The Humble Investor: How to find a winning edge in a surprising world

by Daniel Rasmussen

Please Note That The Following Individual Books As Per Original UK ISBN and UK EDITION Cover Image In this Listing shall be

The Humble Investor, My F*cking Job Sucks & Data Means Business 3 Books Collection

The Humble
Why just be contrarian when you can bet against consensus and be right? Through a meta-analysis of what moves markets and what drives human behavior, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Verdad Advisers, Daniel Rasmussen cuts through the 60/40 portfolio, exposing where empirical evidence shows the best opportunities.v My F*cking Job
When’s the last time you said, “I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow”? While it’s not an unheard-of sentiment, workplace TikToks and memes would have you believe that not very many workers love their jobs. Still, it’s a universal truth that most people have to work to earn a living. That means the average person spends about one-third of their life on the job.

Data Means
Embedding a pragmatic, data-guided culture in any organisation can be a challenge. This comprehensive guide for leaders sets out a proven framework for developing the mindset and strategies required to generate value from data and to scale quickly. Jargon-free and packed with practical advice, Data Means Business can help you activate your data to generate growth.
9781804091296/9780785846758/9781781335215

Genres: Finance

224 pages, Paperback

Published February 4, 2025

About the author

Dan Rasmussen was born and raised in Washington, DC, where he attended St. Albans School. He graduated from Harvard University summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 2009, where he studied History and Literature with a focus on American slavery and the 19th century American South. He wrote his senior thesis, Violent Visions, on the 1811 German Coast Uprising - the largest slave revolt in American history. Rasmussen's thesis won the Kathryn Ann Huggins Prize, the Perry Miller Prize and the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize, Harvard's top undergraduate academic honor. The thesis is the basis for Rasmussen's first book, American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt. www.danrasmussen.net

Reviews

[Frances Middendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book as a layman, I found it extremely comforting to learn that not all investment managers claim to know all. To approach investing by humbly looking at all the dangers of unpredictability is a valuable lesson and is perfectly outlined here. A great read as well! Particularly evident are the dangers of preying on debt. Those eligible for gamblers anonymous will not be pleased. My faith in the ethics of responsible investing is restored and I was pleased that the author’s approach has remunerated him well.

[Ferhat Elmas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very coherent but could be useful for an advanced starter if they can follow the jargon and be meticulous to follow the data sources. For skimming, good points in the critics of private credit and equity. Easy to grasp explanations for oil and gold flows, and some reasonable nuggets for diversification in emerging markets in terms of the recession type (i.e. financial vs economical, global vs local, etc.).

[Kendrick Vinar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant and mostly easy to follow read. Dan is an excellent and clear thinker who takes a contrarian approach to investing meant to earn greater than equity like returns with less volatility by not only avoiding common mistakes most investors make, but my capitalizing and profiting on them.

I thought his ardent rage against private equity and private credit was somewhat founded although a bit out of place in this book. Felt like he was painting the entire industry on the basis of edge case / industry specific examples (I’ve never seen a 16x EBITDA nor 8x leverage but plausible in big healthcare or tech deals).

While I’m not capable at this time of being a very active public market investor, Dan’s ideas are clear and refreshing actionable.

3.8/5.0

[Igor Pejic · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Humble Investor: How to find a winning edge in a surprising world" by Daniel Rasmussen offers a refreshing and much-needed perspective on investing. In a world often dominated by complex jargon and promises of quick riches, this book champions a more grounded, evidence-based approach that emphasizes humility and long-term thinking. It's not about getting rich quick, but about building wealth steadily and sustainably. Why is this book so relevant for people enthusiastic about tech, i.e. for readers of this newsletter? When you are a crypto investor or a VC or an investor in shooting stars like NVIDIA or Tesla you are used to returns of hundreds of percent per year (and sometimes losses). Occasionally even more. You turn into anything but a humble investor. Recently many messages reached me from readers mourning their investments into Ethereum, because it earned them a "meager" 50% in 2024. Investors used to stellar tech performances will perhaps benefit most from reading this book. We must always remember that technology is markedly different to any other industry.
Rasmussen looks at different types of investment rationales and attempts to evaluate them with empirical evidence. A lack of self-doubt is usually what characterizes the poorer ones. Perhaps this quote from the book best summarizes the general idea: "The best places to make money in markets is where others are too confident in their forecasts."
One of the book's greatest strengths is its focus on behavioral finance. It acknowledges that investing isn't just about crunching numbers; it's also about managing our own emotions and biases. The author effectively explains how our natural tendencies, such as fear and greed, can lead us astray and sabotage our investment goals. By understanding these psychological pitfalls, readers can learn to make more rational and informed decisions.
The book doesn't shy away from the complexities of the market, but it presents them in a clear and accessible way. It shuns overly technical jargon and instead focuses on explaining fundamental investment principles in a straightforward manner. Rasmussen emphasizes the importance of diversification, asset allocation, and keeping costs low - core concepts that are often overlooked by novice investors. But sometimes also by tech enthusiasts. Though tech investing works by its own rules, those principles apply to it as well.
What sets "The Humble Investor" apart is its emphasis on humility. The author acknowledges the inherent uncertainty of the market and cautions against overconfidence. Instead of trying to predict the future, the book advocates for a more probabilistic approach, focusing on building a portfolio that can withstand a variety of market conditions. This humility is not a sign of weakness, but rather a recognition of the limits of our knowledge and the importance of adapting to change.
While the book doesn't offer any "secret formulas" or "guaranteed winners," it provides readers with a solid foundation for making sound investment decisions. It encourages a disciplined and patient approach, emphasizing the importance of long-term perspective and avoiding impulsive reactions. The book's message is clear: successful investing is not about luck or genius, but about discipline, patience, and a healthy dose of humility.
In a world of ever-increasing financial complexity, "The Humble Investor" is a valuable guide for anyone looking to navigate the markets with confidence and avoid the pitfalls of emotional decision-making.

This review is originally published within the Money Book Cirlcle in my newsletter. Sign up here for regular reviews of the hottest books on money and technology: https://igorpejic.substack.com/

[Navdeep Pundhir · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is exactly the kind of book which is written for the sole purpose of sounding smart and claiming to be an author. Use a lot of jargons, unrelated datasets and do a lot of regression charts which are totally unnecessary and voila- you look like a finance geek who can do no wrong. The 180 odd pages of the book makes zero coherent noise and have not an iota of idea to offer, except to sound like a very hardcore finance book which in effect is a gibberish and mumbo-jumbo. God, and this guy manages $1B plus! This is why wall street is a place where people who drive Rolls Royces go to take advice from men who take the metro!
Zero Star Book

[Brad Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would be a great book for someone with only a cursory understanding of markets that wants to increase their knowledge.

[Alastair Gilg · Rating 5 out of 5]

concise read showing empirical results from back analysis of investing returns