Charlie Munger's life story is a version of the classic American Dream: a hard-working young man builds a billion-dollar fortune through hard work and honest business deals, all the while raising eight children with the help of an intelligent, devoted wife. Author Janet Lowe brings this story and Munger's personality to life with well-chosen anecdotes from family, friends and business associates. These include, most notably, Warren Buffett, with whom she already enjoyed a rapport thanks to her work on a previous bestseller, Warren Buffett Speaks. Because Munger's business history is so complex, the chapters are organized thematically rather than strictly chronologically, which can be a bit confusing. Thankfully, Lowe provides a handy timeline in an appendix. We suggest this book to investors, Buffett fans (who may underestimate the contributions others such as Munger have made to the Berkshire Hathaway empire) and to those dismayed by corporate corruption who could use this tale of honest success to renew their faith in capitalism.

Exept for the chapter "Doing Good at Good Samaritan Hospital" I only scanned this book rapidly but I hope that Mr Munger's recollections of his dazzling successes in the world of finance are more accurate than those relating to his early tenure at Good Samaritan Hospital.His and his stepson's opinions about the quality of the hospital and its medical staff at that time may be insulting but are their privilege.I was Chairman of the Medical Staff when Mr Munger became Chairman of the Board of Trustees,and I was a member of that Board for for about 18 years as well,and I am well aware of what transpired then.For Mr Munger to state that "decisions of the medical staff frequently protected the economic interests of certain doctors,rather than that of the patients or of quality medicine" ,and "a ruling of the organized medical staff was endangering the health and safety of our patients" is simply untrue and libelous.I would like very much to see him provide proof for these allegations At that time,he expressed to me the view that doctors are motivated mainly by financial considerations (greed),presumably based on his own experience in finance as described in this book.

While there's too much genealogy of the Mungers from the 1600's on, the book does give a thorough grounding in what makes Charles Munger tick.
While this book provides no easy investment answers, Mr. Munger's values and wise quotes* make this book a winner. It makes me want to go to a Berkshire (or to hear more from Mr. Munger, a Wesco Financial) annual meeting.
* "Good businesses throw up one easy decision after another; bad businesses throw up painful decisions time after time." This is both a wonderful quote and a very Berkshire Hathaway way of looking at businesses in which to invest.

I read a lot of both fiction and non-fiction, and I've read a great deal about Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway. I know in my life I always search for people I can look up to, people I can learn from and try to emulate. Charlie Munger is one such fella. This isn't a technical book about valuing stocks or putting together corporate acquisitions. This is, however, a book about Charlie Munger. He is a smart, honest, practical, hard-working man and I learned a lot from this. I am better off having read this book.

For those of us who are fascinated by Warren Buffett and his amazingly successful company, Berkshire Hathaway, there are a number of very satisfying reads. But there's always been a big part of the story that remained mostly in shadow: Charlie Munger. Munger has long been Buffett's partner, and over the years Buffett has credited Munger with teaching him a lot. But most of us were left to wonder what Munger is like and to glean small snippets about him wherever we could. Enter Janet Lowe's new book. It covers Munger's life and character as well as his professional career and is greatly entertaining, informative, and inspiring. It won't be a surprise to Buffett fans to discover that Munger also is a man of great integrity. If you've ever yearned to learn more about Charlie Munger, this book is for you.