Audiobooks narrated by Graham Rowat

CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job--and Keep the Job

"Your track record isn't enough. Here's what it really takes to be CEO Ready. You're on the short list for the CEO job and you have a record of delivering amazing results. You've been told you have the inside track. You're the leader in the clubhouse. Don't believe it. Remember that no matter what you've heard or what your CV says, you are not alone in the race, and the odds are against you getting the job. Leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes like strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable. If you think it's purely merit-based, you're not CEO ready. But don't worry, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin have coached thousands of candidates through the process and have seen it all—they know what it takes to become truly CEO ready and they're sharing it here. They've witnessed the personal drama that unfolds as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership, as well as the emotions that sway final CEO decisions. In CEO Ready, they reveal what it really takes to secure the top job."

Byron Loflin, Marc Thompson (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Other Side #2

Rodion Korablev (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Tulsa, 2021: A Massacre's Centennial and a Nation's Reckoning

"2021: As the centennial of one of the nation's worst race massacres approached, citizens of Tulsa faced the prospect with hope and dread. Hope that the anniversary would show Tulsa had changed since that day, when a white mob left the city's thriving African American Greenwood neighborhood a smoldering ruin. Dread that Tulsa's faults would be exposed as never before, its racism reinforced rather than mitigated. The anniversary was even more fraught than expected. Tulsa, 2021 offers a deeply informed, behind-the-scenes view of how Tulsans and Americans met that moment of crisis, and what the experience can tell us about racial politics today. Randy Krehbiel brings a keen eye and an insider's understanding to the story of a city contending with racial and urban stresses that are both unique to Oklahoma and indicative of larger trends. The conflicts he uncovers were not split entirely along racial lines, but often revolved around the power of political messaging to shape public opinion. His picture of Tulsa in 2021 reveals how politics, unacknowledged racism, and fear destroyed or damaged promising relationships between white Republican leaders and Black, mostly Democratic Tulsans. In 1921, factions of whites and Blacks fought to control the narrative of the Tulsa Race Massacre. As Tulsa, 2021 demonstrates, the struggle continues."

Randy Krehbiel (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Powerless

"In a society where lies are law, a simple act of honesty can become the ultimate rebellion. When does silent compliance with an oppressive regime become unbearable? For Charlie Simpkins, the manager of a small vegetable shop in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, part of the West Coast People's Democratic Republic, the breaking point comes when he is asked to display a meaningless propaganda poster in his shop window. It is a seemingly insignificant act in a lifetime of obedience. But Charlie just can't bring himself to do it. This minor act of defiance, however, shows too much independent thinking on Charlie's part, setting off a chain of escalating consequences for Charlie and his wife and two children. In Powerless, Charlie Simpkins's growing disillusionment mirrors the psychological toll experienced by many today as political stress and uncertainty become ever more pervasive. As Charlie seeks out others who share his dissatisfaction, his increasingly deliberate and risky actions symbolize the quiet acts of defiance that offer hope and resistance in a society where the powerful suppress dissent. Powerless serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences that can arise when standing up for one's principles in an environment that demands conformity."

Harry Turtledove (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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We Can't Save You: A Tale of Politics, Murder, and Maine

"When a group of young Native Americans launches a series of protests against climate change and its effects on the waters and woods of Maine, veteran FBI agent Ryan Tapia is assigned to monitor the movement. The protestors, who become determined to split away from American society, are led by 'Peeled Paul' Soco, a Malpense hermit who played a key role in one of Tapia's previous investigations. When the marchers begin making camps on the lawns of luxurious summer mansions along the Maine coast, they win national media attention—and the wrath of a reactionary president. Tapia soon finds himself torn. He wants to do right by Soco and the protestors, but his bosses at the Bureau are eager to please the president. Growing increasingly sympathetic to the protestors and their cause, he tells them about a possible refuge—a secret CIA base hidden away in the depths of the Maine woods. Enraged, the White House sends a US Army unit to track down the protestors on their stealth march through the evergreen forests. Meanwhile, Tapia's bosses, vexed and embarrassed, fire him and threaten arrest. Undaunted, Tapia snowmobiles through the wilderness on a wintry night to warn the Indian protestors of the impending attack. Building to a dizzying climax, We Can't Save You establishes Ryan Tapia as one of the most compelling and nuanced investigators in crime fiction."

Thomas E. Ricks (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Lead Solo: Learning Life's Vectors from an F/A-18 Blue Angel Aviator

"'Pull your green ring!' That came through loud and clear over the radio despite all the other talking between the various jets and the controllers. It was my Division Leader, one of our Squadron's most senior pilots, on a night flight during my first period flying off the aircraft carrier. I had unknowingly fallen victim to Hypoxia and was minutes, if not seconds, away from dying as I very much intended to softly land in a nearby swamp so I could get some much-needed rest. Moments later, having pulled the green ring resulting in pure oxygen being delivered instantly, I looked outside and said 'Holy Sh*t. I'm flying. And it's nighttime.' From the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet, U.S. Navy Commander Frank Weisser conveys the lessons he learned flying as the Lead Solo for the Blue Angels, on multiple combat deployments, and as stunt pilot for Top Gun: Maverick. Each chapter opens with a flight sequence and describes a lesson, skill, or value that Weisser learned in the sky and that carried him through a life of service with the Navy: finding focus, developing trust, opening communication, overcoming adversity, facing failure, and recognizing courage within oneself. With a focus on the instructors, flight team members, and colleagues who taught and guided him, this accessible book contains wisdom for everyone on how to live thoughtfully, with courage, and well."

Frank Weisser (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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The Other Side #1

"An alien civilization offers the human race a deal—access to the Other Side and the extraction of its resources in exchange for technology and knowledge. Thanks to this, humanity opens up a whole new universe full of unusual opportunities. Alex, just starting out as a prospector, sets off to the Other Side for the first time, but during the journey he finds himself in an unknown and extremely dangerous area, from where he can only escape over the bodies of his enemies."

Rodion Korablev (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Free Exercise: Religion, the First Amendment, and the Making of America

"CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF. Those words, scratched on parchment in 1789, open the US Constitution's First Amendment. From them, countless interpretations have been drawn. As a consequence, an astonishing variety of activities in modern America—prayer after football games, Bible reading in classrooms, company healthcare policies, the baking of wedding cakes, and Ten Commandment displays around courthouses—have been alternately authorized, prohibited, or modified. In this compelling historical account, Chris Beneke explains how the religion clauses came into existence and how they were woven into American culture. He brings prominent early national figures to life, including George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Paine, while chronicling the First Amendment's relationship to defining social conditions like slavery, civility, family life, and the free market. Going beyond traditional church-state scholarship, Beneke also demonstrates how white women, African Americans, Roman Catholics, Jews, and nonbelievers widened religious liberty's application and illuminated its boundaries. In doing so he makes a groundbreaking contribution to both constitutional history and the history of American pluralism."

Chris Beneke (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Body Brokers: A Thriller

"When his girlfriend dies of a drug overdose, lawyer Jason Feldman goes undercover to ground zero of the fentanyl epidemic to prove she was murdered. Lawyer Jason Feldman finds his girlfriend, Emily, dead of a fentanyl overdose. She was the best thing that happened to him since being forced to rebuild his life, struggling to stay sober after being falsely accused of murder, and being suspended from the practice of law. When the police write Emily’s murder off as accidental, Jason and Emily’s roommate, Delaney, begin their own investigation. Together, Jason and Delaney uncover a dangerous secret that endangers not only their lives, but the lives of those around them. Their journey catapults them into the corrupt addiction treatment centers that will go to any lengths to keep them from learning the truth. Their only chance of survival lies in Doc, a former physician and recovering addict, who holds the key to Emily’s past and Jason’s future. Will they be able to uncover the truth and expose the powers that be?"

Brian Cuban (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things

"Combining ancient epic and myth with analogies from biology and the natural world, Joel P. Christensen explores the creative process and how narratives develop. This bold work urges listeners to treat narratives as living things with their own agency in the world. Christensen starts by using Homeric epic to explore the way language and meaning develop alongside audiences in complex ecosystems and then moves through storytelling in the ancient Mediterranean over a thousand years. In this study, which ranges from the evolution of narratives to viral ideas, and to the dangerous side of stories in mass shootings and war, we see how narratives function as independent entities with consequences that cause lasting harm. Connecting his argument to the present day, Christensen addresses contemporary cultural panics, including AI and ChatGPT, 'post-truth' or alt-facts in the digital age, and free speech and cancel culture. Storylife invites listeners to rethink human creativity, the importance of collective actions, and the lives we build together with and against narrative. In an age rife with misinformation, it is time to reconsider how much control we have over stories and how to educate ourselves once we acknowledge the power that narrative exerts over us."

Joel P. Christensen (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Crooked Smile: What It Took to Escape a Decade of Homelessness, Addiction, & Crime

"Featured in the Wall Street Journal Crooked Smile details one man's journey that left him homeless on Skid Row, and what it took to escape a decade of addiction. 'Darkly humorous' is an understatement when it comes to this tale of addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and redemption. Jared Klickstein, the child of two heroin addicts who eventually became addicted himself, takes listeners on a raw and personal journey from his unsettling and secretive childhood in the suburbs to the slums of Skid Row. Through tales of violence, relapse, and deep inner struggle, Klickstein provides a harrowing account of his personal encounter with near-death. But this story is not just about one man's life—it's about the hundreds of thousands of homeless and drug-addicted Americans who are on the streets right now. It's about those who need help the most, and what can be done to address the growing addiction and homelessness problems. Klickstein offers a fresh take and solutions to both epidemics, providing firsthand experience and insight into what policies should be put in place to mitigate the suffering. Crooked Smile recounts one man's escape from a hellish life—and carves a valuable path for others."

Jared Klickstein (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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The Trouble With Tycho and Cosmic Engineers

"Adventurers journey into the foreboding unknown regions of outer space in these two classic science fiction tales from the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author. The Trouble with Tycho Prospecting on the moon is grim, dangerous, and usually unrewarding. Most greenhorns don't know that until after they arrive, and Chris Jackson is no exception. He put everything he owns, and then some, into this venture, and he'll be ruined if he fails. Jackson's last chance at success is hidden in the uncharted crater Tycho—where three expeditions have already disappeared. Jackson, a beautiful immigrant, and a visiting doctor set out to find their fortunes . . . and discover whether the terrifying rumors of what lurks within Tycho are true. Cosmic Engineers 'Upon you and you alone must rest the fate of the universe. You are the only ones to save it.' Thus spoke the mysterious Cosmic Engineers to a small group of human beings on the rim of the Solar System. Courageously journeying beyond uncharted stars, somewhere in the vastness of the galaxy, they will meet the greatest challenge of their lives—the catastrophic fury of the Hellhounds of Space."

Clifford D. Simak (Author), Graham Rowat (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Graham Rowat