Pump Up Your Book Chats with ‘Lesson from the Lemonade Stand’ author James Berman

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Lessons from the Lemonade Stand ABOUT LESSONS FROM THE LEMONADE STAND

Written for aspiring investors of all ages, Lessons from the Lemonade Stand explains everything you need to know in the context of that most classic of all American businesses: the corner lemonade stand.

Rooted in the fundamental truth that “common sense is the best investment tool,” the book slices important concepts into simple sections, sweetening them with folksy, easy-to-read language. The trials and tribulations of lemonade stand owner Lucinda highlight every concept from interest rates to retirement accounts to leverage. Learn investment basics as you follow Lucinda Lemonade Inc. along its sweet (and sometimes sour) journey as a start-up, from the squeeze of the first lemon to its initial private equity deal and its eventual foray into tech, all in the tidy town of Lemonville.

Entertaining and fun, Lessons from the Lemonade Stand supplies readers with the ingredients they need to become savvy investors.

Purchase Link:

AMAZON

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1. Who or what inspired you to become a writer?

I was always reading everything from the age of 5, both fiction and non-fiction. It was the best escape. Still is! Soon after I could read, I wanted to write. It was arrogant. In elementary school, I was writing small books. My readers then were my parents. Fortunately, they still are around to be readers.

2. How long did it take you to write Lessons from the Lemonade Stand?

It took a decade. When you have a day job, it’s not easy to find the time. The main obstacle was finally saying it was done.

3. You run into a bookstore, where do you go first?

The biography section. As a good friend of mine always says, “All autobiographies are fiction, and all biographies are nonfiction.” I prefer nonfiction.

4. How many books in a month do you tend to read?

Having a Kindle means I’m always reading many books at once. But I probably only finish one a month.

5. In all the books you’ve read, who is your favorite character and why?

King Lear is my favorite character because he has the ultimate blind spot. Like all of us, he cannot see the most important thing he needs to see, which in his case is the definition of true love. As a result, he suffers a tragic end. It’s a cautionary tale for everyone, and, strangely, has many lessons for the investor.

6. State 5 random facts about yourself.

My six year-old daughter is my boss.
My wife and daughter are my two best friends.
I am addicted to food and caffeine!
I love bike riding, reading, and the beach.
I love what I do for a living and am grateful to be able to say that.

7. Your favorite Genre?

I mostly read non-fiction, and it’s the particular topic of a book that draws me.

8. What are you currently reading?

One of the books I’m currently reading When Money Dies, by Adam Fergusson, which is about the hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic. It’s a sobering tale.

9. What is the best book you’ve read?

Devil Take the Hindmost, by Edward Chancellor. It is the best chronicle of market history I have ever read. It has influenced my investment strategy more than anything except reading Warren Buffett.

10. Any new projects coming up?

I am working on a sequel to Lessons from the Lemonade Stand that will focus on picking individual stocks.

 

ABOUT JAMES BERMAN

James Berman is the president and founder of JBGlobal.com LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm specializing in asset management for high-net-worth individuals and trusts. With over 16 years of experience managing client portfolios, Mr. Berman is a specialist in value investing and asset allocation. As the president of JBGlobal LLC, the general partner of the JBGlobal Fund LP, Mr. Berman manages a global equities fund that invests in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Mr. Berman is a faculty member in the Finance Department of NYU (SCPS Division), where he teaches corporate finance. He also serves as subadvisor to Eitan Ventures LLC, a venture capital fund based in New York.

Mr. Berman has appeared on CNBC, the Fox News Channel, the Cavuto Show, and the Fox Business Channel and is frequently published and quoted in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Fortune, Bloomberg, and CNN Money. As a regular blogger for the Huffington Post, he covers financial topics ranging from hedge funds to the economy. He writes a monthly interactive investment letter, the Berman Value Folio, a Forbes/Trefis publication.

Mr. Berman received a BA (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Harvard University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

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