Life
Sitting on the Tarmac in The Land of Stoicism
I recently took Jonah and Hannah to NYC for a long weekend. Jonah was leaving for Israel that Sunday and Hannah and I decided to join him for the weekend to inhale the art and culture that New York has to offer. However, this trip to NYC started with me practicing a bit of Stoicism.
Turning a PBS Interviewer into Interviewee
I was interviewed on PBS Newshour about the insanity that is happening in the NFT market. I can sum up my thoughts in one sentence: NFTs, just like cryptocurrencies, are not just a technology of the future, but a speculative bubble induced by excess global liquidity in the present.
Soul in the Game – The Art of a Meaningful Life
This is my newest book. It has nothing to do with investing. In fact, it is a deeply personal collection of inspiring stories and hard-won lessons that weave together insights from classical composers, ancient Stoics, and contemporary thinkers. It's a tapestry of practical wisdom that has helped me overcome some of my greatest challenges - in work, family, identity, and health.
30 Years in America
On the 30th Anniversary of my family's arrival in the United States from Soviet Russia, I reflect on my time here. After recounting the hard early days in a new country when I was "fresh off the boat", I offer perspective on how America has changed since I arrived. What I see now is, in some ways, more troubling than what I found all those years ago as a new immigrant.
Let’s Keep Humans At The Heart Of Hiring Practices
The Financial Times recently published an article about my travails in recruiting. After sharing the article, I expand on what I learned about recruiting, teams, and culture since becoming CEO of IMA.
Winning the Ovarian Lottery
“At least a billion people on earth at this moment who would consider their prayers answered if they could trade places with you.” – Sam Harris
Rooting For The Underdog
For the longest time, my son Jonah would beat his younger sister Hannah at just about everything. That all changed when we watched The Queen's Gambit earlier this year.
Unconditional Love
I recount the first time I felt fear. Not the fear of losing my own life, but the fear a parent feels when their kids are at risk. I remember this harrowing episode, and what it taught me about being a parent.
Interview with Indiana University Students
In this interview with Indiana University MBA and MsF students, I take a deep dive into my approach to investing.
My Interview with World Class Performer
In early 2021, I was interviewed by the website WorldClassPerformer.com. What follows are a series of questions about my background, influences and habits.
Go Ahead, Covet Your Neighbor’s Wife.
I recently asked another value investor if he wanted Warren Buffett's success. While this may seem like a rhetorical question, the truth is many value investors are quietly envious of Buffett.
Girls’ Gambit
It all started after my daughter, Hannah, watched The Queen’s Gambit for a homework assignment. She told me I had to watch it. I did, and loved it. But then Hannah said, “Dad, let’s play chess!”
Don’t Be a Sophist
I discuss how to use a Stoic technique to help manage the emotions that come with the stock market.
Why Did I Write a 27-page Letter To Clients
In these letters I diligently walk clients through our research on stocks we own, including those we have recently bought and sold. I cover how we value them, why we own them, etc.
A Shift in Perception Transforms Reality
2020 will go into our memory banks as a very painful year. Stoicism, particularly the stoic practice of negative visualization, helped me put 2020 into a broader historical context, and compare what happened, which was bad, to what could have happened.
One Spreadsheet at a Time
Recalling a teaching moment I had with my daughter Hannah, in which I got to share my love of spreadsheets and their usefulness.
Jonah Doing Jonah’s Thing
I describe the next adventure my son Jonah will have going to college from Hawaii.
Santa Fe: “Remember This”
Santa Fe and my family go way back to the early 90s. It all started with my father and my stepmother. My father had his paintings exhibited in a gallery on Santa Fe’s famous Canyon Road. A few times a year, they would load up paintings in a minivan and drive them to Santa Fe.
De-Numb Your Mind
I can definitely see how we are always trying to numb our minds. We constantly need the mental organ entertained and well-numbed with external stimuli. It seems that whenever we are left with ourselves, that is, with our minds, we reach out for our favorite portable numbing device and happily lose ourselves in Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, or YouTube. We spend little or no time with ourselves.
Rebuilding Good Habits after Lockdown
Though I loved working from home during the lockdown, I now realize that it came at a cost – in March and April I destroyed most of the good habits I had worked very hard to build over the last few years.
The Jet Lag Series: How do I work? When do I find time to write?
How do I work? When do I find time to write?I get asked this question a lot. People wonder when I have time to do research. Do I do research at all? Or do I have someone else do it for me?
