Bill Gross on Investing

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I waited anxiously to receive this book and I have to say regretably that I am totally disappointed. There is some useful information in it but it was written, IMO, as a theory as to what was going to happen in the final few years of the 20th century and Mr. Gross got it wrong. We saw the biggest rise and fall in the history of the market, not the 6 percent that Mr. Gross predicted. Rather than focusing so narrowly on what he believed was going to happen in a specific time period I was hoping for a general book and am disappointed because this book is dated.

Rating:
Summary: The World's Best Bond Fund Manager
Review: If you don't already know it, Bill Gross is arguably the best bond fund manager in the world. He manages one of the largest funds in the world through the Pacific Investment Management Company.

Although the book is titled "Bill Gross on Investing", it has a fair amount of emphasis on bonds. Bill Gross makes a case for investing in bonds as opposed to equities. He argues that we are now entering a different era which he calls the "Era of 6 Percent". And in this era we are not likely to see the kind of high-octane equities prices we have been accustomed to in the past 20 years. Hence, the case for bond investing.

Along the way, Bill Gross also teaches various concepts of investment which would be useful to the interested investor. In fact, it is his avowed goal of this book to make the reading of investment fun. His background as a former navy pilot and a former successful Las Vegas card-counting gambler also makes for an interesting read.

All in all, I found his views and approach refreshingly different from the many other books emphasising equities as the way to go. This book has made me more aware of bonds and the range, flexibility and versatility it can bring to one's investment portfolio.

For those interested in reading more about bond investing, I would also recommend The Bond Book by Annette Thau and Beating The Dow With Bonds by Michael B. O'Higgins.

Rating:
Summary: junk
Review: obviously i'm in the minority here, but i can't say that i learned anything from this book. he's a great bond fund manager, but imho he just doesn't convey any useful info in this book. his prose is fine, but i didn't learn a thing.

Rating:
Summary: junk
Review: obviously i'm in the minority here, but i can't say that i learned anything from this book. he's a great bond fund manager, but imho he just doesn't convey any useful info in this book. his prose is fine, but i didn't learn a thing.