Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I learned the basics of money management from Geoff Raymond, who ran the investment division at Texas Commerce Bank in Houston. He was a very deliberate person, and he believed in human-to-human contact rather than numbers to gauge a company’s future performance. #2 I was very nervous about visiting the offices of Global Marine, a company I was considering buying. I was worried about the company's cyclical nature, and whether or not I could predict the bottom of a downturn. I decided to wait and buy it on the way up at $7 or $10. #3 The oil services industry unraveled in Houston in the early 1980s, and utilization dropped from 70 percent to 25 percent. Global Marine’s stock was trading under $1 by mid-1985. #4 People often learn from history, but only the recent past. They forget that the past is not a reliable predictor of the future. Investors frequently fail to look beyond the recent past, and this has gotten them into trouble.