Infectious Ideas, Minde-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think by Andrew Norman  Philosopher Andy Norman dives into the world of mind-parasites, ideas that cause destructive thinking and extremism, and describes how to inoculate your mind to keep it safe from bad ideas.

The Invention of Prehistory:  Empire, Violence, and Out Obsession with Human Origins by Stefanos Geroulanos  An eminent historian demonstrates how claims about the origins of humanity have been used to justify many of the worst events of the last three hundred years.  Books about the origins of humanity dominate bestseller lists, while major newspapers present breathless accounts of new archaeological findings and speculation about what those findings might tell us about ourselves.  We are obsessed with prehistory―and, in this respect, our current era is no different from any other in the last three hundred years.  In this coruscating history of prehistory, Stefanos Geroulanos moves from Rousseau’s “state of nature” and Romantic notions of virtuous German barbarians to theories about Neanderthals, killer apes, and a matriarchal paradise where women ruled.  Yet as he shows, such ideas became, for the most part, the ideological foundations of repressive regimes and globe-spanning empires.  Accounts of prehistory tell us more about the moment when they are proposed than about the deep past, Geroulanos argues―and if we hope to start improving our future, we would be better off setting aside the search for how it all started.

The Rape of Nanking:  The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang  The New York Times bestselling account of one of history's most brutal—and forgotten—massacres, when the Japanese army destroyed China's capital city on the eve of World War II, piecing together the abundant eyewitness reports into an undeniable tapestry of horror.

Devil's Contract:  The History of the Faustian Bargain by Ed Simon  Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from biblical themes to the Charlie Daniels Band, and illustrates how the instinct for sacrificing our principles in exchange for power models all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, and even social media, climate change, and AI.  In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil ... and about ourselves.

One that is solid and comprehensive but for a popular audience, and that is also engagingly written? Recently finished David Hackett Fischer’s Champlain’s Dream, for example, which is terrific.

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea

I’m diving into the world of book clubs, and I’d love to hear what’s worked best for you! How do you keep members engaged and the club running smoothly?

Book discussion 📖 https://youtu.be/GvOuk4Y0rS0?si=LkT-NaDvgnEBbcMC

Im watching A Gentleman in Moscow and realized how little I know about that time in Russia. Can anyone recommend me some books on the Era and Stalin’s rule?

Hello vro🗣🔥💯

Considering getting a Neil deGrasse Tyson book for my husband as a gift. He likes reading and learning about space, but has no higher education on the subject so looking for a layman’s book that’s fun and easy to read. He’s been talking about Neil deGrasse Tyson from some podcasts lately so I thought a book could be a good gift, but he has several popular books. Is there one that’s most approachable/interesting/engaging?

I'm not looking for a book full of advice written by a psychologist or a medical doctor. I'm looking for a book written by an adult male who is a FORMER food addict and what they did to recover. The book must be printed books, please, no digital. Thank you.

Insightful Book Discussion 📖 https://youtu.be/Dmazh0SzhM0?si=Oik8IqYWmKQ0mEzO

Would like to understand more about the inflammation and arthritis.can any one share some good books to learn more

Book discussion - https://youtu.be/QhG1dyypS10?si=AOlcSHDAaMhpe6LW