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  • Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life
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Customer reviews

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Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life

Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life

byJohn C. Bogle
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Top positive review

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David C. Fischer
5.0 out of 5 starsAgreeing with Tom Peters, "best business book I have ever read..."
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on March 16, 2021
Bogle wrote Enough in the midst of the 2008 Financial Crisis. I had always been quick to read new Bogle books, but was particularly interested in his take on the Crisis, and especially the character changes in society that enabled it. I read it for the first time within a month of it coming out.

Bogle has been my hero for a long time. I had the good fortune to spend one and a half hours with him in his office in Malvern in 2014 and to do a podcast interview of him in 2015. The world lost its greatest steward of investment wealth with his passing in 2019.

Recently I read a wealth advisorโ€™s blog on his commentaries on โ€œenoughโ€. I liked the authorโ€™s viewpoints, remembering how it sounded a lot like Bogle. I said, โ€œTime to re-read Enoughโ€.

I have now read this book maybe five times. Agreeing with Tom Peters in the Prologue, โ€œthis is the best business book Iโ€™ve ever read, and as good a primer on life as Iโ€™ve read as well.โ€

I sought out my previously read copy with its copious highlighting and dog-eared pages. Could not find it. Must have loaned it to a friend. Fortunately, I had another copy on the shelf (I have given this book out a lot over the years!).

When I read, I highlight copiously, yet reserve a โ€œdog-earโ€ for a page that I find especially insightful. This aids in a quick review of a book--go back a re-read only the turned-over-corner pages. On this reading, I dog-eared eight pages. For this review, I thought I would give a sentence or two on each of these special pages from this most-recent reading.

#1 p. 31 (2010 edition, paperback)
Relates quote from Warren Buffett partner, Charlie Munger, who laments so much โ€œethical young brain powerโ€ going into finance when they could be distinguished by work โ€œproviding much more value to othersโ€. Bogle precedes this with โ€œfar too many of us seemingly no longer make anything; weโ€™re merely trading pieces of paperโ€.

#2 p. 85
His commentary on โ€œFundamental Indexingโ€, that branch of money managers who recommend you not weight portfolios by market cap, but by using โ€œfactorsโ€ such as book value, market cap, earnings, etc. He comments that it is not appropriate to say, โ€œvalue investing winsโ€ when we observe value outperforming in the past. Bogle is consistent here and in all his writings that winning investment performance in the past creates high valuations, making it less likely to win in the future. (This is exactly what has happened to value and many other โ€œfactorโ€ approaches since 2008!)

#3. p. 115
This is how Bogle begins his section entitled โ€œThe Spirit of Trustโ€. โ€œMy faith in trust goes back to the Golden Rule. We are, after all, implored in the Bible to love our neighborsโ€ฆโ€ Bogleโ€™s integrity is so high, I am eager to learn of his inspiration and underpinnings. As a Christian, I love that he finds deep truth in the Bible.

#4 p. 123
This is early on in the chapter โ€œToo Much Business Conduct, Not Enough Professional Conductโ€. Bogle relays how in times past, a โ€œprofessionalโ€ was someone who was out to do good in the world. Think physician, teacher, attorney, engineer, architect. In todayโ€™s age of focus on money, Bogle sees all the professions tempted more by โ€œdoing good for meโ€. He suggests trustees of โ€œother peopleโ€™s moneyโ€ are professionals too, but he is not seeing the fruit of it. Bogle writes: โ€œHarvard Business School professor Rakesh Khurana was right on the mark when he defined the conduct of a true professional with these words: โ€˜I will create value for society, rather than extract it.โ€™โ€

#5 p. 183
Relates a summary of the book and film, A Civil Action. The story is of corporate-caused water pollution causing multiple leukemia cases in a Massachusetts town. The attorney working for the injured has a transformed life so much so that he loses all his personal wealth in the legal fight. This is to such an extent that the attorneyโ€™s bankruptcy judges asks, โ€œWhere are the things by which one measures oneโ€™s life?โ€ Bogle ends this mini-review reminded of one of his favorite hymns: God of Grace and God of Glory.
He finally inspired me to watch this movie for the first time! It is powerful.

#6 p. 190.
Another reference to his religious foundations:
โ€œI am not at all embarrassed to mention the constructive role of religion in fostering these higher valuesโ€ฆthe virtues of the Golden Rule, and standards of conduct that parallel the Ten Commandments. We thrive as human beings and as families not by what faith we happen to hold, but by having faith, faith in something far greater than ourselves.โ€

#7 p. 196
Relates the popular T. S. Eliot quote that I love so much:
โ€œWhere is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Bring us farther from God and nearer to the Dustโ€

#8 p. 224
In the chapter โ€œNot Enough Characterโ€, he gets personal and vulnerable. No doubt, Bogle achieved success and significance in his life. Yet, he is human, and we all at times struggle with our worth.
Excerpt: โ€œMost of us should not have to spend much time wondering whether the rabbits we are chasing are real or falseโ€ฆYet in the quiet of the evening and sometime loneliness of the soul, many of those who shouldnโ€™t need to wonder about the value of hard work and life well lived doubtless do exactly that. โ€ฆ (Perhaps it will surprise you to learn that I do a lot of lonely wondering about the worth of my own life and career)โ€ฆ.Weโ€™ll be better human beings and achieve greater things if we challenge ourselves to pursue careers that create value for societyโ€”with personal wealth not as the goal, but as the by-product.โ€

I thoroughly benefitted from my re-read of Enough. I hope to find my earlier dog-eared version to compare the differences in my special pages then v. now.
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15 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›
jgarch
3.0 out of 5 starsIt's just "ok", I would not go out of my way to read this book
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on August 8, 2021
First of all, John Bogle is a great American and I consider myself a proponent of his investing strategy. I have read other books of his, and this one disappointed me. Why? Because it repeats themes in the other books I have read and is so basic and common sense, that I found myself perpetually waiting for something profound to pop-up. I cant believe the introduction raves about what a special book this is, the only reason I am glad I read it, is I was curious about the book for so long, I got that out of the way. I toyed with giving it two stars, but out of admiration for John Bogle, I gave it "3". Keep your expectations in check if you purchase this book, it is not so much about having "Enough" in life, as it is about loosely coupled themes centered around morality, values and finance.
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From the United States

David
2.0 out of 5 stars Great business philosophy. Tiresome prose.
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on May 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Iโ€™ll be frank because heโ€™s dead and wonโ€™t read this:

JB was a business genius, but a mediocre writer. Nothing he wrote was especially objectionable and I probably agree with him on 90% of his positions, but the whole thing felt disjointed and didnโ€™t move properly. I got a good sense of the manโ€ฆ and learned that heโ€™s the type of author I would trust with my money. And thatโ€™s fine.
3 people found this helpful
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Gavriel Koretz
2.0 out of 5 stars Not an easy read, and not because the topic is complicated.
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on March 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
I managed to get through half until I gave up. The language is almost academic and not fun to read. Need a dictionary near by
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Kindle Customer Y
2.0 out of 5 stars Too long for the bottom lines
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on March 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
The book felt like a self admiration.
Nevertheless, it could be enough to understand the main points in a few pages and stories.
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Me
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed.
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Bogle is great, yet this is pie in the sky dreaming. This utopia ain't gonna happen.
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EBJ
2.0 out of 5 stars very poorly written
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on July 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
lots of short 'evaluations' by his friends, but nothing very well described by Bogel himself. I don't recommend this book.
One person found this helpful
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Mediahound ๐ŸŽง
VINE VOICE
2.0 out of 5 stars A dull read, didn't learn a whole lot
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on April 1, 2012
Verified Purchase
While I admire John Bogle immensely and have been a member of Vanguard for more years than I care to count, I regret my purchase of this book.

Simply, I found the narrative a bit dull and unfortunately, didn't really learn anything from this book.
5 people found this helpful
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James M
2.0 out of 5 stars Pages warped.
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on April 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have not read this book yet. But when received the hard back portion looked new but all of the pages inside are warped and appear to be different paper. Very disappointed at the quality provided for a new book.
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Shane Ellis
2.0 out of 5 stars Repetitive and boring. A better book to read by Bogle
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
I had enough of this book after the first couple chapters. Repetitive and boring. A better book to read by Bogle, is his little book on common sense investing.
4 people found this helpful
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dusty
2.0 out of 5 stars Old man yammers on and on about the evils of ...
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on February 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
Old man yammers on and on about the evils of modern finance while trying to sell you Vanguard index funds
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Rob Azarcon
2.0 out of 5 stars Meh, I've read many books on personal finance. ...
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
Meh, I've read many books on personal finance. The message isn't one I haven't heard before. Maybe if I read it first.
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