FOREWORD
The adventure of investing engages us intellectually and spiritually—often even more deeply than our obvious financial engagement—and through this engagement we almost inevitably become members of a community of similarly engaged colleagues.
At first, we may only recognize those we see and speak with daily as the other “players of the game,” but as we travel and meet more and more people in more and more organizations, over more and more years, we realize, with expanding interest and pleasure, that the investing “crowd” is very large.
We also learn how richly dynamic, creative, and powerful this, our crowd, truly is. It is a communications village and we are the better for being members of this very special community.
One dimension that enriches our own experiences is the challenge and the fulfillment of learning—partly by trial and error. (We err and err and err again. But less.)
Fortunately, we have many, many “instructors” with whom to learn. Our great teachers are often truly fascinating people whose lives and adventures enrich our own enjoyment and fascination with the adventure of investing. “The play’s the thing,” as Shakespeare put it. Or as ‘Adam Smith’ so aptly said, “It’s the money game!”
This easy reading introduction will enlighten and intrigue you—and introduce a splendid group of gamesmen who have played before us. Ken Fisher adds an important dimension by sharing his wise interpretations and perspectives on their experiences. As a result, he enables us to learn much from the experiences of others—so much easier, faster, and painless than learning only from our own experiences.
In his engaging book, Ken Fisher tells the stories—in a breezy, irreverent, friendly way—of 100 remarkable people. Some you already know, some you will feel you almost know, and some you have not yet come upon. They have “made the market” what it is today. Some have played their role as heroes; others have been villains. We can learn life’s lessons from them—particularly with the thoughtful and thought-provoking insights and commentary Ken Fisher provides us on this guided tour.
Charles D. Ellis
Partner, Greenwich Associates