The Warren Buffett CEO: Secrets from the Berkshire Hathaway Managers

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffett-CEO-Berkshire-Hathaway/dp/0471430455

How often do you wonder how Warren Buffett manages to be a hands-off manager or how hands-on he really is. His empire is over $37 billion (2009 figures as quoted on Wikipedia) and he is my guru and one of the most enigmatic figures you would find. But, have you wondered how his businesses run? How does he manage such a large empire so efficiently? His annual report mentioned Ajit Jain who is heading several reinsurance businesses for Buffett and his name even found a mention on the 2008 copy of the Berkshire Hathaway annual report  – http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/2008ar/2008ar.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajit_Jain

Last man standing – Jamie Dimon@JPMChase

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Man-Standing-JPMorgan-ebook/dp/B002QJZ9ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259222095&sr=1-1

Downloaded this book on the kindle some days back. Yet to start reading it.

I admire the way Jamie Dimon steered JPMChase out of the woods back in 2008 and kept it profitable till date and in the process making some spectacular acqusitions. I had read a FORTUNE article on him back then as well which was really informative so am sure this biography will be enthralling.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/29/news/companies/tully_dimon.fortune/

My amazon kindle2 just got better!

Source: http://www.amazon.com/

amazon.com released a major software update to the kindle2 which I installed on my kindle2 today.
This one will help my kindle2 do the following below but the one I liked most is this:
- Support PDF’s natively without all those hassles of sending emails to @kindle.com etc. – this is a big plus. I can now read all my e-books which are PDF’s as well on my kindle2! So far, this was a feature available only on the kindle DX.

Received Blackberry Bold case from Otterbox

http://ecofin.wordpress.com/2008/12/25/usps-track-and-confirm-my-experience-with-them/

But was dissapointed with the service of USPS yet again. They took almost 1-month to deliver this case and their ‘track and confirm’ on which I had blogged an year ago on the same issue still does not give a proper indication of the package movement. I know USPS is under losses etc. and they are trying strategies to work out something but this is really poor service delivery. Their packages get delivered by India Post in India and it does not matter whether it is Express mail International or Priority Mail International their service is not meeting my expectations. They also charged duty on this.

CNBC Video: Warren Buffett and Bill Gates – Keeping America Great

This was a great program that appeared on television on CNBC America. Very interesting to hear from my guru – Warren Buffett and the legendary Bill Gates – who is Buffett’s favorite Bridge partner, close friend and confidant since 1991. This event was organized at the Columbia Business school which is where Buffett got his degree under the aegis of Ben Graham and Dodd.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/33940689/site/14081545

Book review / Who says Elephants can’t dance?

Who says Elephants can't dance

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Says-Elephants-Cant-Dance-ebook/dp/B000FCKL6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258177332&sr=8-1-catcorr

I read this book on my kindle and it was the first book completed and was really a good reading experience overall – no frills, just does the job – effectively.

Lou Gerstner turned around IBM in the 1990’s before the current Chairman and CEO, Sam Palmisano, took over. IBM was a goliath that was being eaten raw by the huge Microsoft’s and the Intel’s and all the other David’s back then and it led to his historic turnaround which in many ways reminds me of reading up Jack Welch’s book on GE’s turnaround (I read it in 2002).

Scintillating book filled with common sense, candor, facing reality and a clear book on how strategy decisions can be taken to make even ‘Elephant’s dance’ and turn the big Blue to a nimble footed giant. This is a must read for Manager’s and aspiring CEO’s.

I highly recommend this book!

Coming up: Economics of ebooks/readers – a detailed study

Watch this space closely as I collate information and present an analysis on this shortly. Someone left a feedback for me that I was totally deviating from the primary objective of this blog – Economics and Finance and I think their point is indeed valid. I have been all over the place again. I need to refocus my priorities on this blog’s original objective with which it was setup 3 years ago and that is to concentrate on Economics and Finance.

Just look at the competition in this field:

1. amazon.com kindle e-book reader

2. Barnes and Noble Nook e-book reader

3. iRex, (a Royal Philips spin-off in 2005) e-book reader

4. PlasticLogic e-book reader

5. Sony e-book reader

and many more!

This will be an interesting analysis.

My NLSIU classes resume for the 2009/2010 season

I resumed attending my NLS classes last week. However, it is going to be focused solely on trying to bridge the gaps where I had not attended last season else there will be repetition. I need to take up the exams also due in February 2010 and that will bring this law school course in IPR law to a logical close and ready for application to the real world.

My MacBook turned 1 yesterday!

Time truly flies! It’s 1 year since I migrated to a Mac from a PC and it’s been a well deserving switch! Apple has since introduced some revolutionary new products in the form of it’s iPhone 3G-S, the new iPod range with video, the new range of Macbook Whites with the unibody enclosure and a new lineup on the iMac’s for the holiday season, and of course, the return of the iconic Steve Jobs! Windows 7 is yet to launch here in India for me to move my desktop – a DELL Vostro – from Vista Ultimate to it’s successor – Windows 7 Ultimate.

Coincidentally, last week, Fortune magazine named Steve Jobs as the CEO of the decade!

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/04/technology/steve_jobs_ceo_decade.fortune/index.htm

Harvard business review – Becoming a High Performance Manager

This was my fourth book on my kindle. At the rate I am downloading books on my kindle through amazon.com’s Whispernet, I have to control my reading habits!

HBR - High Performance Manager

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Business-Becoming-Performance-Manager/dp/B0027ISANC/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257486249&sr=1-10