The Art of Being Rational : Charlie Munger

by Oxana Dubrovina

Every year, thousands upon thousands of people make the pilgrimage to the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting to hear the wisdom of one of the smartest men in the business—Charlie Munger. Find out what he has to say! Charlie Munger is one of the most successful businessmen in the world. He is worth more than a billion dollars and has spent his career not only honing his own business decision-making abilities but also teaching others to do the same. Now, all of his wisdom and insight into wealth management is collected in one place. Author Oxana Dubrovina wants to give you a crash course in Munger’s life-changing philosophy. This success self-help guide and motivational biography will put you on the road to a bright financial future by using Munger, as well as other inspirational leaders like Benjamin Franklin, Lee Kuan Yew, and even Jesus Christ, to illustrate important messages about how to live a good, honest, and successful life.

Genres: Finance, Nonfiction

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2019

Reviews

[Nimex10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie’s life is worth emulating which is an almost impossible bar to surpass. He is renowned just like the likes of Darwin and Benjamin...which seriously is a life worth emulating.

This book is a work of an admirer just like many of us. She took her time to do her research for 5 long years and this is her beautiful art on Charlie the grandpa of capital allocation and the definition of wisdom.

I will always choose to read, watch... anything about Charlie~~~

[ANDREW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Become a learning machine!

I really like how this book was written. What if if you could meet Charlie Munger? What questions would you ask this most interesting man? The book reads as a blend of fiction with what appear to be actual quotes of wisdom Charlie Munger has given over his lifetime. It’s like being a fly on the wall of a great conversation. The author clearly has immense respect for Mr. Munger and after reading this I’m inspired to emulate many of Mr Munger’s principles. Also like the part explaining Mr. Munger’s great respect for Lee Kuan Yew and the incredible achievements of Singapore. A very inspiring story.

[Ansgar Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift. It took me about a week to go thro this interesting collection of wisdom. There are books and there are easy to read books; this book falls into the latter category. This is a small book with big ideas, however in an unintimidating manner. It gives an excellent ‘bang for the unit time spent’ value. Highly recommend it for 10 years old and above. 5 stars+++

[Jakub Smrček · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most famous books about Charlie Munger is "The Tao of Charlie Munger" by David Clark - yet that book is just a compilation of quotes and does not offer anything more! "The Art of Being Rational" by Oxana Dubrovina offers the author's unique view on Charlie and his teachings using a fluent and entertaining narrative. I recommend you read this, you will not get bored.

[Babu.K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This simple yet lucidly written work throws light on the inner workings & insights which has shaped the life and career of Charlie Munger. Author has used nice imagination inter-sped with quotes of Charlie for readers and new admirers of Munger to understand methodical rational thought process of Munger in facing & how to go about life trials and tribulations without much rancor or hatred. I don't have words to praise the work of the author. It is result years of labour of love, dedication and devotion in trying to understand the life , insights and ideas of an individual whose prominence may be less outside the world of investing and business but nonetheless whose life is worth knowing about and emulating about as closely as the author's which is reflected in every page of the book.

This book is less about investing in business but to prepare oneself to be lifelong learner .It makes for nice reading experience and one gets to know in depth and motivates folks to become life long learning machines and at the same time lice with compassion and empathy. Author wishes through this work, Charlie's ways are known to wider public at large and society benefits from people adopting and actively pursuing as close to Charlie as possible.

[Francisco Martorell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came as a surprise to me. An acquaintance of mine had been doing research for many years and published this book! Of course, I bought it inmediatly and made contact with the author. She has been kindly waiting for me to finish this book, which take me more time than expected, due to my lack of time. I finished it yesterday and have discussed a few issues with Oxana. I my opinion, this book is a true tour de force. She is not a native English speaker, so her effort has been even bigger. It's a book worh re-reading, as it has many concepts, information and useful ideas that in a first reading can be overseen.
Anyway, I highly recommend it. The first part is very original; it takes the form of a Socratic dialogue, very cleverly designed. Then follow a couple of chapters in a more classical way.

[Ravi Shakya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will be an indispensable nugget of wisdom not only to the fans of Mr Munger but also to the general public.
It is written in a conversational style between various people and draws examples/inspiration from several personalities like Ben Franklin, ancient philosophers, famous investors and of course the legends of our times : Buffett and Munger. The author is knowledgeable and skillful to condense diverse facts, observations and examples into a book of about 200 pages.
It can not however be denied that there were some typos and grammatical issues here and there. Hopefully they will be rectified in future edition(s).

[Tom Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie is one of my most followed investor. He and Warren's life long accomplishment is long and enduring. By reading Ms. Dubrovina's book, 'The Art of Being Rational', it gives me a first hand knowledge of getting to know Charlie's mindset deeper. I highly recommend this book to you, if you would like to become a better rounded investor, teacher and a human being.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful little book by Dubrovina Oxana. There are many gems of wisdom in there; A travelogue of wisdom, with a witty well-informed guide into Charlie's mind... I personally fell in love with the simplicity of the book. Its amazing how a book filled with Charlie Munger's wisdom can be so ultra-readable.

[Zahid Aashaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love or want to learn about the mental process of Munger, you have to follow this book. I recommend this book to some business students in Bangladesh. This book is a must tool for the new entrepreneurs.

[Vladimir Lugansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oxana Dubrovina is one of greatest researchers of Charlie Munger's life approach. For several years she runs a group on Facebook dedicated to him. If you would like to learn more about Charlie Munger I am sure you can find a lot of value in this book!

[Bui Van Thien · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was just as good as the title. OXANA was doing a great job at delivering how unique Mr Munger think . Just love the book

[Otis Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In these times, it seems that society has taken a dim view of trying to find heroes or role models in which to emulate in an effort to improve ourselves. In the “Art of Being Rational”, author Dubrovina Oxana makes not only the case that we should strive to identify role models and their good traits in order to learn from them, she makes the case that Charlie Munger specifically should be one of them.

If you are familiar with the stock markets and value investing, then chances are good that Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway fame are already heroes of yours. That said, this is not a book that will make you a star value investor per se, or rather at least that is not the book’s purpose. This book is more of a world according to Charlie Munger type of thing. Often it is philosophical, and psychological, at times even biographical.

It is well researched with over 200 footnotes from a wide variety of sources, most of which are direct quotations of Charlie Munger. In many ways the book reads similarly to “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”. Perhaps this is not a coincidence as Franklin is one of Munger’s leading heroes and perhaps the author’s as well as one chapter compares the two men and their philosophy of life, with Munger being presented quite favorably in the comparison. This was probably my favorite section of the book and the portion of it that I found the most inspirational toward wanting to study Munger further.

[Rustam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Art of Being Rational: Charlie Munger" of Oxana Dubrovina is a freshly updated book on Munger.. the author put it from last Daily Journal Corporation meetings and collected Charlie gems all around the world. It has been on my list because of Oxana Dubrovina updates on Facebook. She has a group focused exclusively on Munger wisdom for the last 6 years. Honestly, it was one of the best books I had ever read lately, both interesting information combined with famous morality Charlie morality lessons. I love the author's writing style. This is a intellectual book, it is not for everyone. The philosophy of how great and wise Charlie Munger is. The one-liner for this book is basically “Be wise, don’t fool yourself, and make the right decisions.” Thanks Charlie. I’ll get right on that. Munger’s wisdom advice is typically Midwestern-style morality like “be reliable”, “be honest”, “be patient”. He’s big into the synthesis of ideas, the book itself an entertaining story of business, history, philosophy, and psychology. There are a couple of gems in here that I’ve pulled out in the quotes below. I really appreciate it.

[Wolfhound · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an excellent introduction to the thoughts and philosophy of Charlie Munger. The author, who runs a group on Facebook dedicated to the Art of Being Rational, seamlessly weaves together Munger's views on business, life, morality, philosophy etc.

For anyone interested in investing, and especially in Munger's approach to synthesizing perspectives from multiple disciplines, this is a great read. I found it to be much more intellectually stimulating than some of the other books on Munger and Buffett, and in my opinion it serves as an excellent starting point for those who wish to explore Munger's thoughts on mental models and the psychology of human misjudgement. Highly recommended!

[Huu Tin Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is brought to me by Oxana Dubrovina and her dedicated longtime Facebook Group named Charlie Munger Almanack. Inspired by the life & impact of Charlie Munger, the vice president of Berkshire Hathaway of which Warren Buffett is chairman for decades, Oxana has taken notes very seriously throughout the years by learning from Charlie's related materials (books, articles, speeches etc.). I think she has done a very good job by elaborating what Charlie has said: “The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more," and she has done it by writing this book by telling Charlie's life & morals by imaginative dialogues. This is a book you could recommend to your friends to read, tell to a youngster child how to be & live as a great man & learn together by discussion & examples.

[Pratik Chheda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dubrovina has worked really hard and the results are apparent. This book completely absorbs the word "Rational" if you have read Poor Charlie's Almanack & Intelligent investor. Dense. Solid. A very useful read on business fundamentals & how to use them to make investment decisions. It's a very good read for anyone considering to be an active investor vs. taking a passive approach.

It's a great tool to have.

Great insight.
Read at leisure.

[Ben Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art of being rational is one of the best book written about the legend Charlie Munger which I have long been waiting for. The author has written detailed account about charlie Munger's philosophy towards life and business in an understandable and easy way with two person conversation which is though fictional but absolutely incredible. Sometimes, I was thinking that Charlie Munger speaking directly with me

[Eugene Federen]

The Art of Being Rational is an excellent book on Charlie Munger by author Oxana Dubrovina, an investor and corporate lawyer educated in Russia and Austria. She has been a keen follower and reader of Charlie Munger and his works for many years. She also runs a popular Facebook Group called Charlie Munger Almanack. Written in emphatic narrative style, The Art of Being Rational captures the important essence of Charlie Munger’s thinking, ranging from being rational, having ethics, non-self pity, use of mental models and the list goes on. I highly recommend this book to anyone, including investors, Charlie Munger fans, or any person who wants to improve his or her way thinking.

[Charles]

Charlie Munger is an American billionaire investor, businessman,He is Warren Buffet's closest partner and right-hand man. Its worth emulating wisdom of Charlie in everyday life as articulated by Oxana.The Collected Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger” is an entertaining, gorgeous and worthwhile coffee table book for finance philosophers .For all those who want to make right ,rationale decisions to better their life on daily basis I would recommend you read The Art Of Being Rational.

[Ronald Bruyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that will really make an impact on your life. I recommend it to everyone that wants to improve themselves on their life journey. There are lots of learning lessons in the book that can be applied to ones behavior and character.

[Ha Vinh Duy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great portrait of Charlie Munger, who is one of the most intellectual people of our time.
here what i have learn from this book by Oxana Dubrovina
1. Success Means Being a Learning Machine --> and i am also a learner everyday, and I love reading too
2. Be Patient No Matter How Much Time It Takes --> with me, that is Grit, i had startup more than 15 years ago, if i have no GRIT, I can not moving forward
3. Stay Rational
4. The Way to Win Is to Work. Work, Work, and Hope to Have A Few Insights
5. And I Am Not Moral Because It Is the Right Thing to Do but Because It Is the Best Policy by Benjamin Franklin
and many life lessons that i have learn. and my life goal also be investor like Charlier
Many thanks again Oxana Dubrovina for the book for life, anyone can learn great things for their "better life"
my name Ha Vinh Duy from WorldLine Technology/ Vietnam

[Justin Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing read for an investor. It is key to learn the right mental models for investing and who better to learn from than Charlie Munger!

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oxana Dubrovina is a great collector of Charlie Munger's life wisdom and she has managed to pack an abundance of it in this book. In case you have any interest in learning from Mr Munger, I am certain you will find this book a true gem.

[Jai Shankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a charlie munger fan? and want to learn how to make better decision? Buy this book. Oxana have collected and organized lot of useful information in this book. if you research it for yourself it would take lot of time, buying this book will save you lot of time.

[Khupmin Lun · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful read !!! I strongly recommend this beautiful book . Oxana Dubrovina , you are indeed a true disciple of Charlie munger . Keep up the good work !

[Fun Liang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good and interesting book on Charlie Munger. Definitely worth a read if you are a fan of Munger

[Jacques Gerald Marcellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for those looking to explore the mind of Charlie Munger. The lessons taught in this book go beyond investing, they should be applied to all aspects of our lives.

[Harshit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Munger is a jedi in the art of decision making who is worth emulating and Oxana Dubrovina did a great job in this book of making it easier for the reader to understand the source and application of his and Buffet's ideas. A big thumbs up.

[Jean-François Nobert · Rating 5 out of 5]

For everyone looking for improvement, this book is for you! Through the story of the fictive character ‘’Mr. Brown’’ the author found a creative way to share the great wisdom from an extended list of quotes and speeches of the legendary, investor, businessman and philanthropist: Charlie Munger. Since the beginning of the lockdown, the reading of this book has certainly been the best investment of my time. As Charlie Munger himself said: “When I want to read something, I take everything else down. I don’t know a wise person who doesn’t read a lot.” This book is phenomenal, can’t recommend it enough.