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The Big Bull of Dalal Street: How Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Made His Fortune
Respect the market. Have an open mind. Know what to stake. Know when to take a loss. Be responsible,' this is what Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, India's iconic stock market investor, often used to say.
This book looks at the life of India's big bull, as Rakesh was famously known, both as a person and as a professional. Providing a fascinating account of his journey, it analyses the records of Jhunjhunwala's investments and interviews he has given over the years. More than just a biography, a large section of the book is devoted to understanding the stocks that made him rich and the mistakes he made. Looking at the journey of the legendary investor, the book offers retail investors some useful insights----benefits of long-term investing, mistakes one should avoid in the stock market, risk associated with leveraged trades, among others.
This book looks at the life of India's big bull, as Rakesh was famously known, both as a person and as a professional. Providing a fascinating account of his journey, it analyses the records of Jhunjhunwala's investments and interviews he has given over the years. More than just a biography, a large section of the book is devoted to understanding the stocks that made him rich and the mistakes he made. Looking at the journey of the legendary investor, the book offers retail investors some useful insights----benefits of long-term investing, mistakes one should avoid in the stock market, risk associated with leveraged trades, among others.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2023
22 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 27, 2023
This is a 150 page long summary of the first 20 results when you search Rakesh jhunjhunwala on YouTube.
June 27, 2023
Short and precise chapters on some of RJ's big bets, but couldn't do justice to the enigma the Big Bull was. A decent read for some one who's extremely naive and new to the market, and not someone who's looking to have takeaways in strategy and learning. The do's and dont's towards the end are too basic and can be found in Googled literature too.
Expected a lot more depth from the book, especially about what made Jhunjhunwala so successful. Seemed like a book written in haste, based off of 2-3 speeches and interviews and a couple more 'tell me about him' accounts.
Expected a lot more depth from the book, especially about what made Jhunjhunwala so successful. Seemed like a book written in haste, based off of 2-3 speeches and interviews and a couple more 'tell me about him' accounts.
July 1, 2023
The man, the myth, the legend… Rakesh Jhunjhunwala captures the imagination of the aspiring investor of a modern, young India. He is seen as the utopic legend whom anyone can ape & almost everyone looks for the secret recipe that made him the riches over the years. A book on the legend is bound to evoke interest in the investor community and I too picked up the same on an instinct.
The book is a collection of anecdotes across various interviews with multiple market participants. For someone who is familiar with the legend, the book offers hardly anything new of noteworthy mention. However, for those readers who haven’t read about the legend, this is a very simple, effective & good starter book to know more about the legend, his journey, his thought processes & what the others felt about him.
RJ evokes strong reactions from the community even today. However, what stands out is his statement: “My parents don’t live with me. I live with my parents”. A totally devoted family man, the book highlights this aspect of the investor through multiple anecdotes. His large hearted approach to life, whether helping / bailing out his friends or giving stock tips to his friends, RJ’s humane side is highlighted effectively. His neglect of health leading to his hospitalisation, his famed parties etc are also treated with equal elan.
RJ’s investment journey from his starting days to his eventual stupendous success, his mistakes, his trading & investing approaches are captured in lucid detail. I particularly liked the detailed sketches of the 6 companies which capture the 2 extremes of his investment i.e. success & failure. The last part of what to learn & more importantly, what not to learn from the famed investor does provide some interesting food for thought.
Coming to the book, it’s written in plain English with easy narration. However, it has its share of flaws. Few aspects are repeated multiple times at different junctures of the book. For a reader, this could be a put off, as reading the same content yet again becomes frustrating. There are some grammatical / proof reading issues that could be looked into for future revisions.
Overall, a good quick read about the interesting & inspiring life of RJ. Do read this book if you haven’t read much about the legend.
The book is a collection of anecdotes across various interviews with multiple market participants. For someone who is familiar with the legend, the book offers hardly anything new of noteworthy mention. However, for those readers who haven’t read about the legend, this is a very simple, effective & good starter book to know more about the legend, his journey, his thought processes & what the others felt about him.
RJ evokes strong reactions from the community even today. However, what stands out is his statement: “My parents don’t live with me. I live with my parents”. A totally devoted family man, the book highlights this aspect of the investor through multiple anecdotes. His large hearted approach to life, whether helping / bailing out his friends or giving stock tips to his friends, RJ’s humane side is highlighted effectively. His neglect of health leading to his hospitalisation, his famed parties etc are also treated with equal elan.
RJ’s investment journey from his starting days to his eventual stupendous success, his mistakes, his trading & investing approaches are captured in lucid detail. I particularly liked the detailed sketches of the 6 companies which capture the 2 extremes of his investment i.e. success & failure. The last part of what to learn & more importantly, what not to learn from the famed investor does provide some interesting food for thought.
Coming to the book, it’s written in plain English with easy narration. However, it has its share of flaws. Few aspects are repeated multiple times at different junctures of the book. For a reader, this could be a put off, as reading the same content yet again becomes frustrating. There are some grammatical / proof reading issues that could be looked into for future revisions.
Overall, a good quick read about the interesting & inspiring life of RJ. Do read this book if you haven’t read much about the legend.
June 11, 2023
I expected so much more from the book. Three stars for the effort to write about the big bull. But none for the research. Most of what's in the book is just a compilation of stuff you'd find in a quick Google search. The book fails to have any logical flow to it- it's all over. Plus, it's not even edited properly. I could find 3-5 grammatical errors. But none of that matters to me, I was expecting to learn deeper insights and expected more research. Anyone can quote from his public interviews or show charts from Trendlyne.
June 20, 2024
Intent is good. Execution can be lil more bold - like the Bull himself!
4 articles, 3 interviews, 1 public speech - this book.
U r not writing this as an article (for God's sake!).. this is a book. U can have all ur source disclosures, bibliography etc in a subtle way. No need to say ".. says the person who doesn't want to be disclosed".. from the interview of Him with xx on this channel..🤷🏼♂️
RJ has good content for a great material.. u people in the name of being "safe", have made a khichdi which is so sombre..
Anyways, thanks for at least submitting ur class assignment (this book) to the class teacher (reader)..
Expected a much much better collection of events.. analysis.. insights..
4 articles, 3 interviews, 1 public speech - this book.
U r not writing this as an article (for God's sake!).. this is a book. U can have all ur source disclosures, bibliography etc in a subtle way. No need to say ".. says the person who doesn't want to be disclosed".. from the interview of Him with xx on this channel..🤷🏼♂️
RJ has good content for a great material.. u people in the name of being "safe", have made a khichdi which is so sombre..
Anyways, thanks for at least submitting ur class assignment (this book) to the class teacher (reader)..
Expected a much much better collection of events.. analysis.. insights..
June 26, 2023
This book was an amazing read, serving as a professional biography of Rakesh Sir. It covers his professional journey from the 1990s to 2022, highlighting his noteworthy achievements. Rakesh Sir was not only a valued individual but also a family man who went the extra mile, selling his stocks to provide a better life for his mother. The book delves into his thought process behind selecting stocks, focusing on his three successful choices (TITAN, CRISIL, and LUPIN) and three less fortunate ones (DHFL, A2Z INFRA, and Mandal Retail Ventures). Despite its brevity, the book provides valuable insights and is a quick, satisfying read. I give it 5/5 stars.
July 7, 2023
Complete waste of time & money.
Useless people writing copy-pasted stuff already available on Internet in text form & on YouTube videos about Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.
Do note - all 3 are writers/editors in newspaper media. They know how to recycle existing information, repackage it, & put it back for sale.
Also all 3 are young, & have minimal relevant experience. They hardly have any concrete experience in money & investments, but are drawing salaries as media sector employees - that itself should tell you that this book must be avoided.
Pls do NOT waste your time in reading 160+ pages. Just search YouTube for best of RJ interviews & that should suffice.
Useless people writing copy-pasted stuff already available on Internet in text form & on YouTube videos about Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.
Do note - all 3 are writers/editors in newspaper media. They know how to recycle existing information, repackage it, & put it back for sale.
Also all 3 are young, & have minimal relevant experience. They hardly have any concrete experience in money & investments, but are drawing salaries as media sector employees - that itself should tell you that this book must be avoided.
Pls do NOT waste your time in reading 160+ pages. Just search YouTube for best of RJ interviews & that should suffice.
July 23, 2023
Low on substance, Should have been only a blog post.
The "book" written by three authors is completely devoid of any nuance or intelligent insight. It is disappointingly clear that the authors and publisher have only tried to cash in on the gravy train of RJ's popularity. I read nothing that I couldn't gather from watching one of his videos on YouTube. More than a biography it is a cheap paraphrased narrative of a few of his interviews. It doesn't do justice to the larger than life phenomena that was Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.
The "book" written by three authors is completely devoid of any nuance or intelligent insight. It is disappointingly clear that the authors and publisher have only tried to cash in on the gravy train of RJ's popularity. I read nothing that I couldn't gather from watching one of his videos on YouTube. More than a biography it is a cheap paraphrased narrative of a few of his interviews. It doesn't do justice to the larger than life phenomena that was Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.
August 9, 2024
Trade is for creating capital, investing is for growth. In trading, the risk is extreme. Most people think they are investing but, in their mind, they’re thinking about trading. If the return in other asset classes is 10–11 per cent, equity can give you 18 per cent. If I get 18 per cent, I’m a king, if I get 22 per cent, I’m an emperor. You get much greater returns than insurance. In 2002, I used to catch people on the road—sell your wife’s bangles and buy equities (meaning that equities are so attractive, sell your wife’s bangles if you need to, to find money to invest)—but nobody used to buy. If you want to trade, don’t mix it with investing. - Big bull of Dalal Street
June 27, 2023
This is my first non fiction read that I completed and I would say the first book that got me interested in finance non fiction writing. The pace and writing of this book is very easy for a non-finance person to grasp and derive insights from. This book motivated me and left me back with a treasure trove of knowledge. For some reason, this book was un-put-downable for me, I read it faster than my fiction books,
A 5/5 rating for this writing. Would definitely recommend it to curious minds.
A 5/5 rating for this writing. Would definitely recommend it to curious minds.
July 9, 2024
The life of any legendary investor is a vast subject and needs a lot of hardwork to find out details. Jhunjhunwala’s early life, school friends, college friends, his habits during adolescent age are not well known. That may have shaped his views and passion for the market.
This book is a (poor) compilation of his public speeches and some well-known friends’ opinions on him. All these things are already known to the trackers of the D-street. Good read for one time.
This book is a (poor) compilation of his public speeches and some well-known friends’ opinions on him. All these things are already known to the trackers of the D-street. Good read for one time.
July 17, 2024
Much of what is written in the book is available on YouTube.
However, this book serves as a good compilation of all the interviews given by Mr Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and gives a comprehensive picture. Also, there are insights about the type of person and investor that he was from people who knew him well.
A must-read if you want to learn how to balance investing and trading.
However, this book serves as a good compilation of all the interviews given by Mr Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and gives a comprehensive picture. Also, there are insights about the type of person and investor that he was from people who knew him well.
A must-read if you want to learn how to balance investing and trading.
May 25, 2023
This is probably the authoritative book on RJ.
But it could have offered more.
Its a pretty lazy book for three authors- they could have unearthed more information.
While I like small books, there could have been more on his early days and even his personal life.
But it could have offered more.
Its a pretty lazy book for three authors- they could have unearthed more information.
While I like small books, there could have been more on his early days and even his personal life.
April 24, 2023
There has to be a more rigorous attempt at writing books to collate the memories of the biggest Investor India has produced. Three stars only in his memory and zero stars for the efforts.
May 31, 2023
I think it's just an okay book. Give the kind of personality he was, I feel a lot more could have been written...may be a few of his key lectures could have been added or key one liners etc
July 4, 2023
Well written
October 29, 2023
Es una lectura rápida y sencilla que introduce a este gran inversionista. Considero que permite introducirse al mercado financiero de India de manera adecuada.
April 1, 2025
Don’t buy
Waster of time with zero value, just reiterated RK’s interviews which are available on youtube. No additional research done by the authors.
Waster of time with zero value, just reiterated RK’s interviews which are available on youtube. No additional research done by the authors.
August 19, 2025
Not very deeply researched. A superficial job on India’s greatest stock investor. A pity.
October 11, 2025
Do not expect to get much learning from this book. Few stories of Rakesh J that you may easily find on the internet.
July 8, 2024
Good book on life of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. Didn't know much about him earlier apart from some investments. Found the book interesting.
December 3, 2025
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala who is famously considered as Warren Buffett of India has created his own legacy when it comes to building wealth through stock market investing. It was a delight to find a recently published book on his career and business principles considering there hasn't been much written on his greatness as compared to Buffet or any other well known investor.
The Big Bull Of Dalal Street is a tribute to one of the modern day geniuses who left us last year. It's not just another biography which depicts his life journey in a sequential manner, rather a well crafted work of his business principles, work ethics and thought process. The first aspect I liked about the book was its simplicity be it in the content or the overall structure. There is not much mention of complicated business jargons or calculation which is a commonality when talking about stock market. That's what makes it an affordable read even for a beginner who wants to learn about the life of a legend whose success has been lot bigger than his challenges. The book has been co authored by Neil Borate, Aprajita Sharma & Aditya Kondawar who belong to journalism.
So what does the book contain? Entire content has been categorized into three sections including his early years as a newcomer to the stock market, his biggest success & failures and finally the lessons for a lifetime. Most of the chapters delve into his smart thinking & aggressive intent as an investor. His story is a great example of how think big attitude can take you to greater success irrespective of your background. His story makes us think if a middle class boy like him can achieve so much in a field which is a mystery to lot of us till date then what is stopping us from achieving our dreams?
Read the full review here...https://dipakmohanty.blogspot.com/202...
The Big Bull Of Dalal Street is a tribute to one of the modern day geniuses who left us last year. It's not just another biography which depicts his life journey in a sequential manner, rather a well crafted work of his business principles, work ethics and thought process. The first aspect I liked about the book was its simplicity be it in the content or the overall structure. There is not much mention of complicated business jargons or calculation which is a commonality when talking about stock market. That's what makes it an affordable read even for a beginner who wants to learn about the life of a legend whose success has been lot bigger than his challenges. The book has been co authored by Neil Borate, Aprajita Sharma & Aditya Kondawar who belong to journalism.
So what does the book contain? Entire content has been categorized into three sections including his early years as a newcomer to the stock market, his biggest success & failures and finally the lessons for a lifetime. Most of the chapters delve into his smart thinking & aggressive intent as an investor. His story is a great example of how think big attitude can take you to greater success irrespective of your background. His story makes us think if a middle class boy like him can achieve so much in a field which is a mystery to lot of us till date then what is stopping us from achieving our dreams?
Read the full review here...https://dipakmohanty.blogspot.com/202...
November 18, 2025
The Big Bull of Dharal Street does not do justice to the legend it aims to portray. Instead of offering insight into Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s journey, decisions, setbacks and philosophies, it only provides a very brief overview of his life. The book feels more like a summary than a biography, with no depth, no real exploration and no meaningful storytelling.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews