Editors Reads Verdict
Densely packed with genuinely valuable material — the interviews with luminaries like Dalio, Bogle, and Swensen contain real insight, and the all-weather portfolio is worth the cover price alone. The motivational packaging can be filtered out by readers who come for the substance.
What We Loved
- The access — interviews with Dalio, Bogle, Icahn, Paul Tudor Jones, and others — produces genuinely rare material
- Ray Dalio's all-weather portfolio explanation is the clearest available outside of Bridgewater's own documents
- The seven-step structure gives the encyclopedic content a navigable framework
Minor Drawbacks
- 688 pages with significant repetition — the motivational scaffolding could be removed without loss
- The motivational tone is consistent throughout — readers who find it alienating will have a long book to get through
Key Takeaways
- → Ray Dalio's all-weather portfolio (30% stocks, 40% long-term bonds, 15% intermediate bonds, 7.5% gold, 7.5% commodities) is designed to perform adequately across all economic environments
- → The majority of returns from diversified portfolios come from asset allocation rather than security selection — the decision about how much to hold in each asset class matters more than which specific assets
- → The asymmetric bet: structure investments so that losses are limited and gains are unlimited — this requires giving up something (upside in good times) to gain something (protection in bad times)
| Author | Tony Robbins |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Pages | 688 |
| Published | January 1, 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-Fiction, Finance, Self-Help |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Best For | Readers who want the encyclopedic version of Robbins's financial thinking — particularly the Dalio all-weather material and the direct interviews with investment legends. |
The Access
What makes MONEY: Master the Game unusual is Robbins’s ability — through his coaching network — to get face time with people who do not normally give it. Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, gave Robbins hours of interview and explained his all-weather portfolio concept in detail that Bridgewater has never published directly. Jack Bogle explained his philosophy. Paul Tudor Jones, one of the greatest macro traders of his generation, discussed his approach to risk.
The result is a book that contains material unavailable in any other single source — mixed with Robbins’s motivational scaffolding and repeated emphasis on the seven steps.
The All-Weather Portfolio
Dalio’s contribution is the book’s most valuable single element. The all-weather portfolio is designed to perform adequately in any economic environment — not by predicting which environment is coming but by holding assets that are each appropriate to a different scenario. The specific allocation (heavy in bonds, modest in stocks, small positions in gold and commodities) surprised many readers expecting a more conventional equity-heavy recommendation.
Our rating: 4.0/5 — Dense with valuable material — the Dalio interview alone justifies the cover price, and the 680 surrounding pages contain genuine substance if you can filter the motivational packaging.
Reading Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "MONEY: Master the Game" about?
Robbins's encyclopedic finance book — based on interviews with fifty of the world's greatest investors (Ray Dalio, Jack Bogle, Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn, Paul Tudor Jones). Covers the investor game, the myths of Wall Street, strategies for accumulation, protection of capital, and Ray Dalio's all-weather portfolio.
Who should read "MONEY: Master the Game"?
Readers who want the encyclopedic version of Robbins's financial thinking — particularly the Dalio all-weather material and the direct interviews with investment legends.
What are the key takeaways from "MONEY: Master the Game"?
Ray Dalio's all-weather portfolio (30% stocks, 40% long-term bonds, 15% intermediate bonds, 7.5% gold, 7.5% commodities) is designed to perform adequately across all economic environments The majority of returns from diversified portfolios come from asset allocation rather than security selection — the decision about how much to hold in each asset class matters more than which specific assets The asymmetric bet: structure investments so that losses are limited and gains are unlimited — this requires giving up something (upside in good times) to gain something (protection in bad times)
Is "MONEY: Master the Game" worth reading?
Densely packed with genuinely valuable material — the interviews with luminaries like Dalio, Bogle, and Swensen contain real insight, and the all-weather portfolio is worth the cover price alone. The motivational packaging can be filtered out by readers who come for the substance.
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