So Far So Good the First 94 Years

The tone of Neuberger's autobiography, written with freelancers Alfred and Roma Connable, is distancing and offers little insight concerning his thoughts and actions: he doesn't explain why he considers someone to be a ""good"" person, for example, or how he misdiagnosed the potential worth of a stock like Coca-Cola. The man who founded the Neuberger & Berman money management firm in 1940 doesn't offer great financial advice, either: before you invest, ""analyze the companies closely"" is typical. And it is unlikely readers will come away remembering much about the way Neuberger assembled a valuable collection of American art. The main appeal of this book stems from his Wall Street perspective as he recalls events from just before the crash of 1929 to today. He writes, ""On my wedding day, June 29, 1932, the Dow Jones average dipped to 42, the lowest average in Wall Street history, before or since."" Today the Dow hovers around 8000. When you have been around this long, Neuberger notes, you tend not to be taken in by fads and realize that profiting on every dollar is not possible. That advice alone could serve many well. (Oct.)