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Alec Hogg: My five life-changing books

Hello. I’m Alec Hogg and this is the Rational Perspective. Well, I’ve been talking to a few younger people recently, asking advice on books to read. Warren Buffett gives his advice on books. Jannie Mouton gives his advice, so why not my advice? I came up with five books that are guaranteed to improve your life. A big statement.

Firstly, there’s How to win friends and influence people. Dale Carnegie wrote this book nearly 100 years ago. It was the single book that changed Warren Buffett’s life. A whole institution was built out of the Carnegie Book (Dale Carnegie courses) and that too, has helped many people overcome fear of public speaking but more than that; how to engage with our fellow beings.   That, to me, has to be the first one that you read on your list of reading. By the way, Warren Buffett reads three books per day, he tells me. He did tell me that four years ago, having slowed down from five books per day when he was younger. I wonder how long it would take you to do these five books? A day-and-a-half.

The second book (once you’ve completed Dale Carnegie’s first one) is Stephen Covey’s classic 7 habits of highly effective people. It changed my life. I’m sure it will change yours as well. It teaches us things that we aren’t taught by our parents and certainly, not taught by any other sources. Covey has passed on now as has Dale Carnegie, and he wrote this masterpiece some years ago. It’s transformed many people’s lives.

  



Once you’ve done those two, pick up a lesser-known book, called Influence by Robert Cialdini. This gives you an insight into the human condition – why people do what they do – much of which, is hard-wired from hundreds of years ago.

  

Once you’ve gotten your life together, go down to number four and then you start learning about how to build wealth. That comes first off, with Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb. I had the privilege of meeting Nassim Taleb at a conference/workshop in the South of France some years ago. He comes across in the same way in person, as he does in his writing. Unique insights.

Finally, number five: Warren Buffett’s favourite book written by Benjamin Graham, called The Intelligent Investor.   Once you’ve gotten your life together and understand how the human condition works, you’ve then got a better insight into the investment markets. You’ll then learn how to apply it. Again, a book that was written almost 100 years ago, and is as relevant today as it ever was.



This is Alec Hogg with the Rational Perspective.

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