Through the lens of Karen Southwick’s book, High Noon, Cole is joined by former Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy to explore the author’s work and the company’s history. Scott was with Sun Microsystems as COO “In the Beginning.” In this episode, the podcast takes on an alternative format known as “In the Beginning” where we have a discussion with a founder/early executive from the foundation of a book about the company. Karen’s book highlights Sun’s ascent to power and the crucial role McNealy played. Cole and Scott discuss Sun’s early stages, its growing pains, disputes with Microsoft, and how it became a company that helped develop the internet.

To understand the bond market, you have to understand the Bond King. In this episode, Mary Childs joins Cole and Bill to discuss her book, The Bond King: How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost It All. Mary’s book explores the rise of Bill Gross, how he shaped the inner workings of the investment business and bond industry, and the culture at one of the world’s largest money management firms. The book also serves as a vessel to understanding the bond bull market that began in the early 1980s.

In this episode, Cole is joined by Ed Larson author of the book, To the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles, and the Climax of the Age of Exploration. Ed’s book takes a deep dive into the famous explorers who raced to reach some of the world’s most extreme destinations in 1909. It’s a story about the human spirit, an adventure into the unknown, and the journey to get there.

"Fire can be destructive. It can also be useful. The same, we think, is true with bubbles.” In this episode, Cole is joined by William Quinn and John D. Turner, authors of the book Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles. The trio discuss the history of financial bubbles, how they’re created, why bubbles aren’t always destructive, and how to spot a bubble when you’re in the middle of one.

Will Google and its technologies always have the importance they do in our lives? In this episode, Cole Smead tries to answer that question with George Gilder, author of Life After Google: The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy. Cole and George discuss artificial intelligence, the evolution of technology, the future of computer sciences, and the important role knowledge and order play in our lives.

Interested in what is on the Smead Capital Management book list? In this episode, 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 [email protected].

In this episode, Cole and Bill are joined by Lauren Templeton co-author of the book, Investing the Templeton Way: The Market-Beating Strategies of Value Investing's Legendary Bargain Hunter. Lauren discusses the life of her great uncle and famed investor Sir John Templeton, how he capitalized on buying at the point of maximum pessimism, and his route to becoming known as one of the greatest stock pickers in history.

Are surgeons psychopaths? In this episode, Cole Smead is joined by Thomas Morris, author of the book The Matter of the Heart: A History of the Heart in Eleven Operations. Thomas’ book explains how eleven milestone procedures set the stage for ‘The Golden Age of Heart Surgery’, ultimately leading to an extraordinary period of innovation, ingenuity, and a deep understanding of the heart.

All learning is pattern recognition. In this episode, Cole and Bill are joined by Robert G. Hagstrom, author of the book Investing: The Last Liberal Art. Robert explains how achieving worldly wisdom can allow investors the opportunity to recognize patterns in wide-ranging fields of study to gain market insight through a broader lens.

Carry trades have existed since the beginning of time. Rarely have we run into periods like today that have caused so many investors to be seemingly smart.

In this episode, Cole Smead sits down with Kevin Coldiron, co-author of the book The Rise of Carry: The Dangerous Consequences of Volatility Suppression and the New Financial Order of Decaying Growth and Recurring Crisis to discuss what carry trades are, the constancy of them and how today's carry regime shapes the complex world of finance.