A Book with Legs
Smead Capital Management
Welcome to A Book with Legs podcast, hosted by Smead Capital Management. In each episode, the folks at Smead Capital Management explore value investing through an entirely unique lens, bringing in authors to discuss books that have directly or indirectly influenced the decisions the Smead team has made on their investments in stocks and equities. The podcast is for the curious-minded looking for worldly wisdom. Investing is the last great liberal art, and the team at Smead wants to learn as much as they can. Any level of investor, business person, or thinker, whether personally or professionally, will be intrigued and engaged by these discussions.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 23, 2023 • 1h 30min
Gale Pooley - Superabundance
If you’re really in favor of more abundant resources, then you really have to be in favor of people having the freedom to innovate, discover, share, and consume knowledge.” Author Gale Pooley joins Cole to discuss his book, Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet. Along with co-author Marian Tupy, Gale’s research explores the way, contrary to popular belief, resources have become more abundant as the world’s population has grown. The conversation covers “time prices”, climate change, and how more people leads to more innovation.
Jan 9, 2023 • 1h 10min
Robert Hagstrom - Warren Buffett: Inside the Ultimate Money Mind
Cole and Bill kickoff season two with author Robert Hagstrom to discuss his book, Warren Buffett: Inside the Ultimate Money Mind. Hagstrom’s work explores the philosophical and mental aspects that helped shape Buffett and allowed him to become one of the world’s most successful investors. The conversation touches on Buffett’s upbringing, his investment ideology, and how he reached his many achievements.
Dec 27, 2022 • 23min
The Smead Book List - Winter 2022
Interested in what is on the Smead Capital Management book list? Listen in to hear Cole and Bill 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.
Dec 19, 2022 • 54min
Father Robert Sirico - The Economics of the Parables
“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.
Dec 5, 2022 • 1h 9min
Richard Oldfield - Simple But Not Easy
“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.
Nov 21, 2022 • 1h 15min
Spencer Jakab - The Revolution That Wasn't
“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.
Nov 7, 2022 • 1h 8min
Greg Steinmetz - American Rascal
“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.
Oct 24, 2022 • 1h 16min
Jeff Nussbaum - Undelivered
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.
Oct 10, 2022 • 1h 12min
Sir Howard Davies - The Chancellors
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.
Sep 26, 2022 • 1h 7min
Helen Rappaport – After the Romanovs
“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.
