Principles: Life and Work
Written by Ray Dalio
Narrated by Ray Dalio and Jeremy Bobb
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success.
In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve.
Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.
Editor's Note
Hit your goals…
You’re not maximizing your potential. Turn that potential into reality with these proven tools for decision-making, conquering challenges, and building strong teams from “the Steve Jobs of investing.” You won’t get his innovative advice from conventional business guides.
Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio is Founder, Co-CIO and Member of the Bridgewater Board, which, over the last forty years, has become the largest and best-performing hedge fund in the world. Dalio has appeared on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as the Bloomberg Markets list of the 50 most influential people. He is also #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles, Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises, and Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order. He lives with his family in Connecticut.
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Reviews for Principles
1,515 ratings113 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a practical and relatable guide for business owners and entrepreneurs. The book provides valuable principles and insights based on decades of experience and data. While some reviewers found the book to be too long and repetitive, overall it is considered a game changer and highly recommended for anyone in business. The clear narration and engaging content make it an enlightening and inspiring read. Despite some minor flaws, this book offers valuable lessons and a new approach to life and work situations.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The audio that I listened, here, was very clear and grammatically correct. Principles do play very important roles in our lives in order to build reliable, trust worthy and rewarding relationships both in terms of being religious and political.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5It gets redundant. Some of it was good. Very lengthy.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I got the audio book because I thought it was going to give me insights on how to invest. It was more about how to run and manage your business. It’s really because it gives you a way of looking at life and how to apply it like a business.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A must read. Will definitely get the actual book ... it's really that good.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Useful advices and some interesting thoughts, but felt like too much unnecessary details or statements made it hard to focus on main points
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book has lots of great concepts and ideas, but tends toward repetitiveness.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the best book i ever listened to. I will listen to it a 2nd time. It was that good.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent! I will listen to this audio again. I will purchase the book.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The book starts off with lots on inspiration as Ray details his journey and principles. A third of the way in the beat changes and it becomes verbose and lacking as the focus turns to the management of staff and loses its way. In essence, there are two separate books here. The first one is great, the second not so much.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book really made me rethink how I organise my life.
From decision making,
To dealing with inevitable problems.
How I view challenges.
And so much more.
However, it’s also a lot of information to digest.
So one reading is definitely not enough.
I believe this is one of those books that deserves repeated reading for life.
Thank you Ray!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5could be much better if less repetitive, marketing company and self
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Overall, very good advice. Each time I read this, I discover new gems. Most inspiring is that Ray Dalio lost everything due to mistakes. He used that as motivation to become who and what he is. I think the book is a bit overkill with overlapping principals. I like examples and anecdotes to anchor the messages. Worth reading...and implementing: transparency and accountability with meritocracy as a backdrop elliminates emotions, politics and clicks.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Outstanding collection of thorough meaningfull insights in which combined will sustain success
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5This book is a joke. It was written by a ghost writer. When published it just didn’t get the recognition and reviews. Firstly on Amazon. So they started to pour money into promoting it like the new “48 laws of power”. Again it didn’t work the first time. So they poured even more money into the promo. Then it helped. Now I see it being it a number 4. I guess they spent more on the promotion that they made out the earnings. The whole thing seems to me like some ego driven desire to be a successful writer. The contents of the book are worth a discussion about life with some stranger in an elevator. Save your time.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A great book by Ray Dalio. The book deeply explains how he operated throughout his thoughts process.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nice, good principles but a bit overwhelming. I would have rather more details explanation on a shorter number of principles…
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Arrogant, boring, impractical. Dropped after 2nd hour. 1 2 3
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great book and great content. Maybe audio is not the best format to absorb in full and make the necessary conections to take full advantage of the wisdom distilled here.
Also, this methodology is probably not suitable for everyone, as Dalio claims. Still very useful. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow ! undeniable inspiring and interesting book, shout out to ray Dalio, much respect man !
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Best app &book. Just loved it thanks very much .
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Principles is a treasure trove. Lots of very valuable lessons that I will definitely apply!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It’s a game changer! Highly recommend for entrepreneurs and management teams.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Loved the no nonsense style of narration and content. Like the clear thinking thought process of Ray and sharing what he has learnt from life and what worked for him. Definitely provides a lot to reflect on and figure out what works for each of us.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is something really useful for me since I am not really good in working with other people. It contains everything that I need to know to be successful once I start working with others. Ray Dalio shared everything to his readers in order to succeed in life. Most of what is said is something that I have never encountered before, that's why I was never good enough with people. His principles have changed my perspective in life and in being a true leader.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very comprehensive advise based on decades of experience and data.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Effective management book well written and narrated by one of the greatest game changers of our time. A must for everyone in business!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing book. Will definitely listen to the audiobook again and again. Way more informative and intellectual than I had imagined.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very dense and probably best to buy that hard copy as a reference to building out your systems!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An absolutely enlightening listen/read.
Ray Dalio's way of thinking, management style and approach to life are all very interesting and a model for living a fulfilling life. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5a must recommend book to listen. So much lessons to learn about life especially to each and everyone's principles. I was taking down some notes while listening.