Scroll Down December 13, 2010March 19, 2017 THREE WISE MEN Who are smarter, better informed, more capable, or better-intentioned than President Obama, President Clinton, and Mayor Bloomberg? To those who reject the tax cut compromise, I would just point out that all three think it’s a compromise worth making. (If you missed it, here’s Bloomberg on yesterday’s Meet the Press. “I think we don’t give the President enough credit,” he says, along with much else.) VIRTUAL TELESCOPE Jeff Irving: Re Friday’s link to the virtual telescope, here’s another great way to link to the amazing universe that surrounds our tiny world. A new Astronomy Picture of the Day greets me each morning and somehow always seems to help with some intrapersonal calibration about one’s place midst it all. And the explanatory material is educational to boot.” # SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION # Here are things readers have written about The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need in recent years. Scroll down only if you can stomach it. My motivation is mainly self-aggrandizement. But I actually hope people may find the book helpful. (One for your postman, one for your UPS guy, one for each of your kids, one for each of your each of your kids’ teachers, one for your chauffeur . . . ) “The title says it all.” —Aaron Ellsworth, Richardson, TX, August 21, 2001 “I purchased your book about 5 years ago. It changed my life. Thanks to your advice, I have been able to eliminate credit cards, sock away a few thousand bucks, and even purchase my first home. My credit is now acceptable, I live well, and I am on my way to a nice career and retirement (only 30 more years to go).” —Brandon Hunt, Elyria, OH, September 6, 2001 “Given many times as a gift! There is no better book that I have ever read on personal finance. Better than that, [it’s] fun to read.” —trdrmac, Raleigh, NC, March 5, 2002 “Great for college age students, teenagers, or those with little or bad experience with handling finances. Crisp and clean!” —Cory D. Tuck, Topeka, KS, September 16, 2002 “Informative as well as entertaining, this could be the best twelve bucks you’ll ever spend.” —Alexander Petrochenkov, Moscow, Russia, October 17, 2002 “I’m a professor at the Harvard Business School and a big fan. Before virtually every class, I think of your ‘The Greatest Moment of My Life’ story.” —Terry Burnham, Boston, MA, March 16, 2003 “I studied finance at a top business school and understand the theory of investing from some of the top professors in the country. But in terms of netting it out into something usable and understandable from an everyday personal investing standpoint, this was better than all of that combined. The best investment book out there.” —KC, Stamford, CT, November 25, 2003 “Thanks for writing The Only Investment Guide. I first read it back in high school (close to 20 years ago), and I’ve found it incredibly helpful.” —Russil Wvong, Vancouver, Canada, April 3, 2004 “Not only informative—regularly hilarious!” —Todd Schmeltz, Oak Harbor, WA, April 24, 2004 “I read this in college and because of following it (along with a little hard work by my wife and me!), my family’s financial situation is in great shape today.” —Don Culp, Scotch Plains, NJ, May 14, 2004 “I purchased 8 copies this year for graduation gifts. I have read countless books on investing over the years. Yours is the best.” —Ron Turner, Moraga, CA, May 17, 2004 “I can honestly say this book changed my life by opening my eyes on how investing and money really work.” —Prasanth Manthena, May 16, 2006 “This is the only investment book I have read that truly made sense.” —Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, US News May 13, 2007 “I heard about your investing guide on WSB radio years ago, and bought a copy. Loved it! My husband and I have lived the principles in your book as long as we’ve been married. We’ve never lived cheap. Just smart. When we married 23 years ago, we had two paychecks and an apartment full of used furniture. At this point, our net worth is close to $700K. I tell my friends not to be intimidated by money. Once you educate yourself, it’s extremely empowering to have control over your financial life.” —Lisa B, Atlanta, GA, January 13, 2010 “Just wanted to say that though I didn’t inherit a million dollars, Chapter 11 of your book inspired me to simplify my investments in a major way. I’ve read countless books and articles on the subject, yet when I came across your words describing just how simple investing really can be, I said to myself, ‘Yes, of course!’ Thanks for your encouragement to find what works for me.” —David Fawcett, Berkeley, CA, February 5, 2010 “I bought my first copy of your book in 1979, and every subsequent edition since. Contrary to your humble disclaimer in the first chapter, your book made me rich. By ‘rich,’ I mean I never have to work again. Although I never made more than $28,000 per year, I was able to retire at 60 without a company pension. I have so much money that I do not intend to take Social Security until I am 70, so that my check will be a maximum. As people I knew got wind of the fact that I saved and invested my money, they would ask me for advice. I always responded, ‘I have the only investment guide you’ll ever need,’ and then I either gave them one of my older editions, or sent them to the bookstore to buy their own.” —John Williams, Houston, TX, May 2, 2010