Principles: Life and Work
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Principles: Life and Work Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ray Dalio (Author, Narrator), Jeremy Bobb (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 17,935 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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Ray Dalio, one of the world's most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he's developed, refined, and used over the past 40 years to create unique results in both life and business - and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.

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 has 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.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    16 hours and 5 minutes
  2. Author
    Ray Dalio
  3. Narrator
    Ray Dalio, see all
  4. Audible release date
    September 19, 2017
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Audio
  7. ASIN
    B074B2CZJG
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 16 hours and 5 minutes
Author Ray Dalio
Narrator Ray Dalio, Jeremy Bobb
Audible.com Release Date September 19, 2017
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B074B2CZJG
Best Sellers Rank #728 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#4 in Business Decision Making & Problem Solving
#10 in Introduction to Investing
#11 in Business Management (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
17,935 global ratings
An Enlightening Journey of Principles: Life and Work
5 Stars
An Enlightening Journey of Principles: Life and Work
I recently delved into the thought-provoking pages of "Principles: Life and Work" by Ray Dalio, and I must say it was an extraordinary reading experience. This book is a captivating guide that not only provides invaluable insights into the world of business and life but also inspires personal growth and introspection.From the moment I opened this book, I was instantly captivated by Dalio's unique storytelling style. He effortlessly combines personal anecdotes, practical examples, and profound wisdom to paint a comprehensive picture of how principles can shape our lives and impact our decision-making processes. His writing is clear, concise, and relatable, making complex concepts accessible to readers of all backgrounds.One aspect that truly stood out to me was Dalio's transparency and authenticity. He openly shares his successes, failures, and the lessons he learned along the way. This level of vulnerability creates a genuine connection with the reader and instills a sense of trust, making the book all the more impactful.What sets "Principles: Life and Work" apart is its practicality. Dalio doesn't simply present theories and ideas; he provides actionable steps to help readers apply these principles in their own lives. The exercises and reflection questions scattered throughout the book encourage self-reflection, promoting personal growth and the development of a principled mindset.Furthermore, the book is beautifully structured, making it easy to navigate and revisit specific sections. Whether you're seeking guidance on decision-making, leadership, or creating meaningful relationships, you can quickly find the relevant principles and insights.Reading "Principles: Life and Work" has undoubtedly transformed the way I approach challenges and make decisions in both my personal and professional life. It has equipped me with a framework to assess situations, embrace failures, and learn from them. I feel empowered to define and live by my own set of principles.In conclusion, "Principles: Life and Work" is a must-read for anyone seeking personal and professional growth. Ray Dalio's profound wisdom, combined with his practical approach, offers a transformative experience that will inspire readers to lead more principled lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone ready to embark on an enlightening journey of self-discovery and success.Disclaimer: I received this book as a customer, and my review is based on my personal reading experience.
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Top reviews from the United States

Ahammad Jassim
5.0 out of 5 stars An Enlightening Journey of Principles: Life and Work
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
I recently delved into the thought-provoking pages of "Principles: Life and Work" by Ray Dalio, and I must say it was an extraordinary reading experience. This book is a captivating guide that not only provides invaluable insights into the world of business and life but also inspires personal growth and introspection.

From the moment I opened this book, I was instantly captivated by Dalio's unique storytelling style. He effortlessly combines personal anecdotes, practical examples, and profound wisdom to paint a comprehensive picture of how principles can shape our lives and impact our decision-making processes. His writing is clear, concise, and relatable, making complex concepts accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

One aspect that truly stood out to me was Dalio's transparency and authenticity. He openly shares his successes, failures, and the lessons he learned along the way. This level of vulnerability creates a genuine connection with the reader and instills a sense of trust, making the book all the more impactful.

What sets "Principles: Life and Work" apart is its practicality. Dalio doesn't simply present theories and ideas; he provides actionable steps to help readers apply these principles in their own lives. The exercises and reflection questions scattered throughout the book encourage self-reflection, promoting personal growth and the development of a principled mindset.

Furthermore, the book is beautifully structured, making it easy to navigate and revisit specific sections. Whether you're seeking guidance on decision-making, leadership, or creating meaningful relationships, you can quickly find the relevant principles and insights.

Reading "Principles: Life and Work" has undoubtedly transformed the way I approach challenges and make decisions in both my personal and professional life. It has equipped me with a framework to assess situations, embrace failures, and learn from them. I feel empowered to define and live by my own set of principles.

In conclusion, "Principles: Life and Work" is a must-read for anyone seeking personal and professional growth. Ray Dalio's profound wisdom, combined with his practical approach, offers a transformative experience that will inspire readers to lead more principled lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone ready to embark on an enlightening journey of self-discovery and success.

Disclaimer: I received this book as a customer, and my review is based on my personal reading experience.
Customer image
Ahammad Jassim
5.0 out of 5 stars An Enlightening Journey of Principles: Life and Work
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2023
I recently delved into the thought-provoking pages of "Principles: Life and Work" by Ray Dalio, and I must say it was an extraordinary reading experience. This book is a captivating guide that not only provides invaluable insights into the world of business and life but also inspires personal growth and introspection.

From the moment I opened this book, I was instantly captivated by Dalio's unique storytelling style. He effortlessly combines personal anecdotes, practical examples, and profound wisdom to paint a comprehensive picture of how principles can shape our lives and impact our decision-making processes. His writing is clear, concise, and relatable, making complex concepts accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

One aspect that truly stood out to me was Dalio's transparency and authenticity. He openly shares his successes, failures, and the lessons he learned along the way. This level of vulnerability creates a genuine connection with the reader and instills a sense of trust, making the book all the more impactful.

What sets "Principles: Life and Work" apart is its practicality. Dalio doesn't simply present theories and ideas; he provides actionable steps to help readers apply these principles in their own lives. The exercises and reflection questions scattered throughout the book encourage self-reflection, promoting personal growth and the development of a principled mindset.

Furthermore, the book is beautifully structured, making it easy to navigate and revisit specific sections. Whether you're seeking guidance on decision-making, leadership, or creating meaningful relationships, you can quickly find the relevant principles and insights.

Reading "Principles: Life and Work" has undoubtedly transformed the way I approach challenges and make decisions in both my personal and professional life. It has equipped me with a framework to assess situations, embrace failures, and learn from them. I feel empowered to define and live by my own set of principles.

In conclusion, "Principles: Life and Work" is a must-read for anyone seeking personal and professional growth. Ray Dalio's profound wisdom, combined with his practical approach, offers a transformative experience that will inspire readers to lead more principled lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone ready to embark on an enlightening journey of self-discovery and success.

Disclaimer: I received this book as a customer, and my review is based on my personal reading experience.
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Robert Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible work!
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
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Great read! Long but it hits some major principles! Things I neglected to acknowledge or address personally!
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Ian Mann
4.0 out of 5 stars “My painful mistakes shifted me from having a perspective of ‘I ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2017
Verified Purchase
Whatever success I’ve had in life has had more to do with my knowing how to deal with my not knowing, than anything I know,” says Ray Dalio.
To put the author in perspective: his company was rated by Fortune magazine as the 5th most important private company in the U.S. Dalio himself, was rated by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Forbes rates him as the 100th wealthiest person in the world.
The book opens with an introduction to the man and his company, Bridgewater Associates, a US head-quartered, investment management firm. The firm consults to institutional clients such as pension funds, endowments, foundations, governments, and central banks.
What makes this company worth knowing about, and this book worth reading, is the way the company is run. The title comes from Dalio’s view that principles - fundamental truths that are the foundations for behaviour - will help you achieve what you want in your life and business - again and again.
The first part, a description of the vicissitudes in the fortunes of Bridgewater is a case study. “I learned my principles over a lifetime of making a lot of mistakes and spending a lot of time reflecting on them.” Dalio’s mistakes included one that forced him to reduce his company to one person – himself, and borrowing money to pay his living costs.
“My painful mistakes shifted me from having a perspective of ‘I know I’m right’ to having one of ‘How do I know I’m right?’”
This led him to the conclusion that it would be invaluable to reflect on decisions one makes, and then to write out the decision-making criteria. The result is being able to systematize your decision-making rather than having to relearn from recurring mistakes, again and again.
Dalio built his company on humility, open-mindedness and systematized, principle-based decisions.
The brilliant trader and investor Bernard Baruch explained: “If you are ready to give up everything else and study the whole history and background of the market and all principal companies whose stocks are on the board as carefully as a medical student studies anatomy—if you can do all that and in addition you have the cool nerves of a gambler, the sixth sense of a clairvoyant and the courage of a lion, you have a ghost of a chance.”
So, what are the principles that allow one to advise successfully in this complex arena? It starts with finding the smartest people who disagreed with you, and to try and understand their reasoning. This is 180 degrees from how almost all corporations operate. Their fundamental principle is consensus in a hierarchy of authority, where you succeed by knowing your place in the hierarchy, and having respect for your superiors.
Bridgewater is an idea-meritocracy – a company designed (the critical point) to ensure that the best idea wins.
To turn any company into an idea-meritocracy requires that you only employ people who want to be part of a mission (e.g. we sell well-priced fruit to those on a tight budget; we give the soundest advice to our clients, etc.) and not those who work for a paycheck.
Good people are not perfect people. Rather they learn from mistakes, record them so they can be learned from, and move on. “If a mistake happened and you logged it, you were okay. If you didn’t log it, you would be in deep trouble.” The error log was Bridgewater’s first management tool.
In an idea-meritocracy people put their honest thoughts on the table. There is thoughtful disagreement, and people are willing to shift their opinions as they learn. There are agreed-upon ways of deciding so that the people can move beyond them without resentments.
People cannot participate in the company productively if they didn’t know everything that is going on. Without the principle of transparency problems would be hidden instead of being resolved. To have a real idea-meritocracy, there must be transparency so that people can see things for themselves.
Why bother with this approach, which is VERY difficult to implement, and will require years of diligent minding to embed?
The answer will be clear if you answer these questions posed by Dalio. Would you prefer to have a company in which people are truthful and transparent, or one in which most people keep their real thoughts hidden? Would you prefer to have a company where problems, mistakes, weaknesses, and disagreements are brought to the surface and thoughtfully discussed, or where they are suppressed? Would you prefer a company in which the right to criticize is non-hierarchical, or one in which you don’t criticize upward – publicly?
Is the effort and discomfort worth it?
The most compelling reason to change the way a business operates, is to look at the financial benefits. Here is what the idea-meritocracy did for Bridgewater. In 2008 their flagship fund made over 14% in an awful year when many other investors recorded losses of more than 30%. In an economy still reeling, their returns were nearly 45% and 28% for their two ‘Pure Alpha’ funds, and 18% for their ‘All Weather’ fund.
Need I say more.

Readability Light ---+ Serious
Insights High +--- Low
Practical High +---- Low

*Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy, and is the author of the recently released ‘Executive Update.
73 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars A PERFECT COMPILATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR LIFE AND WORK
Reviewed in India on March 25, 2024
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This book is a Collector’s Delight. A wonderful account to be always kept on the work desk and to be referred for clearing challenges of both life and work. The idea meritocracy definition and how to use it can be written down and kept as a handy tool to fix things. Clear, concise and precise defines this book. Recommended for everyone to read and assimilate.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in Italy on February 27, 2024
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AndCesc
5.0 out of 5 stars The GOAT!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2023
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The chosen one for learning everything that you are not taught freely about the Principles of wealth creation and development. Still reading even though I have finished the book!! Countless excellent points and subsequent examples. A must read.
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