Starting from scratch, simply by picking stocks and companies for investment, Warren Buffett amassed one of the epochal fortunes of the 20th century -- an astounding net worth of $10 billion and counting. That awesome record has made him a cult figure.

This illuminating biography reveals a man whose conscientiousness, integrity, and good humor exist alongside an odd emotional isolation. Buffett also masterfully traces his life: his enormously successful partnership; his early, inspired investments in American Express and Geico; his companionship and investment with Katharine Graham of the Washington Post; his role in the Capital Cities purchase of ABC; his unique relationship with his wife and mistress; and his rescue of the scandal-ridden Salomon Brothers.

Roger Lowenstein, a financial journalist, reported for the Wall Street Journal for more than a decade, including two years writing its Heard on the Street column, 1989 to 1991.

He has written for many other publications, including Smart Money, The New York Times and The New Republic.

Lowenstein has written three books, Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist (1995), When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management (2000), and Origins of the Crash (2004).

Since May 2005 he has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.