Investment Secrets from Pimco's Bill Gross

When you think of bond trading, what adjectives come to mind? Dull? Boring? Stagnant? All of the above? You're not alone. Stocks and, to a lesser degree, mutual funds tend to rule the roost as far as excitement is concerned in the world of investing. Your image of the dull bond market may change after reading this biography of the man who created the Pacific Investment Company, Bill Gross. Bill Gross has become the most respected man in the bond market, probably the most famous bond trader to date. Not only will you get his philosophy on trading and the market, but you'll learn how he arrived where he is today. From a high school entrepreneur, a mechanical engineer, a writer of code for Lotus, a professional blackjack player, and a stint in the Navy -- it all makes for very fascinating reading. After reading this, I have a new respect for the man and a new appreciation for the bond market. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about the financial markets, as well as insight into the mind of a financial genius. You'll never view the bond market the same way after reading this!

Even after 17 years as a financial journalist, I knew precious little about Bill Gross, one of this country's richest men and greatest investors. Yes, I knew that Gross was the acknowledged king of the bond market, the Warren Buffet of the fixed-income set. But I had little appreciation for the scope or scale of his accomplishments or the methodology behind them. Thanks to this entertaining book from Timothy Middleton, a former colleague of mine at Dow Jones, I now consider my education more complete. "The Bond King" is fun reading, and, for the value-conscious, three books in one: a lively personality profile that benefits from Middleton's behind-the-scenes access to Gross over the course of nine months of research, a primer on the bond market, and a how-to manual for anyone interested in trying to mimic Gross's success. For good measure, the book also includes portraits of three legendary investors who influenced Gross's career: speculators Jessie Livermore and Bernard Baruch, and financier J. Pierpont Morgan. While reading "The Bond King" may not make you an all-star bond investor--for that, you'd need not just Gross's recipe but also his genius--it will make you a better bond investor. And if you just want to know more about a man who will go down as one of the legendary investors of our era, "The Bond King" is a perfect read for the beach this summer.

I've been a Bill Gross fan for a long time, and this book really provides terrific insights into what makes the man tick and what makes his investing style so successful. I've caught glimpses of both those things in a handful of magazine articles over the years, but this book paints the whole picture. I have long believed that bonds should play an important role in any investor's portfolio, but I felt like I was howling into the wind through the late '90s. The stock market collapse was reality's slap in the face for a lot of "equity-heads." Now that investors are coming back to their senses and embracing the virtues of a truly balanced portfolio, this book should be an essential part of their investing library. Middleton does a good job not only of showing us what makes Bill Gross tick, but more importantly showing us what makes his bond investing strategies work so well.

Tim Middleton's almost epic tale about Bond King Bill Gross is entertaining, enlightening and, dare I say it, engrossing! At the tail end of a 20-year bull market in bonds, it's worth noting that Gross is one of the few managers with the gumption to have issued a warning that the good old days may be about over. How many fund managers actually warn you NOT to buy their funds? That's honesty. I recommend you read this book to find out what makes this guy so honest, so rich, and so worth listening to.