The Late Summer Reading Guide (Our Third Annual)
Author: The editor's desk
September 6, 2022
AGF’s investment management team is big on facts, but no surprise there. Managing money for a living should demand nothing less in the current age of hyped-up communications and information overload.
Still, when the workday is over, a well-written fiction can be a welcome reprieve from the more serious side to life. Here are four tall tales (and one not tall at all) that some members of the team have made dog-eared from reading so much or so fast over the past few years.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
A modern classic first published in 1979, HG2G – as some people call it – may be the perfect read for anyone wanting a temporary escape from the world we live in. Not only is it funny, it is also profound and reminds those who read it of the trivial role we play in the grand scheme of the universe as inhabitants of the “utterly insignificant little blue green planet.” Best character? The ridiculously cynical but still lovable Marvin the Paranoid Android.
Tingting Lu, Associate Portfolio Manager, AGF Investments Inc.
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
This historical fiction tells the story of five families before, during, and right after World War I. It starts with a 13-year-old Welsh boy entering the mining pits, then moves to the fight for women’s suffrage in Great Britain, the Russian Revolution and finally The Great War and its aftermath. Full of geopolitical tension and intrigue, even those who don’t normally read history novels will no doubt find it enjoyable.
Lei Wan, Associate Portfolio Manager, AGF Investments Inc.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Titled Hamnet and Judith in some countries, this fiction tells the story of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway’s son Hamnet, who died at age 11 in 1596 and was the inspiration for Hamlet, one of his father’s most famous plays. But more than that, this book is about a marriage in the grip of tragedy and the impact that grief and loss have on our personal lives and artistic pursuits. “She, like all mothers, constantly casts out her thoughts, like fishing lines, towards her children, reminding herself of where they are, what they are doing, how they fare.”
Regina Chi, Vice-President and Portfolio Manager, AGF Investments Inc.
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
If you’re looking for a good example of the adage, “the book is better”, this popular Scandinavian noir is it. The plot is simple – but twisted – and begins with the disappearance of a young boy’s mother following the first snowfall of the year. The only clue? A pink scarf tied around the neck of a snowman that inexplicably appeared earlier in the day. A great read for anyone who likes mysteries. Just don’t go see the movie.
Wyeth Wright, Global Equity Analyst, AGF Investments Inc.
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
For something that may be stranger than fiction, this book about public shaming features real-life stories of people whose lives are changed in the aftermath of a social media pile on and how they dealt with the fallout. A great insight into a phenomenon that has become prevalent in today’s culture.
John Farrell, Operations Governance Manager, Trading, AGF Investments Inc.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of AGF, its subsidiaries or any of its affiliated companies, funds, or investment strategies.
The commentaries contained herein are provided as a general source of information based on information available as of September 2, 2022, and are not intended to be comprehensive investment advice applicable to the circumstances of the individual. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in these commentaries at the time of publication, however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Market conditions may change and AGF Investments accepts no responsibility for individual investment decisions arising from the use or reliance on the information contained here.
AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). AGFA and AGFUS are registered advisors in the U.S. AGFI is registered as a portfolio manager across Canadian securities commissions. AGFIA is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. The subsidiaries that form AGF Investments manage a variety of mandates comprised of equity, fixed income and balanced assets.
® The “AGF” logo is a registered trademark of AGF Management Limited and used under licence.
About AGF Management Limited
Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.
AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.
For further information, please visit AGF.com.
© 2024 AGF Management Limited. All rights reserved.
