Musings...Dedicated to my daughter...

In the last post I discussed how I happened to know about Warren Buffet. Unlike many, my encounter with Buffet was ambiguous. I didn't know what to make out of the sudden splurge of simple but emotionally 'tough to implement' very enriching wisdom. I was elated I got to know about one of the most richest and humble human beings on the planet. I was disappointed to know that he bought his first stock when we was eleven, read every book on finance in the public library by the time he was seventeen, was very clear about his destination and having done everything at such an young age, STILL regret that he didn't start early. 

I felt disheartened.  I couldn't be young again. The best thing I could do was read about him to the extent possible at the earliest and try to emulate his teaching. I had no other option. I decided I wouldn't be requiring fiction any more and dedicated the next few years to Buffet and his recommendations. Book after book, I read all the books about him, made a mental note of his recommendations and tried to read all he recommended. I got introduced to his boss, teacher and mentor Benjamin Graham, his friend and partner Charlie Munger and few other investing legends. Walter Schloss, Irving Kahn, Howard Marks, John C Bogle, Seth Klarman, Peter lynch, Mohnish Pobrai, Joel Greeblatt and many more. I read almost all the books recommended by Buffet and read everything I could remotely connected to the themes referred by him like the effects of compounding, the need for being patient etc.

My brain started heating up and I got a feeling that it would explode someday. There was so much to read and improve. The feeling never went away. Why didn't I start early? Why didn't some one tell me about Buffet or these legends quite early in my life? 

I thought it shouldn't happen to someone young in my vicinity and most importantly my daughter Meadow. With the kind of diseases around, I was also not sure I would be there by the time my daughter would be earning and making a financial impact in her life. I thought I need to let her know and decided to create a platform.  

Just after her birth, I started writing personal emails to her. I and my wife created an email id for her and started sharing what we felt and how she happened to change our lives. Most of the intimate moments (how I met her mother, how we got married, the pains her mother faced as a pregnant, sacrifices she had to do, the changes in us) were captured and emailed to her hoping that would raise humane emotions in her and she would appreciate them when she learns about them.  But now, as she started approaching two and started talking and playing, the frequency of photo clicks decreased.  Though I'm still emailing her some personal content related to the family, majority of the content I want to share tended to be more generic now. So I thought of continuing my blog with a renewed look, morphed more into my learnings, reflections, finances, investments and exploring my own leanings and adventures with Mr Market.  

As a teenager, I was touched by the letters Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to the young Indira Gandhi. Glimpses of World History was one of my favorite books as a teenager. I thought of simulating something like that and thought blogging would be ideal. I hope to introduce some books and reputed and inspirational figures to my daughter in an interesting manner (I sincerely pray I succeed) hoping it would benefit her at the right time unlike my own case where I had to start everything after turning thrity (Not that I have given up trying the fruits bestowed by Buffet). 

I'm not an investment expert. Not a professional investor. I'm not trained in the field. This is not my domain. I'm just an aspiring  investor with a curious business mind. My musings are just a platform to make my child more curious, more knowledgeable, more lovable and more humane. Nothing more. I just want to be a good dad and do not want to leave this place without letting my thoughts known to my daughter. I sincerely thank my wife for doing her part by providing me everything else and making my life easier for me to read and educate myself so that I aspire to become the best teacher to my child. 

I dedicate all the future blogs to my daughter MEADOW. 

Metamorphosis...Knowing Buffet...

Hi, 

It's been so much time since I last wrote my blog. I feel I have changed quite a bit. I'm aged 33 now. Married. Have an understanding wife and a beautiful girl child named Meadow. My mother and brother lives with us. 

As a teenager, I was somehow not OK with the world. I tried to restrict myself to books. I read fiction mostly assuming world was bad; there were no inspirational figures in the realistic world and thought marrying and raising children was a waste of time. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Kafka doses added to them. I tried to enforce the idea with very few of my friends. They now laugh at me when we discuss that renaissance period.

However, everything changed when I was around 28. My dad expired due to a heart attack amidst the Swine flu crisis in the city. It happened right before me and my brother. It was so sudden and it shook our family. A very realistic jolt struck. Things were all of a sudden not the same. Reality struck me. Fiction didn't help.  Sticking to myself in my own room with book in hand avoiding everything else made matters worse. 

Everyone around reminded me I was the eldest son and was supposed to take over the reins of the family. I did not have the emotional maturity.  I tried to find solace from people who had experienced this kind of feeling. My mom was alone. Most of the time crying. I'm not the one who can soothe people and make them comfortable. Suddenly it struck me. We are not sent to this world to be  lone. Some of the lives are affected by ours and ours affect some. There's a limit to individuality. There's more pleasure in sacrifice for near and dear. Slowly, the thought of getting married was born. I convinced myself stating it was not a bad idea. I wanted simple down to earth girl who could set me straight, lift the mood of  my family and balance everything out like the invisible fluid. My school mate, trusted friend and would be wife was all over my mind. Despite my short comings, she liked me. We convinced our families and got married. All happened in a flash. Very very quickly my daughter Meadow was born. Since then I was not the same person. With her came more joy, responsibilities, apprehensions, fear, sacrifices and the need for mentoring.

Finances added to my woes though I was not like bankrupt or something like that. I though it was a mess and need some shake up. Getting rich was never my agenda. I somehow wanted to sail smooth. I didn't have a clue about finance. Difference between Mutual Fund and a bond. I approached people well versed with finances. Their inputs confused me. They made sound finance very tough. It was clear I was becoming restless.

Trained an Engineer, I thought it shouldn't be difficult to learn on my own but I didn't know where to start. My old habits helped me.  When choosing a book or a film, I had the habit of directly exploring the masters minds (The minds which created greatest inspirational characters for me as a teenager). Satyajit Ray, Stanley Kubrick,  Tolstoy, Ayn Rand etc leaving the middle men aside. I never realised this old habit would be of such a great help with finance. In one stroke, at the age of 30, I met WARREN BUFFET. 

Kafka and Dostoevsky as "Blood Relatives"

Glad there is a connection..

Kafka's private library, unfortunately recorded a decade after his death, contained Dostoevsky's "Letters", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Crime and Punishment", and a one volume collection of shorter works with the title "The Gambler". (4) In 1914 a German translation of Dostoevsky's "Complete Works" had become available. On thebasis of Kafka's Letters and Diaries we know that he read many other works besides those in his library, including Nina Hoffmann's Dostoevsky biography and Strachov's introductory essay to Dostoevsky's "Collected Works". Further it will become obvious that, although unmentioned, Kafka was familiar with "The Double". As early as 1913, in a letter to his fiance Kafka wrote: "the four men, Grillparzer, Dostoevsky, Kleist and Flaubert, I consider to be my true blood-relations". (5) This statement expresses not only his affinity with those men as writers, but also an identification with their existential complexion. In the one case, Kafka might have had in mind Dostoevsky's epilepsy, paralleled in his own life by tuberculosis and, perhaps even more so, the complex and ambiguous relationship with their respective fathers. In their writings this culminated for Dostoevsky in "The Brothers Karamazov", for Kafka in "The Judgment" and the notorious "Letter to His Father". As for their illness, both viewed it as release and punishment, both were aware of the complex and secret workings of mind and body, both cursing and blessing it at the same time. 

- Roman S. Struc, The University of Calgary

Book Review: Animal Farm

“All animals are equal but some are more equal than others” – Animal Farm

Animal Farm is a satirical novel by George Orwell targeting the dictatorship built-up on a cult of personality. He brings out the fact that the socialism as an ideology sticks only on paper but when implemented, the practical realities of hero worship leading to dictator ship are inevitable.

Book Review: Catcher in the Rye

'The Catcher in the Rye' is a novel by 'J D Salinger' which has become more popular with adolescent readers across the world. The story is about 'Holden', who is expelled from a private school as a result of which alienates from the rest of the society.

Book Review: The Fountain Head

“Man’s ego is the fountain head of human progress.” 

I know you believe it but If you have got any problem with the above sentence, here is the novel to convince you. Great characters, very powerful and inspiring words, mind blowing details, great expression and very relevant themes. Was very impressed with the way it started. Felt like Roark is the man the world needs.

As the story progressed, got more insight about Roark and Peter Keating. Roark became a bit predictive but was never boring. It was Peter Keating's character that impressed me very much. The way he doubted his eligibility, status as a famous architect and the way he got destabilized in the presence of Roark was very impressive. I had come across many Roarks and Keatings during my IIT days; Keatings who assumed the best positions in the world’s best firms and Roark's who were struggling their part in their 'hopeful' world. It was very good to read similar characters in print.

It was Dominique who was extremely mysterious. Her character in general and behavior in particular with Roark is awesome. Roark's character which seemed pretty straight forward took a sudden interesting turn with her entry in to his life. However, in the end, Dominique ended up as a hate figure for all the feminists in view of her extreme sub-ordinance to Roark and psychological domination of Roark. Toohey's role grew in importance as the novel proceeded and together with Dominique does amazing things that surely has got many dramatic consequences which entertains the reader immensely.

The climax where Roark addresses the court, I feel is one of the best written passages ever written. Below is one passage from the book which I liked very much.

"How did you know what's been killing me? Slowly, for years, driving me to hate people when i don't want to hate...Have you felt it, too? Have you seen how your best friends love everything about you- except the things that count? And your most important is nothing to them, nothing, not even a sound they can recognize. You mean, you want to hear? You want to know what I do and why I do it, you want to know what I think? It's not boring to you? It's important?"

The review may be summarized as given below.

Pro’s:

1. Characters that stay with you for the rest of our life.

2. Excellent narration and gripping plot.

3. Inspiring and at times philosophical which makes the reader introspect.

Cons:

1. Focus was mainly to highlight the hero Roark that other characters were made to pay homage Roark.

Book Review: India's Struggle for Independence

There were many movies I had watched and a few books I had read which dealt with independence struggle and revolutions in various countries that were very inspirational and motivational. But unfortunately I couldn’t find one, though there are many books available in the market that gives an account of India’s Struggle for Independence. Most of the academic books also gave a dull narration of the most inspiring story thus leaving the potential of the great struggle story yet to be unleashed.