Stay Calm
Learn to Embrace Uncertainty in Investing and Life
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Stay Calm
Narrated by:
Matt Godfrey
Buy Now for €15.99
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Narrated by:
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Matt Godfrey
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By:
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David Booth
Summary
From a pioneer of index investing comes a firsthand account of the quiet revolution that changed how the world invests, and the calm, practical lessons that can help anyone build true wealth.
David Booth grew up in Kansas with Depression-era parents who never trusted the stock market. Back then, investing was an insider’s game, one that rewarded Wall Street with high commissions for frequently buying and selling stocks for investors. Then, at the University of Chicago in the late 1960s, Booth found himself among a band of outsiders, led by Eugene Fama, “the father of modern finance,” whose research would turn investing from a game of speculation into a discipline grounded in evidence, diversification, and long-term thinking.
In Stay Calm, Booth shares his journey from Kansas shoe salesman to founder of a trillion-dollar investment firm, working alongside Nobel laureates including Fama, Merton Miller, Myron Scholes, and Robert Merton, and the stories behind the revolution they built.
Along the way, Booth distills 50 years of data and experience into a simple, calming philosophy:
- Stop trying to pick stocks or predict the market’s next move, and trust markets, not gurus.
- Use diversification, discipline, and patience to build a resilient, low-stress portfolio.
- Avoid the emotional traps that lead investors to buy high and sell low.
- Accept that uncertainty isn’t a danger to eliminate but a source of opportunity to embrace.
Through it all, he reflects on what true wealth really means, and how money can support a life of purpose, freedom, and meaning.
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Reviews
"A relaxed and friendly book anyone can read in a few sittings. It’s partly a memoir about [David Booth's] early years at the forefront of the index-fund revolution and partly a basic guide to lifelong buy-and-hold investing. ... Booth’s writing is soothing, and his overall message—investing is simply a bet on human innovation and progress—is a truism worth repeating. Young people, in particular, might benefit from reading it." (Jason Zweig, The Wall Street Journal)
"Success—in anything, from fitness to business to investing—comes from discipline and patience, not chasing shortcuts. David Booth, who is a visionary and a great friend, reminds us that staying calm, loving the process, and focusing on what we can control is the real path to lasting results. This book is about building strength the smart way—over time." (Arnold Schwarzenegger, longtime Dimensional shareholder )
"Booth is a keen observer who draws lessons from his experience as a young shoe salesman, a student, an early proponent of passive investing, and a founder, CEO, and Chairman of a successful money management firm. There are many takeaways. Most will help readers have a good investment experience. All will point readers toward a better life." (Kenneth French, Roth Family Distinguished Professor of Finance, Emeritus, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and Director at Dimensional )
"David Booth built one of the most successful investment firms in the world. He had a big idea, the right collaborators, and the discipline to trust evidence over instinct for five decades.
Stay Calm is the story that legends are created from. And David Booth is the rarest kind of person to learn it from: calm in all circumstances, brilliant, and always willing to try a better way." (Michael Ovitz, Co-Founder of Creative Artists Agency )
Stay Calm is the story that legends are created from. And David Booth is the rarest kind of person to learn it from: calm in all circumstances, brilliant, and always willing to try a better way." (Michael Ovitz, Co-Founder of Creative Artists Agency )
"From humble beginnings to global impact, this concise yet powerful memoir charts the extraordinary rise of David Booth. It is a story of entrepreneurial success and transformative philanthropy, set against the backdrop of the revolution in modern finance. By weaving together the pioneering history of the University of Chicago and Dimensional Fund Advisors with personal wisdom, David offers a rare, ringside view of an industry’s evolution—and the timeless lessons he learned along the way." (Madhav Rajan, Dean of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business )
"This is David Booth’s take on life and investing after a long history with both. It’s an interesting read and unlike most books of this sort, it’s also fun." (Eugene Fama, Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences and Director at Dimensional )
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