Enterprising Investor Forum

Taming the Lion, Richard Farleigh Monday, July 9, 2007

The subtitle to this book is: “100 Secret Strategies for Investing”. Whilst we’re not sure that these are ‘secret’ strategies, they are very easy to understand and quite interesting.

Richard Farleigh undoubtedly has an enviable track-record and has managed to ‘retire’ at age 34 and now lives in Monte Carlo, using his private wealth as a Business Angel, investing mainly in small UK companies.

The book focuses on his experiences and gives you thought-provoking perspectives about how to try to preempt, understand and react to market movements. The best part of this book is that it is a very easy read and that it is written in a very open and unpretentious way. We assume that it’s what you would get out of sitting down with Mr. Farleigh for good old fashioned discussion.

Some of the interesting points he makes are:

• Markets tend to under-react and not over-react.
• Most professionals are not outguessing the market.
• Good ideas can lose money.
• Avoid options if you do not understand theirs pricing.
• Don’t be a hero – do not buying falling markets.

All-in-all, written in a semi-autobiographical way, this book offers an insightful perspective into the mind of a successful investor from his experiences in a banking institution, hedge fund and private equity.

Enjoy!