The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
by Alice Schroeder [Biography Buffett]

While this is not a book I would normally pick up I did enjoy it. I’m taking a management class for my MLIS degree and was assigned to read a book on a list provided by the professor. ‘The Snowball’ was on it and because I didn’t know much about this fellow Nebraskan, I gave it a read. The book covers his whole life, from childhood in the 1930’s up to his 70’s when the book was published in 2008. The biography was very detailed even the parts from his childhood, teen years and college. It covers the events in his life but also the wider world and how those events affected him. I listened to the book but checked out the paper copy as well and found that it had photos in it, which you can’t experience with the CD. It was nice to be able to see the photos of the places and people in his life that the book introduces especially since so many of the people in Buffett’s life have been part of his life for so long. Equally as interesting to the biographical aspect is the life lessons and business lessons that Buffett has used throughout his life. Overall I enjoyed this more than I thought I would as biographies and business books are not my usual read. It quite long, 30 CDs for the audio book, which did initially feel daunting to me but even though it did take a while to get through, it never felt dull, boring or slow, so don’t let the length be a deterrent to you. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in Warren Buffett’s life, Nebraska history,business philosophies, life philosophies, or history.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Oracle & Omaha: How Warren Buffett and His Hometown Shaped Each Other, by Steve Jordon.]

[ publisher’s official The Snowball web page] | [ Wikipedia page for Alice Schroeder ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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