#1 New York Times Bestseller “Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.” —The New York Times Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve. Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.

Not long after the Pilgrims came ashore, Bridgewater became the first inland settlement to branch out from the Plymouth Colony, incorporating in 1656. Its fertile soil and bountiful rivers provided for a rich agricultural community. As the Industrial Revolution forced farmers into factories, Bridgewater experienced rapid social and economic growth and change. Iron, shoe, and paper manufacturing flourished, and the railroad brought European immigrants in search of the American Dream. In Bridgewater, vintage images tell the stories of the Bridgewater Academy, the normal school, the changes in and around the common, the business pursuits of local proprietors, and the spiritual and civic life of Bridgewater residents.

The story of Bridgewater is one of survival. Since its founding in 1835, this community has endured six major floods, economic crises, and a war that took place on its own soil. Despite the adversity it faced, the town has not only prevailed but has grown into one of the strongest and most progressive towns in Virginia.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

A celebration of RHS Garden Bridgewater, the Royal Horticultural Society's newly reopened public garden.

Hugh Mallet tells the story of the duke's personal life and the story of his great achievement, he created the country's first major canal by his own efforts and a national network by his example.