Book Review #59: The Autobiography of a Stock

Name: The Autobiography of a Stock
Author: Manoj Arora
No. of Pages: 308
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Jaico Books
Price: Rs. 399/- 
Published in: 2018

How did I get it?

From the publisher.

THE BLURB SAYS: 

Stocks are simple and powerful investment tools. But lack of knowledge, patience and faith make them a dangerous gamble. And so, the common man dreads entering the stock market when it should be an inseparable part of his portfolio. The Autobiography of a Stock takes a unique look at the problem - through the eyes of Mr. Stock. 

Gobind, a young man eager to invest, approaches Mr. Stock for help to guide him through the roller-coaster ride of buying a stock, holding on to it and finally exiting it in time. 

Join him on his exhilarating journey, complete with its soaring heights and dismal lows, in a real market scenario, with real stocks and real data. Learn with him as he discovers the 83 unforgettable lessons in the noisy world of stocks. Tried, tested and thoroughly practical, these lessons are stock market scripture that t returns but also long-term wealth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Manoj Arora is a gold medalist in engineering from AMU, Aligarh. In his career spanning more than two decades, he has worked for Fortune 500 organisations across the globe including IBM, L&T and TCS. An IT-professional-turned-author, he has to his credit multiple bestsellers on Dreams, Money and Happiness. Founder Trustee of Kalpavriksha – a tree plantation NGO, Manoj lives by his life’s mission to elevate the world around him.

MY THOUGHTS: 
The book is a guide to stock investing for an amateur  investor. It talks about the nomenclature commonly used in the stock market, the myths and misconceptions investors fall prey for and highlights 83 lessons which investors should remember while dealing in stock.

The book presents stock as the protagonist Mr. Stock, who takes sessions with potential and present investors and answers their queries and pushes them to think logically and mindfully when dealing with stock. He has a soft corner for Gobind who backs out from stock investing after burning his fingers in the stock market. Gobind seems to be the projection of the author himself.

When Gobind comes backs to Mr. Stock after several years, Mr. Stock takes Gobind under his wings and teaches him the art if stock selection and management, based on financial calculations and reasoning. When Gobind learns all that he has to learn, Mr. Stock leaves him on his own, but continues to guide him as a voice. Mr. Stock also makes him promise that he will not keep the acquired knowledge to himself but the spread the word to other potential stock investors in the world.

And by the way, Mr. Stock works in direct supervision of God Himself.

The book is a basic guide to ABC's of stock investing. The author explains things with simple examples like buying apples and investing in real estate, to which the readers can relate to. He urges investors to be patient, logical and not to be influenced by the environment quickly. He also tells to trust intuition. He also gives life lessons to be humble and not to greedy.

Overall, it is a decent and honest attempt to help confused and amateur investors. But I also found it to be over-dramatic at times and some feelings to be too repetitive.

I give "The Autobiography of a Stock"



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