The Most Important Thing Illuminated

When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they're the first thing I open and read. I always learn something, and that goes double for his book. -- Praise for The Most Important Thing, Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway If you take an exceptional talent and have them obsess about value investing for several decades-including deep thinking about its very essence with written analysis along the way- you may come up with a book as useful to value investors as this one. But don't count on it. -- Praise for The Most Important Thing, Jeremy Grantham, Cofounder and Chief Investment Strategist, Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo A clear and expert resource for all investors. -- Praise for The Most Important Thing Kirkus Reviews Veteran value-investing manager Howard Marks draws on pithy memos he wrote to clients over the years to dispense insightful advice on everything from risk taking to the role of luck. -- Praise for The Most Important Thing Money Magazine The original is great, but if you're willing to spend a bit more money (eBook is $9.99), this new version does have a little more meat to it. My Money Blog I recommend this book to all who aspire after value investing. Aleph Blog / Money Science This new edition does the nearly impossible; it takes an already classic text and makes it an even more indispensable tool for investors! FocusInvestor.com Ultimately The Most Important Thing Illuminated: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor is an outstanding read. I'll be referring back to it often. I'd say it's a must-have for every value investor. Seeking Alpha Enlightening and well detailed. Midwest Book Review This is a book I recommend you keep on your desk -- Charles Sizemore Forbes.com Moneybuilder Marks' The Most Important Thing distilled the investing insight of his celebrated client memos into a single volume and, for the first time, made his time-tested philosophy available to general readers. In this edition, Marks's wisdome is joined by the comments, insights, and counterpoints of four renowned investors. Value Walk Blog

Howard Marks is chairman and cofounder of Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based investment firm with seventy-five billion dollars under management. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the Wharton School and an MBA in accounting and marketing from the University of Chicago. He is the author of The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor. Bruce C. Greenwald holds the Robert Heilbrunn Professorship of Finance and Asset Management at Columbia Business School and is the academic director of the Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. He is the coauthor of The Curse of the Mogul: What's Wrong with the World's Leading Media Companies.

Introduction The Most Important Thing Is... 1. Second-Level Thinking 2. Understanding Market Efficiency (and Its Limitations) 3. Value 4. The Relationship Between Price and Value 5. Understanding Risk 6. Recognizing Risk 7. Controlling Risk 8. Being Attentive to Cycles 9. Awareness of the Pendulum 10. Combating Negative Influences 11. Contrarianism 12. Finding Bargains 13. Patient Opportunism 14. Knowing What You Don't Know 15. Having a Sense for Where We Stand 16. Appreciating the Role of Luck 17. Investing Defensively 18. Avoiding Pitfalls 19. Adding Value 20. Pulling It All Together