Very interesting to read about such diverse backgrounds.
Having worked in India for 4-5 years, I took a career break and came abroad for an MBA and am currently working for a Fortune 500 company in Finance.
Personally, I am a risk taker (not a gambler) and a student of mass psychology. In my limited experience of the world, perception is reality and it is the emotions of fear and greed that make asset prices fluctuate. The trick to making returns (or not losing money) in any investment is to be able to read mass psychology or herd mentality and be able to decide when to join the crowd and when to abandon it (easier said than done).
I tend to be very analytical and ruthlessly numbers focused when it comes to making investment choices.
Those who are interested in reading about mass psychology would enjoy reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraor...ness_of_Crowds