Dear Mr. Buffett

we got to where we are is of value, and Janet Tavakoli is nothing if not a good writer on those points.There is a second theme -- how a derivatives expert came to appreciate value investing. After all, when short term investing is focused on a variety of arbitrage situations, why not think long, and look for long term capital appreciation?I heartily recommend this book. One reading this will understand our current crisis very well, and will gain in his understanding of how our markets work. That said, the virtues of the book do not come from Mr. Buffett, but from one who intelligently admires his views on derivatives and other matters."--David Merkel, CFA, The Aleph Blog'Dear Mr Buffett' is, like its author, strongly, often harshly, and, more than rarely, tartly, opinionated. The attitude is, however, well-supported by the facts; should anyone ever display the slightest interest in criminalizing the criminals who led us down this path, a prosecutor could do worse than ordering up copies for the grand jury.One thing the world is not going to run out any time soon is books on subprime credit-turned-global financial meltdown. But it's doubtful that many, or any, will so closely match the ripping yarn of financial upset with concepts that any -- and perhaps every -- investor can apply to their own financial security. This book was already at the printer when the Madoff Maelstrom broke, but it's highly doubtful that anybody who absorbs the message of 'Dear Mr Buffett' will ever need confront that kind of mayhem.--Seeking Alpha, Greg NewtonJanet Tavakoli's Dear Mr. Buffett is an unusual amalgam of a simple, personal story and a complex, public one...The promise of this tantalizing morsel will draw buyers in. But readers will find much more than another book on Warren Buffett...Tavakoli's book chronicles the words and deeds of people who dealt in derivatives without knowing - and often without caring - what that relationship was. Some will call her book a morality tale. I call it a rationality tale.-- Seeking Alpha, Geoff GannonMs. Tavakoli uses her letters and relationship with Warren Buffett as an homage to Buffett's ability to distill the basic essence of complex matters into simple facts of money and value...For Dear Mr. Buffett, she has opted for a simple approach to tell the tale of actors gone bad and trust abused at many levels. This book is an accessible popularization of the issues, and as such no heavy securitization math etc. to deal with. I agree with this approach as the story needs to get out to as many as possible. --Seeking Alpha, Nick Gogerty". . . isn't yet another book about Buffett's career. Rather it's Tavakoli's withering critique of just about anyone who had anything to do with inflating the housing bubble. . . Tavakoli contrasts that behavior with the way Buffett runs Berkshire Hathaway. . . an excellent summary of the factors that led to the historic boom and bust. . . easy to read at 224 pages. . . overall a good book that offers excellent insight into the recent fiasco." --Bill Freehling, The Free Lance-Star