Is Charlie Munger a polymath? Charlie Munger – the witty polymath and right-hand man to Warren Buffett – has passed away just a month shy of his 100th birthday. Munger grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and originally worked as a lawyer before meeting Buffett in the 1950s. Charlie Munger is a modern-day polymath and one of the most respected investors of all time. He credits reading 500 pages/day with much of his success—his children even call him a book with legs. Here are 20 of his favourite books: 1/ In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Stephen Levy. “I hate to admit this because I’ve ignored high-tech all my life, but I read that book In the Plex about Google, and I found it a very interesting book.” –Charlie Munger 2/ The Outsiders by William Thorndike “A book that details the extraordinary success of CEOs who took a radically different approach to corporate management.” –Charlie Munger 3/ Influence by Robert Cialdini. ”You couldn’t start with a better book than Cialdini’s Influence to avoid being manipulated by vendors and by lenders using the standard tricks of the vendor and lender trade.” –Charlie Munger 4/ Living Within Limits by Garrett Hardin. Recommended in Charlie’s Book, “Poor Charlie’s Almanack.” 5/ The Warren Buffett Portfolio by Robert Hagstrom. ”I read it and I was flabbergasted to find it not only very well written, but a considerable contribution to the synthesis of human thought on the investment process.” –Charlie Munger 6/ Damn Right by Janet Lowe. “That Janet Lowe book about me has had a very interesting sub-chapter, so to speak, in its distribution. I notice a considerable number of people buying that book and sending one copy to each descendant.” –Charlie Munger 7/ Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson. It’s hard to write a bad book on such an interesting subject.” –Charlie Munger 8/ Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. “Generally speaking, envy, resentment, revenge and self-pity are disastrous modes of thought” –Charlie Munger 9/ Models of My Life by Herb Simon. “And some shareholder sent me a book that not many of you will like, by Herb Simon I think, Models of My Life. sAnd it’s a very interesting book for a certain academic type.” –Charlie Munger 10/ Genome by @mattridley. ”It is a fabulous book. Of course, I’m recommending a bestseller, but they’re selling it in the airport.” –Charlie Munger 11/ Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr by Ron Chernow. “One of the best business biographies I have ever read. That was just a wonderful, wonderful book. And I don’t know anybody who’s read it who hasn’t enjoyed it.” –Charlie Munger 12/ Andrew Carnegie by Joseph Wall. Recommended in Charlie’s Book, “Poor Charlie’s Almanack.” –Charlie Munger 13/ The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David Landes. “I would heartily recommend it. He knows way more economics and science than is common for a history professor. And that gives him better insight ” –Charlie Munger 14/ Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. “I have recently read a new book twice, which I very seldom do. And that book is Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. And it’s a marvelous book.” –Charlie Munger 15/ The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. “I had to read The Selfish Gene twice before I fully understood it. And there were things I believed all my life that weren’t so, and I think it’s just wonderful, when you have those experiences.” –Charlie Munger 16/ Master of the Game by Connie Bruck. “I very much enjoyed Master of the Game, a biography of Steve Ross, who headed Warner and later was, co-chairman of Time Warner…. she’s a very insightful writer and it’s a very interesting story.” –Charlie Munger 17/ Benjamin Franklin by Carl Van Doren. “I am rereading a book I really like, Van Doren’s biography of Ben Franklin, and I’d forgotten how good a book it was. We’ve never had anybody quite like Franklin in this country. Never again.” –Charlie Munger 18/ The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond. Recommended in Charlie’s Book, “Poor Charlie’s Almanack.” 19/ Deep Simplicity by John Gribbin. “It’s pretty hard to understand everything, but if you can’t understand it, you can always give it to a more intelligent friend.” –Charlie Munger 20/ Ice Age by John Gribbin. “Best work of science exposition and history that I’ve read in many years!” –Charlie Munger That’s 20 of Charlie Munger’s favourite books. P.S. If you like improving your thinking, you’ll love my newsletter. Every Saturday, I share mental models, frameworks, and links to the best content I find online. Join 50k here: