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The Most Important Thing summary
Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor
17 mins
Brief summary
"The Most Important Thing" by Howard Marks is a thought-provoking book on investing. It offers valuable insights into the mindset and approaches of a successful investor, with a focus on risk management and the importance of contrarian thinking.
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The Most Important Thing
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Key idea 1 of 8
Since opportunities to beat the market are rare, successful investing requires perceptive thinking.
If you want to become a successful investor, you need solid grounding in the basics.
So let’s start with a simple definition: investing consists of putting money into assets and expecting an increase in value.
Taking it a step further, successful investing means buying mispriced assets (assets that are priced too low), selling them later at a higher price and earning a profit.
It sounds simple, but mispricings are rare. Why? Because most of the time, there are thousands of participants actively gathering information about various assets and evaluating them diligently. When this thorough assessment is indeed the case, the asset’s price doesn’t stray far from its intrinsic value – that is, the price the asset is actually worth.
And when an asset is priced appropriately, which is typically the case, it’s hard to profit from it.
Still, in practice, mispricings do occur. For example, in January 2000, shares of Yahoo sold at $237 apiece. But then by April, share prices had fallen to $11. If you had owned the stock, your investment would have suffered massive losses. And how do we account for this sizable fluctuation? Well, the price must have been wrong on at least one of these occasions.
In general, mispricings make profits and losses possible in a big way. But as we mentioned, detecting these mispricings is a difficult task.
So if your investment goal is to earn higher-than-average returns, your thinking has to be different and better than everyone else’s.
This is called second-level thinking, and it works like this: first-level thinking says, “It’s a good company; let’s buy the stock.” Second-level thinking goes beyond the conventional wisdom by saying, “It’s a good company but everyone thinks that, so the stock is probably overrated and overpriced; let’s sell.”
This approach is so effective because it acknowledges the fact that all the investors put together actually make the market. Second-level thinking takes all these other investors into account in order to beat the market, not just submit to it.
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What is The Most Important Thing about?
In The Most Important Thing, Howard Marks outlines the sometimes controversial investment philosophy that he developed and honed through many years of market experience. In his view, successful investment requires us to pay thoughtful attention to many different aspects of the current market, and too often use that information to counter the predominant trends.
The Most Important Thing Review
The Most Important Thing (2011) by Howard Marks is an insightful exploration of the key principles to successful investing. Here are three reasons why this book is worth reading:
- Through practical wisdom and valuable insights, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex world of investing.
- Marks effectively highlights the importance of controlling risk and understanding market cycles, offering invaluable knowledge for investors.
- By sharing personal experiences and case studies, the book engages readers and illustrates the practical application of the concepts, making it anything but boring.
Best quote from The Most Important Thing
Investing, like economics, is more art than science.
—Howard Marks
Who should read The Most Important Thing?
- Anyone who wants to earn a profit through investing
- Anyone who wants to understand how financial markets work
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The Most Important Thing FAQs
What is the main message of The Most Important Thing?
The main message of The Most Important Thing is about achieving investment success by focusing on the most crucial factors.
How long does it take to read The Most Important Thing?
The reading time for The Most Important Thing varies but can take several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in 15 minutes.
Is The Most Important Thing a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Most Important Thing is worth reading for its valuable insights and practical advice on investment principles.
Who is the author of The Most Important Thing?
The author of The Most Important Thing is Howard Marks.
What to read after The Most Important Thing?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Most Important Thing, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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- The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
- A History of God by Karen Armstrong
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
- A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel
- Millennial Money by Patrick O’Shaughnessy
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
- Outlive by Peter Attia