Margin of Safety by Seth A. Klarman Summary
Overview of Margin of Safety
Klarman's legendary 1991 value investing guide - once a "flop" with just 5,000 copies printed - now sells for $2,500 per copy. This cult classic outlines risk-averse strategies that sophisticated investors consider more accessible than Graham's own "Intelligent Investor."
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Key takeaways
When Everyone's Chasing Returns, Smart Money Protects Capital
Here's a curious paradox: a 1991 investment book that's never been reprinted sells for thousands of dollars on the secondhand market. Warren Buffett keeps it on his shelf. Hedge fund titans consider it required reading. What makes Seth Klarman's "Margin of Safety" so valuable isn't a secret formula for beating the market - it's something far more radical. It argues that your primary goal shouldn't be making money at all. It should be not losing it. In a world obsessed with returns, this focus on risk feels almost subversive. Yet it's precisely this counterintuitive wisdom that has allowed value investors to sleep soundly through market crashes that devastated everyone else. Warren Buffett's first rule of investing is "Don't lose money," and his second rule is "Never forget the first rule." Loss avoidance should be every investor's primary goal - not avoiding all risk, but protecting principal over time. The mathematics of compounding make this crucial: even modest returns compound dramatically over decades, while a single large loss can destroy years of gains.
Investment Versus Speculation and Understanding Mr. Market's Moods
Wall Street's Conflicts and the Institutional Performance Trap
Building Your Margin of Safety Through Disciplined Valuation
Finding Bargains in Liquidations, Spinoffs, and Overlooked Situations
The Psychology That Drives Success and Failure
Portfolio Management and the Discipline of Continuous Decision-Making
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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