Starting from scratch, simply by picking stocks and companies for investment, Warren Buffett amassed one of the epochal fortunes of the 20th century -- an astounding net worth of $10 billion and counting. That awesome record has made him a cult figure. This illuminating biography reveals a man whose conscientiousness, integrity, and good humor exist alongside an odd emotional isolation. Buffett also masterfully traces his life: his enormously successful partnership; his early, inspired investments in American Express and Geico; his companionship and investment with Katharine Graham of the Washington Post; his role in the Capital Cities purchase of ABC; his unique relationship with his wife and mistress; and his rescue of the scandal-ridden Salomon Brothers.


From Publishers Weekly
By picking the right stocks and businesses to invest in, plainspoken Nebraskan Warren Buffett became the richest man in the U.S. In this excellent biography, Wall Street Journal reporter Lowenstein details the billionaire stock market wizard's strategy of betting on the long-term growth of a handful of successful companies such as American Express and Berkshire Hathaway. Providing personal glimpses of a very private man, Lowenstein unearths childhood traumas such as the tormenting rages of Buffett's mother and his forced relocation to Washington, D.C., in 1943, where, at 13, he ran away from home (he was found by the police the next day). Buffett's wife, Susan Thompson, a nightclub singer, walked out on him in 1977 and was quickly replaced by his mistress, Latvian-born Astrid Menks. Lowenstein profiles an emotionally guarded, "strangely stunted" Midas obsessed with work and secrecy, who seemingly derives little pleasure from his fabulous wealth. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
The amazing securities investment analyst Warren Buffett is the focus of this near hagiographic biography that is filled with details about the life of an American capitalist that rivals the likes of Carnegie, Ford, or Morgan. Lowenstein does a remarkable job of telling the financial story of Buffett's rise to securities fame, even if details of Buffett's actual strategies aren't touched upon?that's another story altogether. The early years show a precocious child adept at numbers in a household with a domineering mother and business-minded father. Buffett's early investments, his famous relationship with Katherine Graham of the Washington Post, his role in the purchase of ABC by Capital Cities, his rescue of the Solomon Brothers, and his unique personal relationship with his wife all make for a highly interesting, fascinating tale that is sure to be a hit in business schools. James Lurie's powerful reading is dead on, evoking the power of this man's singular character. Highly recommended for all libraries.?Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Adam Smith
Warren Buffett has always been more than America's #1 investor -- he has been a benchmark for our times. And Roger Lowenstein's Buffett is more than a biography; it is a real slice of Americana.


From AudioFile
For investment amateurs and professionals, this audio program is an inspiration and an insight into one of America's foremost investment leadersÐWarren Buffett. Lurie grabs your attention as he walks you through Buffett's first entrepreneurial successes. The details about Buffett's bold corporate buying and selling strategies are an education themselves. Lurie narrates superbly with subtle introductions and background music. Author Lowenstein did a remarkable job investigating the business and financial backgrounds of one of America's wealthiest icons. A must read/listen for any business entrepreneur and investor. You will be inspired! J.A.A. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Book News, Inc.
Traces the career of stockbroker Warren Buffett from its modest beginning in 1956 to the nearly uncountable fortune he holds today. Journalist Lowenstein draws on three years of access to his family, friends, and colleagues to draw a portrait of Buffett as honest, unpretentious, humorous. He finds parallels between his personality and his fundamental investment strategy of buying into a company that is undervalued then waiting for its worth to surface. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Review
"Only in America. The bonus of this fine, fine biography is that it could turn you into an investor, if you're not one already; or a better one, if you are. Lowenstein has done a great job with a great subject."--Andrew Tobias



"Mr. Lowenstein has done a masterly job."--The New York Times Book Review


Review
"Only in America. The bonus of this fine, fine biography is that it could turn you into an investor, if you're not one already; or a better one, if you are. Lowenstein has done a great job with a great subject."--Andrew Tobias



"Mr. Lowenstein has done a masterly job."--The New York Times Book Review

ANNOTATION

Starting from scratch, simply by picking stocks and companies for investment, Warren Buffett amassed one of the epochal fortunes of the 20th century--an astounding net worth of ten billion dollars, and counting. Journalist Roger Lowenstein draws on three years of unprecedented access to Buffett's family, friends, and colleagues to provide the first definitive, inside account of the life and career of this American original. of photos. Online promo.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Buffett is the enthralling story of the life and investment philosophy of America's most successful stock picker. Wall Street Journal reporter Roger Lowenstein reveals how the famously sensible investment strategy of buying stocks that are undervalued and hanging on until their worth invariably surfaces is a reflection of the values by which Warren Buffett has always lived. By piercing the veil of secrecy of this immensely private man, Lowenstein explores his human qualities - patience, loyalty, integrity, conviction - and shows how these were always as important as his nimble mind. Buffett masterly traces every facet of this uniquely American life, from delivering Cokes door-to-door in Omaha, Nebraska, to becoming the largest shareholder in the Coca-Cola Company. More than a collection of corporate-finance anecdotes, Buffett is a human story and an unforgettable portrait of one man's remarkable success.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

By picking the right stocks and businesses to invest in, plainspoken Nebraskan Warren Buffett became the richest man in the U.S. In this excellent biography, Wall Street Journal reporter Lowenstein details the billionaire stock market wizard's strategy of betting on the long-term growth of a handful of successful companies such as American Express and Berkshire Hathaway. Providing personal glimpses of a very private man, Lowenstein unearths childhood traumas such as the tormenting rages of Buffett's mother and his forced relocation to Washington, D.C., in 1943, where, at 13, he ran away from home (he was found by the police the next day). Buffett's wife, Susan Thompson, a nightclub singer, walked out on him in 1977 and was quickly replaced by his mistress, Latvian-born Astrid Menks. Lowenstein profiles an emotionally guarded, ``strangely stunted'' Midas obsessed with work and secrecy, who seemingly derives little pleasure from his fabulous wealth. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour. (Aug.)

Library Journal

Of all the so-called financial wizards, one stands above them all: Warren Buffet. Starting out in a middle-class Nebraska family, Buffet turned his prodigious talents for investing into a fortune of over $9 billion. Like many with a particular sort of genius, the man contains myriad complexities and contradictions: a traditional moral base that somehow includes both wife and mistress; a serene exterior that masks a fixed fear of death and a history of parental abuse; and a generosity that does not preclude requiring his children to repay all loans with interest. Lowenstein, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has made a thoroughly researched attempt at exploring how Buffet's mind works. He gives a largely sympathetic view of a man who says bankers should wear ski masks, a billionaire who has "no art collection or snazzy car...but lives in a commonplace house on a tree-lined block." A worthwhile addition to most public and academic libraries.Katherine Gillen, Luke Air Force Base Lib., Ariz.

Booknews

Traces the career of stockbroker Warren Buffett from its modest beginning in 1956 to the nearly uncountable fortune he holds today. Journalist Lowenstein draws on three years of access to his family, friends, and colleagues to draw a portrait of Buffett as honest, unpretentious, humorous. He finds parallels between his personality and his fundamental investment strategy of buying into a company that is undervalued then waiting for its worth to surface. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Barrons

The singular achievement of Lowenstein's excellent biography. . . is that it burnishes the Buffett myth while deconstructing it with heavy doses of reality.

Business Week