We are excited and gratified to introduce our first book Thinking About Investing: Two Decades of Reflective Commentary on Markets and Money. We would be delighted to send you a copy (or copies), either electronically or in hard copy. Our treat. Just let us know what you prefer.
When we first started to contemplate this project, back in the fall of 2019, we intended it as a capstone present to celebrate the 80th birthday, in October 2020, of our dad and business partner, Vic Levinson.
In that initial vision for the book, we imagined assembling the many Monthly Comments Vic had written over the prior two decades into something bound and memorable. It would be a surprise. Something to put on a shelf. Maybe a coffee table.
Alas, book projects have a life of their own.
Certainly, there was a logic to compiling this archive and handing it off to Vic, a singular gift at a life milestone.
But the more we dug into this older material, the more we felt that, while written initially for a modest audience of clients, family, and friends, it had a wider resonance. Because at the core of all this writing was a thorny question, one that Vic, a clear-eyed pragmatist, wrestled with for decades: how can people survive – and hopefully thrive – in an uncertain world?
At one level, this sounds like the trailer to a sci-fi movie.
But, at another, it’s the drumbeat of all our lives, and of our work at Park Piedmont.
That to us is the bigger story to share. The world is uncertain. The future, unknowable. Risk abounds. But we can still make intelligent, thoughtful choices – informed by our goals, our priorities, and our values. Not hiding from risk – but not being polyanna-ish about it, either.
Back in 2020, we envisioned the book as a surprise gift – until we realized, what a waste, Vic is right here, a phone call away, and why not benefit from his guidance on what to cut and what to keep. So Vic jumped in to lend a hand.
The book really was a family affair. We enlisted Jane, our mom, Vic’s wife of 50+ years, boasting a voracious appetite for reading, to review the manuscript. Her layperson’s point of view was crucial. Nick’s wife, Julie, was an early contributor, reviewing the Comments and sorting essay topics by theme. Tom wrestled with structure and storyline. Nick and Nate reviewed and revised. We had terrific ongoing support from our Director of Marketing and Education, Corenna Roozeboom, and eventually, from Corenna’s husband, Schuyler Roozeboom, who designed the cover and pages.
We were still working on a final draft when Vic died last May 28.
We think of the final product as a fitting tribute, an acknowledgement of all his hard work and open-minded curiosity. And, last but not least, as a token of our gratitude. We hope you enjoy it.
While we can share copies with you – again, either hard copy or electronic format – Thinking About Investing: Two Decades of Reflective Commentary on Markets and Money is also available for purchase on Amazon. All profits from the sale of the book will be donated toward organizations teaching financial literacy and empowerment in Oakland and Chicago.