“If the vice of greed is the bane of capitalism, then the vice of socialism is envy.”Catholic priest Robert Sirico sits down with Cole and Bill to discuss his book, The Economics of the Parables. Rev. Sirico’s work highlights the economic and biblical wisdom derived from the parables with a modern spin. The conversation covers helping the poor, building wealth, and the many life lessons this timeless collection can teach.

“The commitment and the patience that you need are two of the real attributes of proper investment.”In this episode, author and value investor Richard Oldfield joins Cole to discuss his book, Simple But Not Easy: A Practitioner's Guide to the Art of Investing. Richard’s book provides investors a commonsense approach to investing and provides stock pickers, of all experience levels, with ways to model their decisions. The conversation covers stocks vs. bonds, hedge funds, market conditions, the art of value investing and more.

“I’ll never forget the day I found out my sons were degenerates.”Spencer Jakab of The Wall Street Journal joins Cole and Bill to discuss his book, The Revolution That Wasn't: GameStop, Reddit, and the Fleecing of Small Investors. Jakab’s work explores the GameStop saga and how the modern-day squeeze unraveled. The trio discusses the characters involved in the mania, the role smart phones played, how the financial industry underestimated the power of algorithmic social media, as well as the real winners and losers of it all.

“The smarter people knew that if Gould was coming after them, it was better to negotiate a peace rather than fighting to the bitter end.”Author and journalist Greg Steinmetz joins Cole and Bill to discuss his book, American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street's Biggest Fortune. Greg’s book details the life of Jay Gould, one of the most polarizing robber barons of the 19th century. The conversation covers Gould’s early business ventures, his path to becoming a railroad tycoon, and how he ultimately became the man who controlled Wall Street.

Political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum joins Cole to discuss his book, Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History. Almost every given speech in history had a raw opposite that went undelivered. Jeff’s work provides an in-depth look into the noteworthy and captivating speeches that would have altered the course of history, had they ever been spoken out loud. Jeff and Cole examine the undelivered speeches by historic figures like Helen Keller, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, and more. They explore why those speeches stayed on paper, and the alternate outcomes that would have resulted had they been given.

In this episode, Cole is joined by Sir Howard Davies, author of the book, The Chancellors: Steering the British Economy in Crisis Times. Howard’s book reexamines the last 25 years of British economic history and the role the Treasury has played. Cole and Howard discuss the issues that struck the Treasury, some of the notable names involved, and solutions moving forward.

“There was an overwhelming feeling of melancholy, of loss, that they could never adjust to.”Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Helen Rappaport joins Cole to discuss her book, After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War. Helen’s work details the Russian aristocrats, artists, writers, philosophers, and intellectuals who searched for refuge in Paris after the revolution of 1917 and during the civil war that followed. Cole and Helen discuss how the Russian immigrants assimilated to life in France and the struggles they endured.

“At the end of the day, money is what was most important to John D. Rockefeller.”Peter Doran joins the podcast to discuss his book, Breaking Rockefeller: The Incredible Story of the Ambitious Rivals Who Toppled an Oil Empire. Peter’s work takes a deep dive into the growth of the oil industry, how John D. Rockefeller grabbed control and built a worldwide monopoly, the underdogs who joined forces to defeat him, and how greed played a crucial role. The group also examines the issues prompted by the consolidation of capital and the importance of competition in America.

Interested in what’s on the Smead Capital Management book list? In this episode, Cole, Bill, and Senior Analyst Seamus Sullivan list the books they have recently read, what they’re currently reading, and the books they have on deck. Have a book you would like to recommend for the podcast? Email suggestions to podcast@smeadcap.com.

Matthew Bernstein joins Cole to discuss his book, George Hearst: Silver King of the Gilded Age. Matthew’s book examines Hearst’s unique path to building a mining empire, his career in politics, a quest for wealth, and the many life lessons that can be learned from it all. Cole says, “This is a book that helps investors understand how money can be made when it’s not being printed in Washington D.C. or New York.”