oh, warren would be the absolute first to say he owes a ton to charlie. i'll go out on a limb and say he's never once bragged about being a great investor. shit, the man still lives in the same home he bought in the 50's. for how wealthy he is, he's insanely humble.
of all the lessons buffett has shared with the world, one of my favorites is that the key to being a great investor isn't intelligence. it's temperament. not really what someone would say if they're looking for all the credit.
obviously he is pretty damn sharp, but without that temperament, he wouldn't be where he is today, and he knows it.
oh, and re: The Snowball.... it's a huge book, but a remarkably easy read. i don't remember it ever dragging. so many great stories. *spoiler alert* he got his start at the race track.