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A Book with Legs

A Book with Legs

Smead Capital Management 126 episodes Latest Jun 1, 2026

In each episode, we explore value investing through an entirely unique lens, bringing in authors to discuss books that have directly or indirectly influenced the decisions the Smead Capital Management 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

Howard Gardner - Frames of Mind Jun 1, 2026 01:07:22 Can an IQ test comprehensively define an individual’s intelligence? Are there aspects of human capability that tests fail to take into account?In the latest episode of A Book with Legs, Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead is joined by professor, psychologist, and author Howard Gardner to discuss his book, titled "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.”Cole
Justin Baer - House of Fidelity May 18, 2026 01:20:19 How did one family build Fidelity into one of the most powerful forces in American investing, and what allowed it to endure across three generations?In the latest episode of A Book with Legs, Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead and Analyst Will Keenan sit down with journalist and author Justin Baer to discuss his book, titled "House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dy
Andrew Seth Meyer: To Rule All Under Heaven May 4, 2026 01:16:45 What makes a civilization endure, and how did a Chinese empire that conquered everything fall apart in 15 years?In the latest episode of A Book with Legs, Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead is joined by professor and author Andrew Seth Meyer to discuss his book, titled "To Rule All under Heaven: A History of Classical China, from Confucius to the First Emperor."Cole and
Gaurav Suri - The Emergent Mind: How Intelligence Arises in People and Machines Apr 20, 2026 01:05:28 What in the subconscious mind informs our actions, and what are our neural networks capable of that distinguishes them from machines such as LLMs?Gaurav is a computational neuroscientist, experimental psychologist, and an associate professor at San Francisco State University. He also co-authored “A Certain Ambiguity: A Mathematical Novel” and holds a master's in mathematics and computer science an
Jason Bardi - The Great Math War: How Three Brilliant Minds Fought for the Foundations of Mathematics Apr 6, 2026 01:19:39 What happens when brilliant minds disagree not just on answers, but on the very rules of how answers can be found? These questions are addressed in the latest episode of A Book with Legs, where Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead is joined by journalist and author Jason Socrates Bardi to discuss his book, "The Great Math War: How Three Brilliant Minds Fought for the Found
The Smead Book List - Spring Book List Mar 30, 2026 01:05:47 What is the Smead Capital Management team reading, and what’s up next?In this new quarterly ‘book list’ episode, value investors Bill and Cole Smead discuss memorable takeaways from books they have recently read, covering topics from financial crashes and speculative manias to genetics, technology and human behavior. They also discuss what they’re currently reading and preview what’s next on their
Kathryn Paige Harden - Original Sin: On The Genetics of Vice, The Problem of Blame, And the Future of Forgiveness Mar 16, 2026 01:25:45 How much of our temperament and behavior is passed through DNA, and how do we punish those whose behavior may be shaped by genetic forces outside of their control?These concepts are explored in the latest episode of A Book with Legs, where Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead is joined by professor, scientist, and author Kathryn Paige Harden to discuss her book, “Original
Tom Griffiths - Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind Mar 2, 2026 01:24:07 What is the divine, and what can the distinctions between AI learning and human cognition reveal about it?These concepts are explored in the latest episode of A Book with Legs, where value investor Cole Smead, CEO and Portfolio Manager of Smead Capital Management, is joined by author and professor Tom Griffiths to discuss his book, “The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the M
Amy Gamerman - The Crazies Feb 16, 2026 01:10:28 How much trouble could a wind farm cause? Turns out, a lot. When Rick Jarrett decided to capitalize on strong gusts around his land in Big Timber, Montana, the prospect of a wind farm in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains upset hyper-wealthy neighbors who were more concerned about property aesthetics than multi-generation locals looking to make a living. It also caught the attention of Crow Tribe a
Tim Wu - The Age of Extraction Feb 2, 2026 01:02:13 Smead Capital Management Chairman and CIO Bill Smead and CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead sat down with author and Columbia Law School professor Tim Wu for a special live taping of the A Book with Legs podcast at today’s Smead Investor Oasis. The three discuss Tim’s new book, titled “The Age of Extraction.”The book unpacks one of the defining challenges of our time—the growing power of tech pl
Kenneth R. Rosen - Polar War Jan 19, 2026 01:12:46 In this episode, learn how today’s geopolitics, climate change, and key happenings in the Arctic affect people and countries around the globe. The Arctic plays a complex role on the world stage, impacting everything from Russian national identity to shipping routes and military aspirations. Understanding these themes requires a comprehensive look at Arctic history, its exploration, and why it’s co
Trent Preszler - Evergreen Jan 5, 2026 01:10:35 In this episode, learn about how evergreen trees have uniquely shaped America as we know it today, impacting how we build our homes, celebrate holidays, and more. In fact, the American Revolutionary War might have really started with the Pine Tree Riot, which happened a year before the Boston Tea Party! Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead is joined by Trent Preszler, auth

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