40 Chances
By Howard G. Buffett
SIMON & SCHUSTER
Not just any trust fund baby could sell a book chronicling his adventures with the likes of Shakira and Eva Longoria. But Howard G. Buffett—passionate farmer, sometime agribiz exec, swashbuckling philanthropist, son of Warren—is sui generis. The book, based on the idea that a farmer has 40 seasons to get things right, has that many anecdotes dispersing Buffettian wisdom on biodiversity, international food aid, why we should invest in soil, etc. It’s a tad Bono-esque—dripping with self-satisfaction and the requisite name-dropping—but 40 Chances is easy-reading earnestness from a dedicated do-gooder.
This review originally appeared in our November/December 2013 issue of Mother Jones.
