Bizarre Books in My Basement

The holidays are a good time to read a good book. Nothing heavy, but just light entertainment. Over the years, I’ve collected books with strange and provocative titles.

I even have a book entitled “Bizarre Books,” by Russel Ash and Brian Lake.

Last August, I wrote a column based on the intriguing title, “The Courage to Be Disliked.” See Do You Have the Courage to Be Disliked? — Mark Skousen

What’s odd about the book is that it is written by two Japanese psychologists who want the reader to conform and not stand out as independent and different. They drew their philosophy from Alfred Adler (1880-1937), a contemporary competitor of Sigmund Freud. They have chapters with titles such as “Desire for recognition makes you unfree”… “You are not the center of the universe”… “Do not rebuke or praise”… And finally, “The courage to be normal.” Americans would never stand out if they followed their philosophy.

I recently purchased an old book entitled, “The Danger of Being a Gentleman,” by British socialist Harold Laski, published in 1939. It’s a sadistic critique of the English gentleman class. He warns, “The English gentleman must not concern himself with the sordid business of earning his living. He is allowed to cultivate hobbies, even eccentricities, but he must not practice a vocation… He should be quite unable to speak intelligible French or German… He should know nothing about political economy and less about how foreign countries are governed…” etc., etc.

In politics, I have a most intriguing title, “Overpaid, Oversexed, and Over Here,” about the American GI in World War II Britain. A hilarious bit of history.

Avoid Boring People

One of my favorite titles is by DNA discoverer and Nobel-Prize-winning biologist James D. Watson. It’s a memoir entitled “Avoid Boring People” — autographed by the genius himself. On its surface, it sounds arrogant, but then you have to ask yourself the question, “Is ‘boring’ an adjective or a verb?” Ah, there’s the rub. The title is a double entendre. If it’s an adjective, the title is arrogant. But if “boring” is a verb, it could be quite humbling: “Don’t bore people!”

It turns out that Watson uses it both ways.

Three Books in Row in the Bahamas

When my family and I lived in the Bahamas in 1984-86, there were quite a few books left in the rented house when we arrived. Curiously, we found three books right next to each other: “The Joy of Sex,” followed by “Open Marriage” and finally, “Creative Divorce.” An appropriate order, we thought.

Another book in my library has created some curiosity. When we had a party at our house, a friend came up to my wife and said, “I find the books in your library rather intriguing.” She pointed specifically to one book that she was afraid to open. The title was “Fun in Bed.” Jo Ann laughed. It was a book about puzzles and games to play when one is sick in bed.

Collecting Rare Financial Books With Clever Titles

I also like to collect rare financial books. Over the years, I’ve discovered many oddly or humorously titled books. Some of my favorites are:

• “I Like the Depression,” by Henry Ansley, “Jackass of the Plains,” an autobiography of a well-to-do businessman who was wiped out during the Great Depression and rediscovered his wife, friends, relatives, his dog and the things that really mattered in life. Not surprisingly, I have the first edition because it’s the only edition.
• “How to Retire Without Money,” by Bob Belmont. It takes the author 318 pages to explain his system. It might go well with another book, “Don’t Die Broke!,” by Melvin Jay Swartz.
• “How to Live Beyond Your Means,” by Margery Wilson, a delightful book on how to accomplish more with your limited means. It’s actually a serious book with several useful suggestions.
• “Wiped Out: How I Lost a Fortune in the Stock Market While the Averages Were Making New Highs,” by an Anonymous Investor (Simon & Schuster, 1966). A real-life story of a man who entrusted his father’s inheritance to irresponsible brokers and lost everything between 1957 and 1964, when the Dow rose 70%.

For my book, “The Maxims of Wall Street,” I wrote a short story that could be a book title: “I Make Money In My Sleep!” It’s actually possible. The secret formula can be found on pp. 185-188 of “the Maxims.” If you don’t have a copy, they are available at www.skousenbooks.com.

What Economist Deserves to Be the GOAT?

This just in: Deciding who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) is a popular debate in sports. Is it Michael Jordan in basketball? Lionel Messi in fútbol? Muhammed Ali in boxing? Babe Ruth in baseball? (In case you are wondering, the answer is “yes” in each category.)

Tyler Cowen and I in Seoul, Korea, in September 2022

Tyler Cowen, professor at George Mason University and co-publisher of the popular Marginal Revolution website, has come up with one of the most clever and entertaining ways to write a history of economic thought by selecting his favorite GOAT in economics. Is it old timers like Adam Smith, Karl Marx or John Maynard Keynes… or newcomers like Milton Friedman? Let the debate begin.

Spoiler Alert: I answer this question in my fun review here: Tyler Cowen’s GOAT (Barely) Misses the BOAT — MSKOUSEN.COM

I’m getting favorable responses — even Tyler Cowen says it’s “excellent.”

Upcoming Appearances

Orange County AAII Conference, Saturday, January 20, 2024: If you live in Southern California, please join me for my two-hour presentation on the outlook for stocks, commodities and real estate, 9-11 a.m. at the Center of Founder’s Village, 17967 Bushard Street, Fountain Valley, CA, 92708. Jim Woods, my co-editor of Fast Money Alert, plans to join me. Parking is free, but there is a $5 charge for attending this event sponsored by the Orange County chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors. For more information, go to the AAII Orange County Webpage. To confirm your attendance, email Stephanie at sdavis388@gmail.com.

I wish you all a most prosperous happy New Year!

You Nailed It!

My Daughter Does a Back Flip on Ice

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We celebrated with family and friends at our home in Florida. One of the highlights was watching our daughter, Hayley, perform as a professional ice skater at SeaWorld in Orlando. Watch her do a back flip (rare among female skaters):

Hayley Skousen back flipping in SeaWorld Orlando’s “Winter Wonderland on Ice” (youtube.com)

If you are in Orlando during the holidays, see her perform at SeaWorld through January 3, 2024.

Later this week, Jo Ann and I will be transitioning to our home in California, where we will be teaching at Chapman University in 2024.

Good investing, AEIOU,

Mark Skousen