Bedrock Investing Principles for Profiting in Today's Shaky Markets

If you wanted to create the next earth-shattering consumer product, Steve Jobs would be an ideal role model to follow. If you planned to become a great golfer, you might look to Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus.

So, if your goals are to outperform other investors and achieve your life's financial goals, what should you do?

Think, act, and invest like the best investor out there: Warren Buffett. While you can't invest exactly like he does, Think, Act, and Invest Like WarrenBuffett provides a solid, sensible investing approach based on Buffett's advice regarding investment strategies.

When it comes to investing, Director of Research for the BAM Alliance and CBS News blogger Larry Swedroe has pretty much seen it all--and he's come to the conclusion that simple is better, that adopting basic investing principles always increases an investor's chance of success, and that Buffett is an excellent model for such investing.

In Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett, Swedroe provides the foundational knowledge you need to:

• Develop a financial plan to help you make rational decisions on a consistent basis
• Determine the level of risk that's right for you, and allocate your assets accordingly
• Build a low-cost, tax-efficient, globally diversified portfolio
• Manage your portfolio by rebalancing periodically to maintain proper risk levels

The beauty of the Buffett approach is its profound simplicity: follow the basics, keep your cool, and have a sense of humor and humility.

The market volatility of recent years has ushered in armies of economists, forecasters, and other so-called experts whose job it is to explain how everything works. Somehow, they have managed to muddy the waters even more.

The truth is, investing is easier than you think--even in today's economy. "Complex problems can have simplesolutions," Swedroe writes. Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett helps you go back to the basics--so you can leap in front of the investing pack.

Praise for Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett

"A valuable addition to the growing library of books for investors wanting to successfully launch their own portfolio. Sticking to the core principles of this book will go a long way in preparing investors for their eventual retirement years." -- SeekingAlpha.com

“A book that offers excellent pointers on planning for retirement, creating a disciplined investment strategy, and constructing a portfolio.” -- Barron’s

"If you’ve been wondering why you've had such a hard time investing well, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett will diagnose your ills and treat them in this delightful short book." -- William Bernstein, Author, A Splendid Exchange and The Investor's Manifesto

"Follow the investment strategy advocated by Larry Swedroe, and free yourself to spend your time on life's treasures--like your family and friends!" -- William Reichenstein, Professor, Baylor University

"Larry Swedroe is the undisputed expert in helping investors manage portfolios the smart way. His new book, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett, combines all facets of wealth management in an inspiring and powerful manner." -- Bill Schultheis, Author, The New Coffeehouse Investor

“This book, which covers the whys and hows of successful investing, was written for those investors who just can't (or won't) read a 300-page investing book. Swedroe’s set of 30 rules is an education in itself. It's a small book with a big message.” -- Mel Lindauer, Forbes.com columnist and co-author, The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing and The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning

“You could not spend a more profitable hour than reading Larry Swedroe’s wise and lucid hundred page investment guide.” -- Burton G. Malkiel, Author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street

”Larry Swedroe is the Mark Twain of the investment aphorism. This concise book builds to a conclusion that features thirty of his pithy truths. My favorites include: ‘Never work with a commission-based advisor.’ ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it is.’ ‘The more complex the investment, the faster you should run away.’” -- Ed Tower, Professor of Economics at Duke University

”Larry’s book is about how to be successful in investing and in life. But, who would believe this involves understanding ‘Big Rocks’? I now understand their importance and so should you! -- John A. Haslem, Professor Emeritus of Finance, University of Maryland, and author of Mutual Funds

”Larry Swedroe's latest book shows you how to succeed at investing with simple yet powerful guidance that's backed by the financial sciences. Add it to your ‘must-read’ list.” -- Steve Vernon, author of Money for Life: Turn Your IRA and 401(k) Into a Lifetime Retirement Paycheck

“This book is a quick and thorough read of the passive approach to investing in as few pages as possible. As someone who teaches a college investments course that deals extensively with this topic, I would not have thought it possible to do what he has done in such a short concise book. Kudos to Larry for continuing in his quest to educate investors and save them as Larry says ‘one investor at a time’ from a financial services industry whose primary goal is largely to enrich themselves.” -- Edward R. Wolfe, Professor of Finance, Western Kentucky University

”Because common sense isn't so common, thank goodness Larry Swedroe provides his readers with this magnificent book. With well-founded actionable advice, his readers can insure that they enrich their lives not Wall Street's bank accounts.” -- Harold Evensky, President, Evensky & Katz

“Larry doesn't tell you how to do what Warren Buffett does as much as avoid what Warren Buffett avoids, which turns out to be exceptionally important and doable for any investor. He tells you to avoid a few things I would tell you to embrace, like some hedged strategies, but that is because Wall Street typically overcharges you for these, so even here Larry is on the side of the angels. Every investor can benefit immensely from this book.” -- Cliff Asness, Founding and Managing Principal, AQR Capital Management

"Many investment books adopt an adversarial tone--urging us to achieve success by somehow outwitting the market. Larry Swedroe explains why following such a strategy often diminishes our financial as well as our spiritual wealth--and shows us how a holistic approach to money, markets, and human behavior provides the most rewarding path to follow." -- Weston Wellington, Vice President, Dimensio