The one characteristic most important for success in speculation is self-esteem. Perhaps the most important rule for speculators: Dont get in over your head. Lesson: Information that seems to be completely fresh is often very stale. The book is filled with interesting bits of wisdom and told in a way that expresses an interesting life experience. According to the author: I quickly ran a $40,000 initial stake into $22 million. My technique was simple I pyramided and added to my holdings with my profits. To give the goddess of losses her due, however, she managed to take back an additional 45 percent of my winnings, leaving me with just 5 percent of my previous high to continue on my discovery.