The Innovation Stack

The co-founder of $60 billion-valued Square Inc has written an intriguing book called The Innovation Stack. Like most books based on a single idea, I think this book should have been an article, as it's repetitive and drawn out. You can't blame the author: who's going to pay $15 for an article? But at the same time, I think the idea is so important that I'm still glad I read it cover to cover.

Wa Un-Bashed

It feels like just 80 days ago that I wrote about Wabash as a beaten down ($7 share price) manufacturer of trailers that is capitalized to weather a possible multi-year storm. Last week, however, the company traded for $13, which is around what I believe it to be worth and so I sold all my shares.

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck's 1939 realist novel The Grapes of Wrath won him a Pullitzer Prize for fiction and won The National Book Award. It was probably also the biggest reason Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in 1962. I read it last week and found it both educational (because of the history) and rather one-sided, because of the perspective it takes on poverty.

7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy

What allows a business to thrive sustainably in the long term? It must have a competitive advantage, or power. In 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy, Hamilton Helmer describes those seven powers that allow a business to prosper.

Mea CULP

When I buy a stock, I'm usually prepared to own it for several years. But sometimes lightning strikes and I'm able to exit much sooner. Such was the case with Culp Inc, which I discussed only two months ago as a potential value investment.

Jeff, Freeze!

Jefferies is a company I've had my eye on for a long time. But I've never owned a single share until this downturn caused a huge reduction in the share price. In my view, this represents a terrific opportunity.

The Plot Against America

As FDR prepared to run for his third term as US President, a vocal group of Americans were advocating for the candidacy of Charles Lindbergh, the stunt flyer who had rather pro-Nazi views. Lindbergh did not end up running, but what if he had? Philip Roth tells a story of what could have happened in America during World War II had Roosevelt not won the election in The Plot Against America.