Andrew Seth Meyer: To Rule All Under Heaven

Andrew Seth Meyer: To Rule All Under Heaven

From A Book with Legs by Smead Capital Management

May 4, 2026 · 1h 17m · Season 4 · Episode 439

About this episode

Cole Smead interviews Andrew Seth Meyer about his book on the history of classical China and the factors that led to the rise and fall of its first empire.

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 Andrew explore one of the most consequential periods in Chinese history, a 200-year era of warring states that began with Confucius and ended with the rise and swift collapse of China's first empire. They also discuss the role of philosophy in shaping power, Confucius’ works in a modern context, and what this story reveals about the world we navigate today. Those who would like to learn more about Professor Meyer can visit: https://www.andrewsethmeyer.com/ . Sign up to be notified about new A Book with Legs episodes: https://hubs.ly/Q0452Lh70

People in this episode

Host: Cole Smead

Guest: Andrew Seth Meyer

Topics covered

  • Chinese history
  • philosophy
  • Confucius
  • empire
  • warring states
  • civilization

Keywords

  • Chinese empire
  • Confucius
  • warring states
  • civilization
  • philosophy
  • history
  • collapse

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smead Capital Management, https://www.andrewsethmeyer.com/, https://hubs.ly/Q0452Lh70

Books & works: To Rule All under Heaven: A History of Classical China, from Confucius to the First Emperor

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