Story of a Stockpicker

Books peddling stocks and investment advice are a dime a dozen, but One Up On Wall Street is different because the legendary Peter Lynch explains his own investment philosophy and process.

- Sukanta Kundu

While books peddling investment advice are a dime a dozen, few really make investing easy for the layperson. However, Peter Lynch’s ‘One up on Wall Street’ is different in that it tells stories. The author, famous as the manager of Fidelity Magellan Fund, takes the reader through his own investment philosophy and process while explaining the stock market.

Trading in stocks requires us to understand financial jargon (short- selling, dividends, margin call, switch funds, etc), which can put-off the common reader if not explained clearly. However, Lynch pulls it off quite easily, using metaphors and anecdotes to get the message to readers. Sample this: “A great patient’s drug is one that cures an affliction once and for all, but a great investor’s drug is one that the patient has to keep buying.” The author also coins words like “tenbaggers” (where a stock’s price rises 10x from initial levels) which are widely used even now.