Investing by the Books

Our guest Ethan Everett is an investment analyst in the US and author of 'The Investment Philosophers'. We discuss the book, in which he connects philosophical ideas from thirteen thinkers, including Spinoza, Hume, and Kierkegaard, to modern investing practices. The conversation also touches on his grandfather's influence as a former student of Benjamin Graham and Ethan's future book projects, connecting law and martial arts to investing.—————————————Our conversation with Ethan Everett was recorded on 22 October 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(00:53) Welcoming Ethan Everett(02:23) Ethan’s way to investing(06:48) Discovering philosophy(08:37) How “The Investment Philosophers” came about(10:45) Criteria for selecting the 13 philosophers in the book(12:42) Lessons from Baruch Spinoza(22:42) David Hume(28:28) Søren Kierkegaard(35:28) Ethan’s evolution as an investor(39:31) Company example: Mattel (43:26) Ethan’s role as an Investment Analyst at Galvin, Gaustad & Stein(46:10) Lessons from Ethan’s grandfather, a student of Benjamin Graham(48:46) Ethan’s AI start-up Collexity (53:05) Reading suggestions(57:23) Writing ideas(01:00:43) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe Investment Philosophers – Ethan EverettThe Intelligent Investor - Benjamin GrahamThe Money Game - Adam Smith (George Goodman)Essays – Michel de MontaigneThe Gay Science – Friedrich NietzscheEthics – Baruch Spinoza—————————————Companies MentionedMattel—————————————More on Ethan Everett:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-everett-cfa-esq-404362156/Collexity: https://collexity.ai/—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

We are joined by the US investor Ryan Floyd from Barca Capital to discuss ‘A Time of Gifts' by Patrick Leigh Fermor. The book chronicles Fermer's journey as an 18-year-old Englishman walking through Europe in 1933-1934. While it’s not a typical investing book, we uncover numerous lessons for investors, including the value of observation and action.—————————————Our conversation with Ryan Floyd was recorded on 21 October 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————(00:00) Intro by Eddie(01:29) Welcoming Ryan Floyd(01:51) Ryan’s path to investing(04:54) What “A Time of Gifts” is about(06:24) What the book’s title means(08:13) Structure of the book(11:01) About the author(13:08) Inspiration for investors(15:31) Ryan in the real world(18:56) Optimism vs. pessimism(24:17) Activity vs inactivity(26:50) Dealing with losses(32:54) Entrepreneurial spirit(36:15) Creating Barca Capital(39:37) Geographies of interest(42:17) Portfolio concentration(45:54) Ryan’s investor traveling(50:31) Ambitions for Barca Capital(52:12) Favorite books(56:53) Writing ideas(58:15) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedA Time of Gifts – Patrick Leigh FermorDeep Survival – Laurence GonzalesThe House of Rothschild 1 & 2 – Niall FergusonBooks by Nassim TalebMalcolm GladwellDaniel KahnemanHistories – HerodotusPolitical Order in Changing Societies – Samuel P. HuntingtonDemocracy in America – Alexis de TocquevilleThe Old Regime and the Revolution – Alexis de TocquevilleAlbion's Seed – David Hackett FischerBooks by Robert Caro—————————————Movies MentionedTop GunRushmore—————————————More on Ryan Floyd:Substack: https://detachednotes.substack.com/ Barca Capital Website: https://www.barcacapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanf2 —————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Lars Stenlund co-founded the Swedish firm Vitec Software in 1985. For 35 years, he served as its CEO, and since 2021, he is the Chairman. In this interview, Lars shares his lessons and personal reflections from the journey with Vitec. The basis for our conversation is the book “Driven by Curiosity: Vitec – The First 40 Years”, published in 2025.—————————————Our conversation with Lars Stenlund was recorded on 10 September 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(01:18) Welcoming Lars Stenlund(01:41) Growing up and role models (04:05) Study decisions(04:46) About the book “Driven by Curiosity” (08:05) The early days of Vitec (14:29) Organic growth journey(16:16) IPO, failing in Germany, and starting with M&A(17:58) Competitive situation for acquisitions(19:03) SaaS in 1995(21:15) Earnings stability vs. volatility(22:25) How to measure success(24:09) People and decentralization(26:48) Acquisitions in practice (27:32) Funding (29:59) Geographic expansion(30:53) Mistake 1: don’t kill a working software (33:42) Mistake 2: avoid creating a monopoly(35:34) The worst advice Lars ever got(36:07) Transition from CEO to Chairman(37:19) Selecting his successor(38:19) Avoiding group thinking in the board(40:13) Current commitments besides Vitec(41:48) Umeå’s importance for Vitec and vice versa(44:25) Golfing and the relation with Olov, co-founder of Vitec(46:05) Spending habits(47:25) Lessons from decades of technology shifts(51:22) Time horizon on product development(53:12) Curiosity today(54:13) Reading recommendations and one title to avoid(57:52) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedDriven by Curiosity – Patrick SyrénThe Wisdom of Crowds – James SurowieckiGood to Great – Jim CollinsMarionetterna [in Swedish] – Ingrid CarlbergLord of the Flies – William Golding—————————————Companies MentionedBolidenVitec SoftwareKnowitConstellation SoftwareIBMMicrosoft—————————————More on Lars Stenlund & Vitec Software:Company Website: https://www.vitecsoftware.com/en/—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Fund managers Adnan & Oddbjørn from REQ Capital discuss their brand new book, The Compounders. The book highlights the journeys of nine companies from Sweden, North America, and the UK that have been exceptional compounding machines.—————————————Our conversation with Adnan Hadžiefendić & Oddbjørn Dybvad was recorded on 3 September 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(00:53) Catching up with Oddbjørn(01:42) Adnan’s journey into investing(05:10) Overview of The Compounders (06:43) The writing process of the book(08:24) Core principles of compounding(10:10) Serial acquirers vs Compounders(12:18) Metaphor of the African Tree(13:35) Selection of the nine companies in the book(18:39) Surprises during the writing process(21:36) What to avoid(25:17) Long-term survival(27:29) Organic growth (30:41) Investment Philosophy of REQ(32:18) Corporate Governance’s role(34:05) How much should you pay for exceptional companies?(36:00) Building conviction(38:44) Humility as investors(40:51) Avoiding overconfident operators(41:59) Frugality and motivation(44:15) REQ to start a compounder?(45:21) Book recommendations(46:59) Daily life as fund managers(49:27) New book projects? (50:13) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe Compounders – Oddbjørn Dybvad, Kjetil Nyland, Adnan HadžiefendićInvesting in Value Creators – Oddbjørn DybvadThe Outsiders – William ThorndikeCreating Shareholder Value – Alfred RappaportBerkshire Hathaway’s Shareholder Letters – Warren BuffettPoor Charlie's Almanack – Charlie Munger, Peter Kaufman—————————————Companies MentionedAddtechAmetekBergman & BevingBerkshire HathawayConstellation SoftwareHeicoIndutradeITWJudges ScientificLagercrantzLifco—————————————More on Adnan & OddbjørnREQ's website: https://req.no/ Adnan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnanhadziefendic/ Oddbjørn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oddbj%C3%B8rn-dybvad-01575883/ —————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

In this episode, we have the pleasure of welcoming back Stephen Penman, professor emeritus of accounting and security analysis at Columbia Business School. Stephen has been elected into the Accounting Hall of Fame and is also a distinguished author. We discuss his latest book, in which he shows how accounting helps you, how it doesn't help you, and how to use it when evaluating investments. Stephen also shares his insights on hurdle rates, the development of accounting, and the possible impact of AI.—————————————Our conversation with Stephen Penman was recorded on 18 August 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Martin(01:24) Welcoming Stephen(01:56) Keynote at climate change conference(02:58) Intro to Stephen’s latest book(04:39) Co-author Peter Pope(07:02) Investing by the book(10:03) Cash flow valuation(11:43) Ignore information at your peril (14:49) The required return – a personal matter(19:46) Fantasy thinking(20:18) The hurdle rate of fund managers(22:57) M&A accounting(27:37) Good vs. Bad thinking(30:04) Reverse engineering (33:48) Stephen’s current engagements(36:54) Development of accounting(43:20) Impact of AI on accounting(45:21) Stephen’s own investments(48:30) Book recommendations(52:01) New writing projects(55:32) Concluding remarks—————————————Books & Articles MentionedFundamental Statement Analysis for Value Investing – Stephen Penman & Peter PopeAccounting for Value – Stephen PenmanA Proposal for Goodwill Accounting – Stephen PenmanExpectations Investing - Michael Mauboussin & Alfred RappaportBooks about the enlightenment – Smith, Hume, BakerBooks by Anthony Trollope—————————————More on Stephen PenmanBook website: https://www.penmanpope4value.com/ Papers at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=15046 Columbia Business School: https://business.columbia.edu/faculty/people/stephen-penman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-h-penman-80004628b/ —————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se