The SnowballWarren Buffett and the Business of Life

An exhaustive, microscopic exploration of the quirky multibillionaire Oracle of Omaha
Eccentric multibillionaire Warren Buffett, who Forbes Magazine has labeled the richest man in the world, attributes his fortune to the idea that "Life is like a snowball. The important thing is finding wet snow and a really long hill." Certainly Buffett, known as The Oracle of Omaha, is a fiscal genius, and his ability to identify undervalued business is extraordinary. But Schroeder's microscopic scrutiny of his life — the first that he has authorized — makes clear that the man who became an entrepreneur at six, bought his first stock at ten and invested the profits of his teenage paper route in a Nebraska farm, also leavened each decision with uncommon doses of thriftiness and ingenuity.

Hardly a scandalous tell-all, Buffett's quirky personal life — the longtime mistress, penchant for eating Fritos for breakfast, and general disinterest in the trappings of his wealth — plays second fiddle to his unique business decisions, which line up like perfect puzzle pieces. With the economic crisis dominating world news, Buffett's storied career and encyclopedic knowledge of the stock market take on new importance, and Schroeder pays careful homage in particular to his recent hesitations surrounding government regulation of big business.

With the unprecedented gift of Buffett's cooperation (and seven years of access to him), Schroeder does fall victim to oversaturation of information — a good editor could easily have cut the book in half with the same results. Thankfully, the abridged audiobook, which still weighs in at almost 10 hours, culls the best of this goldmine of information, providing a more manageable look at this fascinating man.