March’s Book, Streaming, and Podcast Recs
Sharing the best of what I read, watched, and listened to last month.
Books
The Money Kings: The Epic Story of the Jewish Immigrants Who Transformed Wall Street and Shaped Modern America by Daniel Schuman
The New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice – The incredible saga of the German-Jewish immigrants—with now familiar names like Goldman and Sachs, Kuhn and Loeb, Warburg and Schiff, Lehman and Seligman—who profoundly influenced the rise of modern finance (and so much more), from the New York Times best-selling author of Sons of Wichita.
The Deadly Don: Vito Genovese, Mafia Boss by Anthony M. DeStefano
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author Anthony M. DeStefano presents the definitive book on Vito Genovese, the namesake of a crime family which is still considered one of the most viable and dangerous in the U.S. today. From enforcer to Godfather, Vito Genovese rose through the ranks of La Cosa Nostra to head of one of the wealthiest and most dangerous crime families in American history.
The Neighborhood by Mario Vargas Llosa
From the Nobel Laureate comes a politically charged detective novel weaving through the underbelly of Peruvian privilege.
Streams
Oppenheimer – The movie based on the book by the same name and written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan is excellent (although long). Oppenheimer’s story is about so much more than the Manhattan Project and the Robert Downey Jr. character is the perfect way to get into the communist scare before and after World War Two and how it impacted Oppenheimer.
Outlaw King – Netflix original movie about Robert the Bruce’s fight to win back Scottish independence from the British.
The Dynasty – AppleTV+ Patriots’ dynasty documentary. It’s not fully released yet as the last two episodes are coming this week, and there’s lots to quibble about with the choices the director made, but it’s a must watch regardless.
Listens
Writing Helped Howard Marks Raise Billions (How I Write with David Perell)- Want to build influence with great ideas and simple writing? Look no further than Howard Marks. Most smart people use big words and plastic jargon to reinforce the barrier between themselves and “the common folk.” Howard, on the other hand, breaks down this barrier, and that’s why his ideas are so influential (and why he’s Warren Buffett’s favorite author).
Dimensional’s Founder and Chairman David Booth on being an index pioneer, working with Nobel laureates, and investing through uncertainty (Goldman Sachs Exchanges) – David Booth, founder and chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors, reflects on his career in applying the finance theory he learned at the University of Chicago’s business school – which now bears his name – to the world of asset management.
What Really Goes Into the Fed’s Favorite Measure of Inflation (Odd Lots) – Many people know about the Consumer Price Index, and the various ways it can be sliced and diced. The Fed, however, focuses on a different index — Personal Consumption Expenditure — which differs from the CPI in a number of ways, both in terms of category weightings and methodological approaches. So why are there different measures of inflation? Why does the Fed prefer PCE? And how is PCE actually assembled?
Yesterday’s Market Correction & Trump Dominates Super Tuesday (The Investing Podcast) – A good friend of mine hosts this podcast every morning, and it’s a great quick look at what’s going on in the markets daily and when he talks about his good buddy in Boston he’s going to get a shout out here. In all seriousness, check it out.