A collection of some of the best short stories by Flannery O'Connor, this volume serves as a good introduction to her works. For those not familiar with her, O'Connor is considered one of the best 20th century short story writers from the American South, if not one of the best short story writers of this century -- period. Her themes include religion (she was a devout Catholic), the changing of the South in the mid-20th century (including the racial tension that developed from this change), and acts of seemingly senseless violence and evil, presented in a darkly comic but never exploitative way. Her stories are not just for those who share her religious beliefs or cultural background, and you may find yourself still haunted by them years after you first read them. (Renee Rosen-Wakeford -- TMF Purr)
Politically incorrect journalist P J O'Rourke moves away from his usual stamping ground of politics and foreign travel to take a sideways look at the world of finance. He goes down to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, travels to Sweden, Hong Kong and Mozambique to discover why some economies work and some don't. He is not an economist and doesn't claim to be one, but his observations on the way the world works make entertaining reading. This book is not as funny as some of his classics, like Holidays in Hell, but it makes you think.
The longest book I've read every word of in a single sitting (admittedly on a flight to Hong Kong).
Nicholas Urfe, an unremarkable English teacher, accepts a post in a school on a remote Greek island. Warned by his predecessor to avoid Maurice Conchis, an elderly eccentric neighbour, Urfe's curiosity gets the better of him, sending him and the reader on the most disquieting, exhilarating and utterly absorbing rollercoaster of a ride, as his new-found friend toys with his psyche with sadistic and clinical precision.
A must read for Fools everywhere as Urfe learns the hard way the dangers of taking what is presented by Conchis at face value. A parable of the individual investor and the IFA, perhaps? (Martin Monterio -- Foolmart)
Originally published in 1958, this is one of the classic books for qualitative investors. Simple in concept, although challenging in execution, Fisher leads the reader through 15 tests for a quality company. By depending upon scuttlebutt to a great extent, these methods have been restricted to the few who could spare the time to carry out the work. As the Fool has shown, for example with the classic group effort in the early days of Foolish research on Iomega, it is slightly easier to carry out these days. Working through from an understanding of the research and production of the company, through basic finances to worker relations and management structure, if you carry out the basic tests, you will have a thorough understanding of what you are investing in and why. (Angus Scott-Brown -- TMF Lost)
A Russian book seen through the eyes of a former political prison camp, or gulag, guard dog. The camp is closed, the prisoners are released but the dog is simply kicked out and has nowhere to go. It knows only one thing, guarding prisoners, and cannot comprehend that those people are now allowed to roam free. The book is an allegory on the human spirit, anthropomorphising the dog to represent how the most terrible things that people do to each other can become commonplace and acceptable at certain times. How the people themselves who do these things are as conditioned to it, and as unquestioning, as the dog. A wonderful and moving story, deeply critical of the human condition, that left me feeling like I'd been emotionally KO'd by a heavyweight boxer. Don't mistake it, this is not a book for animal lovers. This is a book for those who believe humans are more important. And it makes other animal allegory stories, like the awful Watership Down, look like kindergarten books. (Stephen Bland -- TMF Pyad)
This book is about your relationship to money. It has some great exercises and simple calculations which provide insights which incite the readers to each take control of their financial life. One such exercise is to calculate how much you really earn per hour. (You should allow for travel-to-work-time, the hours you really work and the costs of going to work, like lunch and work clothes.) Then when you have got that number you can ask yourself challenging questions like "Would I really upgrade this mobile phone handset if someone told me that I had to do 28 hours work for it?". There is a lot more to the book than this. Fools may be disappointed that it is not very sophisticated on the investing side but many of the readers of YMOYL will tell you that it has changed their lives. (George Row -- TMF Grow)
After running the successful Fidelity Magellan investment fund, Peter Lynch outlines his stock picking thoughts that returned 1800% over 10 years. Lynch goes against the typical short term and complex institutional methods of investment, and instead favours a simple and straightforward strategy -- the ideal course of action for the average investor. Lynch describes in a very easygoing manner about the basics of investing, emphasing the "go with what you know" message on making investment decisions. Unlike most investment books, Lynch shows commendable humility in explaining his many mistakes, alongside thoughts behind his numerous successes. In a very anecdotal way, he also comments about the basics about researching any company and gives sound advice on looking for the perfect, whilst avoiding the not so perfect, stocks. Written in a very natural and lighthearted style, Lynch's book is a must for any one starting out in the world of share investments. (Maynard Paton -- TMF Mayn)
This book was recommended to me a couple of years ago, by a nineteen-year-old collegue who had tears in her eyes having just finished reading it. She loaned me her copy... I read it that same evening. The author suffered a massive stroke, at a reasonably young age, and suffered total paralasis except for his left eyelid.
Using just the blink off that same eyelid, he then went on to dictate this book,which gives an insight into the thoughts of an intelligent active mind locked into a useless body. I have read this book several times, and find that when I am particulary down it cheers me because, if someone so handicapped can achieve so much, what have I got to feel sad about? (Norma Boylan -- TMF Symphony)
