A Book with Legs

In this episode, Cole Smead sits down with professor and author James Romm to discuss his book, “Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece.” They cover a series of letters that Romm believes to unmistakably be Plato’s writing. The two discuss Plato’s encounters with a tyrannical father and son, both named Dionysius, and the legendary ph...

In this episode, author and professor Graham Taylor sits down with Cole Smead to discuss his book, “Imperial Standard: Imperial Oil, Exxon, and the Canadian Oil Industry from 1880.” Their conversation takes an in-depth look at the history of Canada’s Imperial Oil and its complex relationship with Exxon Mobil. Additionally, Cole and Graham discuss their expectations for the future of Imperial Oil,...

In this episode, Cole Smead sits down with Bloomberg Editor Duncan Mavin to discuss his book, “Meltdown: Greed, Scandal, and the Collapse of Credit Suisse.” The two explore the founding of Credit Suisse and its morally questionable history, which found the bank involved in a long list of scandals, including the laundering of Nazi funds and stolen assets, banking relationships with drug dealers and...

In this episode, Cole Smead sits down with Stephen Clapham, founder of the London-based investment research and training consultancy Behind the Balance Sheet, to discuss his book “The Smart Money Method: How to Pick Stocks Like a Hedge Fund Pro.” Their conversation explores Clapham’s investment philosophy and methodology, his perspective on legendary investors such as Warren Buffett, and more.

In this special quarterly ‘book list’ episode of A Book with Legs, Smead Capital Management’s analyst team, including Seamus Sullivan, Nick Garcia, and Will Keenan, joins Cole Smead to discuss memorable takeaways from books they have recently read, share what they are reading now, and preview what’s next. They also offer fresh insights for investors on opportunity in homebuilders, o...

In this episode, Cole Smead sits down with independent scholar and writer Jill Eicher to discuss her book, “Mellon vs. Churchill: The Untold Story of Treasury Titans at War.” Their conversation explores the never-before-told story of heated debates between Andrew Mellon and Winston Churchill over post-WWI debts. Eicher and Smead discuss how each side of the dispute crafted narratives to shape publ...

In this special bonus episode, Cole Smead and Conor O’Callaghan sit down with former Taoiseach of Ireland Enda Kenny to dive deeper into Ireland’s rich history and the Great Famine. They also explore the spread of the Irish people and their modern identity. Kenny reflects on his experience as a politician, including run-ins with U.S. Presidents and what it means to be a leader.

In this episode, Cole Smead and Conor O’Callaghan sit down with Author and Educator Padraic Scanlan to discuss his book, “Rot: An Imperial History of the Irish Famine.” The three explore the history of the Great Famine, explaining how Ireland’s position in the British Empire and reliance on the potato made it uniquely susceptible to starvation, and more.

In this episode, Cole Smead speaks with author and historian Russell Shorto about his latest book, ”Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events that Created New York and Shaped America,” discussing the birth of New York City, originally a Dutch-controlled settlement called New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, until English takeover. Their conversation explores this pivotal transfer of power, and...

In this episode, Cole and Bill Smead speak with journalist and author Kyle Paoletta about his book,  “ American Oasis: Finding the Future in the Cities of the Southwest. ”  Their conversation explores the unique history of the American Southwest and its most iconic cities. The discussion spans from Spanish colonialism to the impact of railroads and suburbanization. They also examine the...

In this episode, author, professor, and Council on Foreign Relations member Amar Bhide, joins Cole Smead to discuss his book, “Uncertainty and Enterprise: Venturing Beyond the Known.” Their conversation explores the relationship between profit and uncertainty when investing, the old and new schools of thought emerging from the Chicago School of Economics, artificial intelligence, and more.

In this episode, writer and medievalist Mary Flannery joins Cole Smead to discuss her book, “Geoffrey Chaucer: Unveiling the Merry Bard.” Their discussion explores the life and work of English writer and poet Geoffrey Chaucer, a father figure in the English literary tradition, covering his most influential and controversial works, numerous titles and royal affiliations, impact on the modern Englis...

In this special quarterly ‘book list’ episode of A Book with Legs, Cole and Bill Smead revisit the most memorable takeaways from the books recently featured on the podcast, share what’s on their current reading list, and preview what’s next. They also offer fresh insights into inflation, tariffs, investment opportunities in oil, and more!

In this episode, author, speaker, and radio host Eric Metaxas joins Cole Smead to discuss his book, “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.” Their discussion explores the remarkable life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a dedicated pastor, unwilling to waver in his convictions, even when facing the Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer’s story spans continents and finds him playing...

In this episode, Lucy Santos, freelance historian, writer, and consultant, joins Cole Smead to discuss her book, “Chain Reactions: The Hopeful History of Uranium.” Their discussion covers topics such as the history of the element, the impact on culture, its role as an energy source, and more.

Max Frumes, author and Global Head of Distressed and Restructuring at 9Fin, joins Cole Smead and Conor O’Callaghan to discuss his book, “The Caesars Palace Coup: How A Billionaire Brawl Over the Famous Casino Exposed the Power and Greed of Wall Street.” In this episode, they discuss the 2015 bankruptcy brawl for Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, the key figures involved, and more.

In this special taping, live from the 2025 Smead Investor Oasis, legendary Wall Street analyst Doug Terreson joins Portfolio Managers Cole Smead and Bill Smead to explore his book "Can't Deny It". They will be discussing Terreson's successful market predictions in the past, what the demand and figure growth of the industry look like, and will also be taking questions live from the audience.

In this episode, journalist and historian Vaudine England joins Cole Smead to discuss her book, “Fortune's Bazaar: The Making of Hong Kong,” discussing pivotal moments throughout Hong Kong’s complex history, the multicultural origins of its population, business culture, recent political changes, and more.

In this episode, writer and historian Adrian Tinniswood joins Smead Capital Management CEO Cole Smead to discuss his book, “The Power and the Glory: Life in the English Country House Before the Great War.” Tinniswood explores the opulent world of British country houses, detailing the lifestyles of aristocratic families, the integration of new wealth into traditional societies, and more. This conve...

In this episode, Smead Capital Management CEO Cole Smead and CIO Bill Smead reflect on the books they have recently read, what they are currently reading, and what they look forward to reading next. Additionally, they provide their expert perspectives on financial euphoria, energy and more!

In this episode ,  author and former lawyer John Oller joins Cole Smead to discuss his book, “White Shoe: How a New Breed of Wall Street Lawyers Changed Big Business and the American Century .”  Oller explores the evolution of elite law firms in America and their influence on business and politics, delving into key historical figures, pivotal legal cases, and the rise of the modern corpo...

In this episode, financial psychologist Brad Klontz joins Cole Smead to discuss his book,  Start Thinking Rich: 21 Harsh Truths to Take You from Broke to Financial Freedom , which explores the psychological factors surrounding wealth-building. Klontz provides insights into how individuals and investors can shape their mindsets around money to achieve long-term financial goals.

In this episode, investment analyst Brett Gardner joins Cole and Bill Smead to discuss his newly released book, "Buffett’s Early Investments," which explores Warren Buffett’s key initial ventures that shaped his approach to wealth-building. Gardner provides readers with a closer look at how the legendary investor's financial instincts and disciplined strategies helped lay the groundwork for his la...

In this episode, seasoned investor-turned-commerce secretary Wilbur Ross joins Cole and Bill Smead to discuss his new book, "Risks and Returns," where he delves into the complex world of distressed asset investing. Ross shares his experiences and strategies for identifying undervalued opportunities, managing risk and maximizing returns, blending financial wisdom with personal anecdotes from a care...

In this episode, author Michael Craig joins Cole Smead and Bill Smead to discuss his book, "The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King," which dives into the world of high-stakes poker. The story follows the legendary Texas Hold’em showdown between billionaire banker Andy Beal and a team of top professional players, and explores the psychological tactics and strategic decisions behind each mo...