Free Capital

How 12 Private Investors Made Millions in the Stock

By: Guy Thomas

Narrated by: Norman Gilligan

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

Wouldn't life be better if you were free of the daily grind - the conventional job and boss - and instead succeeded or failed purely on the merits of your own investment choices? Free Capital is a window into this world.

Based on a series of interviews, it outlines the investing strategies, wisdom and lifestyles of 12 highly successful private investors. Each of them has accumulated £1m or more - in most cases considerably more - mainly from stock market investment.

Six are 'ISA millionaires' who have £1m or more in a tax-free ISA, a result which is arithmetically impossible without exceptional investment returns. Some have several academic degrees or strong City backgrounds; others left school with few qualifications and are entirely self-taught as investors. Some invest most of their money in very few shares and hold them for years at a time; others make dozens of trades every day, and hold them for at most a few hours. Some are inveterate networkers, who spend their day talking to managers at companies in which they invest; for others a share is just a symbol on a screen, and a price chart shows most of what they need to know to make their trading decisions.

Free capital - money surplus to immediate living expenses - is the raw material with which these investors work. It can also be thought of as their psychological habitat, free from the petty tribulations of office politics. Lastly, free capital describes the footloose nature of their assets, which can be quickly redirected towards any type of investment anywhere in the world, without the constraints which institutional investors often face.

Although it presents many advanced insights and valuable investment hints, this is not an overly technical book. It offers practical ideas and inspiration, with revealing detail and minimal jargon, making it an indispensable read for novice and experienced investors alike.

©2011 Harriman House (P)2013 Prospero Media

poor for today

In short a not so good narration and not much take as some details discussed is out of date. If you have the patience, go for it.

Relatively interesting but dated

An interesting insight into different investors' mindsets (and particularly notable is how each investor succeeded in different ways, though shared common traits of discipline and learning from mistakes). However, some of the advice is dated and could do with refreshing (particularly regarding internet research). Also, the narration has a curious intonation to it that made me sometimes think it had been dictated by speech synthesis software rather than a real person. *Edit - I've just done a straw poll of my family and they all agree it's dictated by a computer. Slightly cheeky of Audible not to make this clear*

Not a patch on the Market Wizards books.

I like interviews with traders and investors, this however is not a classic of the genre. The people featured are interesting enough, and there are a few gems that bear listening to, but this isn't really a set of interviews so much as a rather dull profiling of mostly anonymous individuals, with only the occasional insight into their methods and personalities.

The lack of either detail or colour is made worse by the narration: which is stiff, mechanical and lifeless.

Magnificent

A very interesting and honest review about investing. Opened my eyes to possibilities. Learnt alot.

Packed full of value from start to finish!

This book is excellent from start to finish. I think it is essential listening/reading for any investor, whether just starting or seasoned and looking to understand their approach.