Comments on: Book Review: When Genius Failed

By: Book Review: A Colossal Failure of Common Sense | Canadian Capitalist

Book Review: A Colossal Failure of Common Sense | Canadian Capitalist — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:34:44 +0000

[...] was hoping that this book would be to Crash of 2008 what When Genius Failed (read my review) is to the Long-Term Capital Management collapse of the 1990s. But it’s not even close. [...]

By: Another Reason to Avoid Hedge Funds

Another Reason to Avoid Hedge Funds — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:27:35 +0000

[...] retail investors stay well clear of these exotic products. But despite the high-profile blowups of Long-Term Capital Management, Amaranth Advisors and numerous others, there is wide spread belief that hedge fund managers can [...]

By: Canadian Capitalist

Canadian Capitalist — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:08:31 +0000

James: Good point. Mr. Buffett, of course, has a different definition of risk: do not risk capital, rather than the academic definition of variability of returns.

By: James

James — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:25:48 +0000

I didn’t say without risk, nor did your blog. It said outsized risk.
Warren Buffett is the age old example…very low risk but definately outsized returns

By: Canadian Capitalist

Canadian Capitalist — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 18:59:30 +0000

Award: What was the other book that Enron employees were told to read?

Alex: Thanks for the tip. I will check it out.

James: I beg to differ. Can you give me an example of how a smart investor is making high returns without risk?

By: awardtour

awardtour — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 18:01:09 +0000

“When Genius Failed” is a great book. It’s very readable, like a Michael Lewis book. The story even has a Canadian connection as nobel prize winner, Myron Scholes is from Hamilton.

I came across the book while reading “Smartest Guys in the Room”. It says that there were 2 books that every trader at Enron was told to read. One of them, oddly enough, was “When Genius Failed”.

By: Alex Givant

Alex Givant — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:36:26 +0000

Read “Running Money” by Andy Kessler, his personal experience of running hedge fund, excellent book.

By: James

James — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:15:47 +0000

While I agree that hedge funds are a dangerous gamble with your money, I have to disagree with the statement that outsized returns equate with outsized risk. Everyday smart investors are making significantly better than average returns without huge amounts of risk.