Episodes

  • #83 Jeff Totten on Built from Scratch
    May 5 2026
    Jeff Totten, founder and CEO of the US-based holding company Evergreen Services Group, is a thoughtful and driven entrepreneur with an investor mindset. We discuss 'Built from Scratch', written by the founders of Home Depot, which offers numerous lessons on decentralization, funding, and capital allocation.—————————————Our conversation with Jeff Totten was recorded on 10 April 2026.—————————————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(00:57) Welcoming Jeff (01:17) Entrepreneurial and investing background(03:58) The founding of Evergreen Services Group(05:50) Growing families, scaling Evergreen(06:47) Intro to Built from Scratch(07:58) When Jeff came across the book(09:03) Role models for Evergreen(10:14) Evergreen’s verticals(12:02) Pivotal moments (14:35) Funding a young company(17:17) Corporate culture – rolling snowballs(21:15) Decentralization(24:52) Evaluating performance(26:39) Customer service, always worth it?(28:21) Jeff’s time allocation(30:15) Acquisitions: Inspiration and criteria(38:20) Redeploy vs. distribute capital(40:35) Staying private or going public?(42:01) Leverage of the business(43:55) Home Depot after the book(45:37) Legacy and succession planning(48:58) Jeff’s favorite books(51:45) Writing habits and ambitions(52:30) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedBuilt from Scratch – Bernard Marcus, Arthur BlankThe Snowball – Alice SchroederThe Outsiders – William ThorndikeMade in America - Sam WaltonThe Compounders – Oddbjørn Dybvad, Kjetil Nyland, Adnan Hadziefendic100 Baggers – Chris MayerThe Money Masters – John Train—————————————Companies MentionedEvergreen Services GroupHome DepotBerkshire HathawayConstellation SoftwareSwedish serial acquirersTransdigm—————————————More on Jeff TottenEvergreen Services Group: https://www.evergreensg.com/Jeff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhtotten/—————————————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
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    54 mins
  • #82 Ehsan Ehsani: Finding Value in Numbers
    Apr 7 2026
    This episode features Ehsan Ehsani, an investor at Crescendo Partners in New York and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. We discuss his book 'Finding Value in Numbers’, in which Ehsan emphasizes the importance of building a personalized investment framework.—————————————Our conversation with Ehsan Ehsani was recorded on 9 March 2026.—————————————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(00:46) Welcoming Ehsan (02:52) Introducing Ehsan’s book ‘Finding Value in Numbers’(05:23) Foreword by Mario Gabelli(06:30) Part 1: Is the opportunity investable?(08:44) Part 2: Is the valuation attractive?(16:23) Part 3: Is there a path to profits?(18:21) Soft vs. hard catalysts(24:42) Part 4: Do we have a winning game plan?(26:07) System dynamics(31:21) Intangible value(33:40) Building your framework(35:06) Qualitative aspects – people(37:38) Ehsan’s role at Crescendo Partners(40:45) Ehsan’s work at Columbia Business School(42:16) Personal investing(44:50) Having a process vs. following it – RPF(49:52) Ehsan’s reading suggestions(51:42) Writing ambitions(52:19) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedFinding Value in Numbers – Ehsan EhsaniExpectations Investing – Alfred Rappaport & Michael MauboussinThe Power Broker – Robert CaroEndurance – Alfred LansingThe Essays of Warren Buffett – Lawrence Cunningham—————————————Companies MentionedGEGoogle (Alphabet)MetaAccentureMcKinseyEinride—————————————More on Ehsan EhsaniLinkedIn Newsletter ‘Value Hedgehog’: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7099112971280203776/Columbia Business School: https://business.columbia.edu/faculty/people/ehsan-ehsani—————————————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
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    53 mins
  • #81 Andrew Hollingworth on 1929
    Mar 10 2026
    The UK-based portfolio manager Andrew Hollingworth, founder of HollAnd Advisors, joins Eddie to discuss the book '1929' by Andrew Ross Sorkin. The conversation covers parallels to the 2008 financial crisis, how Andrew deals with market distress, and a couple of strong reading recommendations.—————————————Our conversation with Andrew Hollingworth was recorded on 13 January 2026.—————————————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(00:47) Welcoming Andrew (01:09) Andrew’s path to professional investing(02:04) Introducing the book ‘1929’(03:42) The author – who is Andrew Ross Sorkin?(04:44) What differentiates this book from others about the crash(05:51) Surprises in the book(07:14) Why the extreme greed, why then(09:58) Character 1: The big banker – Charles “Sunshine Charlie” Mitchell(11:44) Character 2: Stock astrologist Evangeline Adams(12:53) The lack of financial institutions(14:04) Churchill’s optimism (15:32) Parallels to 2008 and banking regulations(16:31) Trust(17:58) Anything that could’ve made the book better?(18:29) Andrew’s firm HollAnd Advisors(19:18) Andrew’s investment philosophy(20:45) Evaluating businesses and people(22:22) Portfolio concentration(23:29) Ideal holding period(25:02) Trimming(26:02) Dealing with market distress(27:52) Managing cash(28:53) The risk of withdrawals(30:18) Ambitions for the next 5-10 years(31:44) Andrew’s reading suggestions(34:10) Writing ambitions(35:54) Concluding remarks—————————————Books Mentioned1929 - Andrew Ross SorkinToo Big Too Fail - Andrew Ross Sorkin7 Powers – Hamilton HelmerZero to One - Peter ThielThe Outsiders - William ThorndikeTitan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. – Ron ChernowStill Life – Sarah Winman—————————————Companies MentionedWiseMeta—————————————More on Andrew HollingworthLinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andrew-hollingworth-035781129HollAnd Advisors: https://hollandadvisors.co.uk/—————————————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
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    37 mins
  • #80 Rupal Bhansali: Non-Consensus Investing
    Feb 10 2026

    Eddie has the pleasure of speaking to Rupal Bhansali, author of ‘Non-Consensus Investing’ and a seasoned investor with over 30 years of experience. We discuss her journey from growing up in a stockbroker's family in India to becoming a CIO managing billions of dollars in New York. The conversation covers several themes from her book, including risk management, crowded trades, and the importance of independent thinking.

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    Our conversation with Rupal Bhansali was recorded on 15 December 2025.

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    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

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    Episode Chapters

    (00:00) Intro by Eddie

    (01:03) Rupal’s path to investing

    (08:43) Introducing the book: Non-Consensus Investing

    (09:53) Contrarian vs. Non-Consensus Investing

    (10:56) How the book came about

    (14:34) Rupal’s view on risk

    (19:42) Crowded trades

    (27:47) Why a competitive advantage is not enough

    (30:57) The myth of pricing power.

    (32:53) Rupal’s research process

    (35:20) Most common behavioral bias

    (36:47) Patience

    (37:51) Would Rupal like to change anything in the book?

    (38:22) Rupal as an investor and her firm

    (40:28) How to manage your days and measure success

    (42:12) 100 Women in Finance

    (45:24) Rupal’s reading suggestions

    (46:00) Another book by Rupal?

    (46:13) Concluding remarks

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    Books Mentioned

    • Non-Consensus Investing – Rupal Bhansali

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    More on Rupal Bhansali

    • Book Website: https://nonconsensusinvesting.com/
    • Double Duty Money Management: https://doubledutymm.com/

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    About the Podcast

    Intro 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_

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    Disclaimer

    Notice 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

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    48 mins
  • #79 Ryan Bunn on The Art of Speculation
    Jan 13 2026
    This episode features the US-based portfolio manager Ryan Bunn. We discuss Philip Carret's classic investment book 'The Art of Speculation', which influenced later legends like Warren Buffett and Philip Fisher. We conclude that Carret’s nearly 100-year-old insights – including his ‘Twelve Commandments for Speculation’ – remain remarkably relevant today.—————————————Our conversation with Ryan Bunn was recorded on 11 November 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(00:49) Welcoming Ryan Bunn(01:02) Ryan’s path to investing(02:57) Collecting books(03:54) Introducing ‘The Art of Speculation’(04:51) Why is it worth reading?(05:53) The author – who was Philip Carret?(07:04) Carret’s books(08:21) Which investors did Carret inspire?(09:29) Carret – the OG compounder king(11:40) When speculation becomes investing(14:47) Ryan’s top 3 of the ‘Twelve Commandments for Speculation’(20:44) Thoughts on valuation and leverage(22:41) Market cycles(24:02) Carret’s ideas about technical analysis haven’t aged as well(25:30) How the market and investing have changed(26:14) What Ryan would like to speak to Carret about(28:15) Ryan as an investor and his firm Reference Equity(32:06) Investing in small caps globally(35:24) Concentration, position sizing, and turnover(37:48) Patience in real-life investing(39:18) Forced selling(42:18) Ryan’s daily life as an investor(43:12) Reading decisions and habits(46:50) Ryan’s reading suggestions(48:25) Writing ambitions(50:13) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe Art of Speculation – Philip CarretBuying a Bond – Philip CarretA Money Mind at Ninety – Philip CarretBooks by Leo TolstoyCreating Shareholder Value – Alfred RappaportWhat I Learned About Investing from Darwin - Pulak Prasad—————————————More on Ryan BunnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbunn/Reference Equity Website: https://www.referenceequity.com/—————————————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
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    52 mins
  • #78 Ethan Everett: The Investment Philosophers
    Dec 16 2025

    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.

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    Our conversation with Ethan Everett was recorded on 22 October 2025.

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    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

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    Books Mentioned

    • The Investment Philosophers – Ethan Everett
    • The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
    • The Money Game - Adam Smith (George Goodman)
    • Essays – Michel de Montaigne
    • The Gay Science – Friedrich Nietzsche
    • Ethics – Baruch Spinoza

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    Companies Mentioned

    • Mattel

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    More on Ethan Everett:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-everett-cfa-esq-404362156/
    • Collexity: https://collexity.ai/

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    About the Podcast

    Intro 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_

    —————————————

    Disclaimer

    Notice 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

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • #77 Ryan Floyd on A Time of Gifts
    Nov 18 2025
    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
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    59 mins
  • #75 Adnan Hadžiefendić & Oddbjørn Dybvad: The Compounders
    Sep 18 2025
    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
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    51 mins