Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

From the legendary vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, lessons in investment strategy, philanthropy, and living a rational and ethical life.

"A timeless classic that will change how you approach life. There is a billion-dollar education inside this book."—Shane Parrish, founder of Syrus Partners and Farnam Street

"Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up," Charles T. Munger advises in Poor Charlie’s Almanack. 

Originally published in 2005, this compendium of eleven talks delivered by the legendary Berkshire Hathaway vice-chairman between 1986 and 2007 has become a touchstone for a generation of investors and entrepreneurs seeking to absorb the enduring wit and wisdom of one of the great minds of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Poor Charlie’s Almanack draws on Munger’s encyclopedic knowledge of business, finance, history, philosophy, physics, and ethics—and more besides—to introduce the latticework of mental models that underpin his rational and rigorous approach to life, learning, and decision-making. Delivered with Munger’s characteristic sharp wit and rhetorical flair, it is an essential volume for any reader seeking to go to bed a little wiser than when they woke up.

Charles T. Munger (1924–2023) was an investor, businessman, and former real estate attorney. He was the vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, the multinational conglomerate controlled by Warren Buffett. He was chairman of Wesco Financial Corporation from 1984 to 2011. He was also chairman of the Daily Journal Corporation and a director of Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Peter D. Kaufman is the chairman and CEO of Glenair, Inc. He is a former director of Wesco Financial Corporation and Daily Journal Corporation. In 2005, he edited and published Poor Charlie’s Almanack, a compilation of talks given by his longtime friend Charlie Munger. He lives in California.

Warren E. Buffett is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.


John Collison is the cofounder and president of Stripe, which builds financial infrastructure for the internet.