Andrew's book gives you a great amount of information and all the stories that don't show up in other Buffett books or Berkshire Hathaway's annual reports. I loved this book and have several editions (each gets better as more info, pictures and stories are added).

This book, while it collects many unknown facts does not organize these facts into an easy reading format.

I purchased this book and DISCARDED it because I found it too unorganized to read. The author himself states that he wrote this as a shareholder-admirer and I find very little added value in this book. Read the annual reports and some of the other excellent books instead. You will never finish this book.

Andy Kilpatrick has updated his work entitled "of Permanent Value, The Story of Warren Buffett." As a stockbroker and writer, Kilpatrick collates many resources in writing this book. He interviews Buffett's friend and family, he quotes from Berkshire Hathaway annual reports and the famous Chairman letters, and he harvests data from the annual reports of companies which Buffett has owned. Kilpatrick proudly relays stories of the many hours he has pesonally spent with his hero, Warren Buffett. Buffett has told Kilpatrick that he "wishes him well, but not too well" because Buffett intends one day to write his own story. Apparently Buffett approves of Kilpatrick efforts since Buffett has met with the author several times after the 1994 edition of this same title. For a reader interested in learning about Warren Buffett this book is a great starting point and worth the purchase price. For the longtime student of Buffett's writings or to the richly rewarded Berkshire Hathaway shareholders this book offers much value. The story of Warren Buffett's success is amazing when learned for the first time and on rereading that story gets even richer. Andy Kilpatrick has retold that story with full and interesting detail.

I was attracted by the first edition of this book(in chinese). Really interesting.

So I bought this latest version.

This is a great book that adds detailed research not included in Warren Buffett's annual reports for Berkshire Hathaway.

Recommended highly!

Of Permanent Value: The Story Of Warren Buffett is a weighty tome will appeal to fans of financial wizard Warren Buffett, exploring his newfound popularity in wake of the latest stock market environment and exploring how Buffett began from scratch to form a business empire. Rises and falls blend with in-depth examinations of Buffett business philosophy and perspectives to pack in over 1400 pages of detail in a surprisingly lively read. Biography and business savvy makes for an intriguing blend, here.

I only only finished 77 pages of this book. It was by far the best book about Warren Buffett. I had read "The Warren Buffett's Way" and "Buffettology". Bill, a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder

Mathematically nothing can grow forever but Berkshire at least seems that way. And that is exactly what the Oracle of Omaha has created. A business model that few understand. It took me several years to understand this empire moulded and nurtured by few honest men with Warren Buffett at the helm. This book is part of my library because it gives all the details one would like to know about the company and the man who runs it. The Oracle is as honest as history of business has ever known.

This book is a gem and must be in every library of every business school on this planet and everyone who wants to know about Berkshire and Warren Buffett.

Mr. Kilpatrick goes into great detail on the life of Warren Buffett and his investment career. Starts from the beginning (Buffett Partnership) and goes up until approx. 1996. Has numerous stories of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders and the people who, in one way or another, had an impact on Berkshire Hathaway. Hope he writes another book like this one on Mr. Munger!

OK, let's get straight to the point about this one. If you haven't read any Buffett books before or, you have never profited from undervalued business by practicing value investing I suggest you read other Buffett books first (Roger Lowenstein's biography on Buffett is the one I'd urge you to get).

To those who are in contrast to the situation I've just described, this book is for keeps.

The book details Buffett's life and investment career. From his early days as a child to what he has now practically become, some guy who racked the best compounding record that the investment world has ever seen. There are particularly a lot of photos which you don't get from other Buffett books. For investment reasons, I don't hold any Berkshire stock, so I don't get to see him like most Buffett investors do (which explains my attraction to these photos). There are more conversation extracts, information on specific companies which Buffett invests in and their managers' relationship with Buffett.

You also get more details on his investment partnership... this info is probably the rarest of all. You know, like one related source once quoted, "Investing, is like marriage. You want to know about a lot of things: hair color, attitude, and a lot of other important details". So, to invest like Buffett, you want to know just as much, including trying to re-create the confidence he projected to himself and his partners, the attitude when making small and large purchases, the discipline that kept him away from bull markets and you know... I can go on forever.

For the record, this would rank as one of the BEST, at least, from my point of view. No doubt... and for reasons so fundamental as the need to be able to read and interpret financial statements and the rationality to avoid uncertainty when putting money in Wall St.

"My value investment reference would be less than whole without this book..." --Redza

ahmadredza@rocketmail.com