Learning new things
I remember the taste of the ash in the air as the buildings burned and people lost their businesses during the Rodney King Riots.
I remember walking down the street and having a shot gun pointed at me by the owner of the liquor store (corner store) as I walked in, cause he was scared he would lose everything from looting.
That summer, it wasn’t safe.
In fact, the National Guard was called in and there was a curfew enacted.
So, my Mom decided that my brother and I should stay in the house to stay out of trouble.
However what was two young kids going to do in a house all day?
Well it turns out, there was an entire world in that house. We just had to open a book to discover it.
Earlier that summer, my grandmother as she often did, bought some stuff off of finger hut.
One of those things was a complete volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica.
My Brother and I, likely after getting in trouble and being sent to our room, found those books, and its many topics, and began reading.
What I discovered then, is that books were the key to me learning something new.
That thought, stuck with me all throughout childhood, the Naval Academy, med school, and persists even today.
If I need to learn something new, I look for any and all books I can read to start my learning process.
Today, I still turn to books, however I include an additional source, thanks to a friend of mine.
SSRN has been a God-send for someone like me, who loves learning.
There is troves of research articles on different styles of investing, financial planning, etc.
Oh and the best part?
IT’S FREE!
So these days, I often think of a question I have about finance, then I go search the site for papers that can help me find the answer or gain a better understanding of the topic.
SSRN has been great for me. Hopefully it can be great for you as well.