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The Sloth Investor: Simplifying Investing for All
Step aside bull and bear, the humble sloth is the BEST animal to characterise successful investing.
From Mr. Sloth, the host of the Sloth Investor podcast, comes The Sloth Investor , a book catering to beginner investors, young and old, seeking to take advantage of the greatest wealth creation machine of all time. The Sloth Investor provides an evidence-based framework for those looking to increase their wealth in a simple, yet powerful manner. Underpinned by his 5 bedrock principles ( S implicity, L ow Fees, O wn the World, T ime, H eadstrong) Mr. Sloth shows you how to construct a simple, low-fee, globally diversified portfolio.
The Sloth Investor shines a spotlight on investors past and present that have shaped Mr. Sloth’s approach to investing money. Crammed full of actionable takeaways that are distilled into easily understandable chapters, Mr. Sloth expands on the evidence for an inactive, less is more, ‘sloth-like’ approach to investing. The humble sloth is the investing spirit animal that you didn’t learn about at school.
Now, here’s your opportunity!
From Mr. Sloth, the host of the Sloth Investor podcast, comes The Sloth Investor , a book catering to beginner investors, young and old, seeking to take advantage of the greatest wealth creation machine of all time. The Sloth Investor provides an evidence-based framework for those looking to increase their wealth in a simple, yet powerful manner. Underpinned by his 5 bedrock principles ( S implicity, L ow Fees, O wn the World, T ime, H eadstrong) Mr. Sloth shows you how to construct a simple, low-fee, globally diversified portfolio.
The Sloth Investor shines a spotlight on investors past and present that have shaped Mr. Sloth’s approach to investing money. Crammed full of actionable takeaways that are distilled into easily understandable chapters, Mr. Sloth expands on the evidence for an inactive, less is more, ‘sloth-like’ approach to investing. The humble sloth is the investing spirit animal that you didn’t learn about at school.
Now, here’s your opportunity!
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2024
5 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 24, 2025
All the basic knowledges of funds and bonds, for beginners.
June 24, 2024
For context, I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous, I don’t know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street (or speaking on a podcast), and I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man.
Prior to reading this book, I was not aware of the author or their podcast they frequently promote. Based on the non-financial context, namely the anecdotes and examples, I’m clearly not the target demographic (white man who plays sports) but as the author argues, investing should be for all so here I am.
I can’t help myself, I need to get this off my chest. Respectfully, I cannot help but side-eye a man who cites Malcolm Gladwell as a reliable source of information (spoiler alert, he’s not and has a lot of weird racist undertones and beliefs; see the chapter on airplane crashes and growing rice with a significant amount of cherry-picked sources and disinformation from his book “Outliers”) and includes pseudoscience as fact like our “lizard brains” with his full chest. For all that is good and right in the world, authors verify your sources of information! (Side note: If Books Could Kill has a fantastic podcast episode on “Outliers” if that tickles your pickle).
This book provides a good overview of investing for most people, however, I’ve read so many other financial books that have resonated with me significantly more and go beyond the basics to discuss ESG or ethical investing and the settler-colonial and racist history of the West that has created disproportionate gaps in investing knowledge and wealth which are fundamental to a discussion about investing. This book’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t add anything new to the body of literature on investing. As an avid reader of finance books, I have yet to read a finance book that encourages day-trading and buying individual stocks over buying and holding indexes and ETFs, i.e., the sloth method. This book has so many quotes and references to other better books (personally, I’d just read “Millionaire Teacher” and call it a day) and investors that say the exact same thing as him. It’s bordering on an investing dude-bro echo chamber in which they yammer on about the same topic over and over again. There are so many newer books on ESG or ethical investing focused on climate and social issues that are framed in the real historical context as described previously that in comparison, this book just feels so lacklustre. Again, this book isn’t bad, it’s just meh and didn’t add anything that it’s predecessors didn’t already cover. It could be worth a read but many other books cover the same exact investing advice.
Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Prior to reading this book, I was not aware of the author or their podcast they frequently promote. Based on the non-financial context, namely the anecdotes and examples, I’m clearly not the target demographic (white man who plays sports) but as the author argues, investing should be for all so here I am.
I can’t help myself, I need to get this off my chest. Respectfully, I cannot help but side-eye a man who cites Malcolm Gladwell as a reliable source of information (spoiler alert, he’s not and has a lot of weird racist undertones and beliefs; see the chapter on airplane crashes and growing rice with a significant amount of cherry-picked sources and disinformation from his book “Outliers”) and includes pseudoscience as fact like our “lizard brains” with his full chest. For all that is good and right in the world, authors verify your sources of information! (Side note: If Books Could Kill has a fantastic podcast episode on “Outliers” if that tickles your pickle).
This book provides a good overview of investing for most people, however, I’ve read so many other financial books that have resonated with me significantly more and go beyond the basics to discuss ESG or ethical investing and the settler-colonial and racist history of the West that has created disproportionate gaps in investing knowledge and wealth which are fundamental to a discussion about investing. This book’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t add anything new to the body of literature on investing. As an avid reader of finance books, I have yet to read a finance book that encourages day-trading and buying individual stocks over buying and holding indexes and ETFs, i.e., the sloth method. This book has so many quotes and references to other better books (personally, I’d just read “Millionaire Teacher” and call it a day) and investors that say the exact same thing as him. It’s bordering on an investing dude-bro echo chamber in which they yammer on about the same topic over and over again. There are so many newer books on ESG or ethical investing focused on climate and social issues that are framed in the real historical context as described previously that in comparison, this book just feels so lacklustre. Again, this book isn’t bad, it’s just meh and didn’t add anything that it’s predecessors didn’t already cover. It could be worth a read but many other books cover the same exact investing advice.
Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 30, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC The Sloth Investor: Simplifying Investing for All
Move over, bull and bear—there’s a new financial spirit animal in town: the humble sloth! In The Sloth Investor, R P Stevens introduces us to a refreshing approach to wealth creation—one that’s as steady and deliberate as our sloth friend hanging from a tree branch.
Stevens lays out five bedrock principles that form the backbone of his investment philosophy:
Simplicity: Complexity breeds confusion. The sloth’s mantra? Keep it simple. Stevens guides readers toward straightforward strategies that anyone can understand.
Low Fees: The sloth doesn’t waste energy on unnecessary movements, and neither should your investments. Stevens advocates for low-cost options that minimize fees and maximize returns.
Own the World: Diversification is key. Just as the sloth inhabits various ecosystems, your portfolio should span global markets. Stevens explains how to achieve this without breaking a sweat.
Time: Patience pays off. Sloths know that slow and steady wins the race. Stevens emphasizes the power of long-term thinking and compounding.
Headstrong: The sloth remains unfazed by market noise. Stevens encourages readers to stay focused, tune out distractions, and stick to their investment plan.
The Sloth Investor is actionable advice. Stevens shares practical steps for constructing a globally diversified, low-fee portfolio. He also highlights historical investors who embody the sloth-like approach, proving that sometimes less really is more.
Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just dipping your toes into the financial waters, this book offers a refreshing perspective. So grab a cup of coffee (or a leaf, if you’re channeling your inner sloth), settle in, and let R P Stevens guide you toward a wealth-building journey that’s as steady as a sloth’s crawl. 🌿📈
Move over, bull and bear—there’s a new financial spirit animal in town: the humble sloth! In The Sloth Investor, R P Stevens introduces us to a refreshing approach to wealth creation—one that’s as steady and deliberate as our sloth friend hanging from a tree branch.
Stevens lays out five bedrock principles that form the backbone of his investment philosophy:
Simplicity: Complexity breeds confusion. The sloth’s mantra? Keep it simple. Stevens guides readers toward straightforward strategies that anyone can understand.
Low Fees: The sloth doesn’t waste energy on unnecessary movements, and neither should your investments. Stevens advocates for low-cost options that minimize fees and maximize returns.
Own the World: Diversification is key. Just as the sloth inhabits various ecosystems, your portfolio should span global markets. Stevens explains how to achieve this without breaking a sweat.
Time: Patience pays off. Sloths know that slow and steady wins the race. Stevens emphasizes the power of long-term thinking and compounding.
Headstrong: The sloth remains unfazed by market noise. Stevens encourages readers to stay focused, tune out distractions, and stick to their investment plan.
The Sloth Investor is actionable advice. Stevens shares practical steps for constructing a globally diversified, low-fee portfolio. He also highlights historical investors who embody the sloth-like approach, proving that sometimes less really is more.
Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just dipping your toes into the financial waters, this book offers a refreshing perspective. So grab a cup of coffee (or a leaf, if you’re channeling your inner sloth), settle in, and let R P Stevens guide you toward a wealth-building journey that’s as steady as a sloth’s crawl. 🌿📈
July 3, 2024
As a relative newcomer to investing, I found this book to be incredibly helpful and far and away the best book about personal finance that I have read so far.
The author effectively conveys why an inactive approach to investing is the best approach to take and I also like that the author colored his writing with plenty of analogies and the occasional piece of humor, which made it a very interesting and compelling read.
The tagline of this book 'Simplifying Investing For All' really is apt because this is the PERFECT book for beginner investors. For example, I like how the author used jargon free language and provided plenty of evidence for the approach to investing that he advocates throughout the book.
Another reason why I'm planning to recommend this book to my friends overseas is because the author provides sample/model portfolios for people from around the globe to get their investment journey started.
Another great point about this book is how the author outlines 5 bedrock principles of investing. These are:
Simplicity
Low Fees
Own the World
Time
Headstrong
The chapter on the above 5 investing principles represents the core part of the book and this is a chapter (I think it's chapter 5 as I don't have the book to hand now) that is essential reading as it effectively explains why and how the author devised his investing philosophy.
All in all, this is a book that I would thoroughly recommend, particularly to those with little or no prior experience of investing.
The author effectively conveys why an inactive approach to investing is the best approach to take and I also like that the author colored his writing with plenty of analogies and the occasional piece of humor, which made it a very interesting and compelling read.
The tagline of this book 'Simplifying Investing For All' really is apt because this is the PERFECT book for beginner investors. For example, I like how the author used jargon free language and provided plenty of evidence for the approach to investing that he advocates throughout the book.
Another reason why I'm planning to recommend this book to my friends overseas is because the author provides sample/model portfolios for people from around the globe to get their investment journey started.
Another great point about this book is how the author outlines 5 bedrock principles of investing. These are:
Simplicity
Low Fees
Own the World
Time
Headstrong
The chapter on the above 5 investing principles represents the core part of the book and this is a chapter (I think it's chapter 5 as I don't have the book to hand now) that is essential reading as it effectively explains why and how the author devised his investing philosophy.
All in all, this is a book that I would thoroughly recommend, particularly to those with little or no prior experience of investing.
June 18, 2024
Was very curious to read the book as I started my investing journey a year ago and already had some knowledge about investing. I really loved Sloth Investment approach and can see myself starting to implement in my investing journey straight away.
I really liked the fact that a book had a section of examples for investment portfolios for investors all around the world. Because personally my biggest struggle with financial books that they are predominantly focused on US markets and targeted toward US residents. Was very nice to see diversity in that sense.
Great beginners book however heavily focuses on Vanguard so I would probably recommend to read a couple of their investment books to learn more about different investment managers/ advisers.
I hugely relate to less-is-more mentality and it’s definitely what this book is about, overall 10/10 recommendations for beginner investors who still has a stigma that investing is complicated and for the rich.
I really liked the fact that a book had a section of examples for investment portfolios for investors all around the world. Because personally my biggest struggle with financial books that they are predominantly focused on US markets and targeted toward US residents. Was very nice to see diversity in that sense.
Great beginners book however heavily focuses on Vanguard so I would probably recommend to read a couple of their investment books to learn more about different investment managers/ advisers.
I hugely relate to less-is-more mentality and it’s definitely what this book is about, overall 10/10 recommendations for beginner investors who still has a stigma that investing is complicated and for the rich.
July 7, 2024
If you're coming at this book having heard nothing about investing or retirement planning, then you're all set. The problem, though, is that several other authors have trod this same path before, and R P Stevens offers little in the way of new information that couldn't have been found by reading The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, or The Millionaire Next Door.
With one exception -- he spends an inordinate amount of time talking about expatriates and their investing habits. I was not aware that was what I was about to get into when I picked up this book. As he is a English expat living in Canada, I suppose it's a relevant perspective for him, but it was completely useless for me.
With one exception -- he spends an inordinate amount of time talking about expatriates and their investing habits. I was not aware that was what I was about to get into when I picked up this book. As he is a English expat living in Canada, I suppose it's a relevant perspective for him, but it was completely useless for me.
July 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this read. While I did feel like there was quite a bit of repetitiveness at times, I didn’t mind it that much because it helped drill the information into my head so I will remember it! The way everything is explained is done so well and I found it very easy to understand. I was never taught anything about investing growing up, so this was nice and clear-cut for me, which I appreciated. I feel like I have the understanding needed now to invest in a low-fee globally diversified portfolio, which is the way to go after reading this. I had never heard of the Sloth Investor podcast before reading this book but will be checking it out now!
Thank you @troubador_publishing for allowing me access to this ARC via @netgalley
All thoughts are entirely my own.
Thank you @troubador_publishing for allowing me access to this ARC via @netgalley
All thoughts are entirely my own.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews