Audiobooks narrated by Mark Whitten

The Manager and the Monk: A Discourse on Prayer, Profit, and Principles

What could the conversation between an internationally-prominent CEO and a career Benedictine monk possibly teach us about business? In The Manager and the Monk, Jochen Zeitz and Anselm Grün engage in a lively dialogue about leading with values in the fast-changing 21st-century world, exploring such questions as: Do core values stand a chance in the world of business? To what extent does a monk think like a manager? How much consideration and empathy can a manager afford to show? What do money and success mean to us? At first glance, Jochen Zeitz and Anselm Grün seem as different as two men can be. Zeitz is the CEO of a major corporation (Puma), a leader at multinational luxury brands holding company PPR, and was the youngest CEO in history to lead a company on the German stock exchange. He speaks 6 languages and has lived in the US, Germany, and Kenya. Anselm Grün, meanwhile, has lived in a Benedictine monastery since he was 19. He manages the staff and finances of the monastery's commercial activities, which include beekeeping, furniture-making, and baking. He is also an author of dozens of religious and spiritual books. Their conversation began two years ago at an onstage discussion in front of an audience in Nuremberg. Aware that the missions and goals of their organizations and their lifestyles are worlds apart, they write: 'We were initially surprised and intrigued to find that there is more that unites us than divides us. We both wish to protect the environment, improve society, and employ sustainable methods: both within our companies' and beyond their borders. As managers, we must learn to conduct business without harming people or the environment. As spiritual human beings, we look for ways to find ourselves and create more unity without losing sight of the need for efficient management.' To inform their dialogue, Zeitz (the Manager) spent some time in the monastery, where he was able to find peace and see his world from a different point of view. In return, Grün (the Monk) expanded his knowledge of virtual' companies such as PUMA and the fast-paced, electronically networked world of targets and numbers by visiting the group headquarters and attending conferences. Through a series of topical chapters on subjects such as sustainability, the economy, and prosperity, culture, values, success and responsibility, The Manager and the Monk engage in a dialogue that shows how to effectively manage with values in the 21st century.

Anselm Grn, Jochen Zeitz (Author), Mark Whitten (Narrator)

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Social Machines: How to Develop Connected Products That Change Customers' Lives

Over the past five years, our online interactions and connections have formed the backbone of companies like Facebook and Twitter and have defined whole new categories of social interaction. But where is it written that only humans can be social? What if machines like cars, bikes, health monitors, appliances, ATMs, and kiosks could all become members of your social network, and give you important information about whats happening in your car, your home, and your body? What if the next Facebook friend you made was a product and it started communicating with you about what you want and need? What if your next Twitter follower was your refrigerator?! Businesses like Ford, Proctor and Gamble and dozens of startups are now using social machines to reach new markets, improve brand and market awareness, and increase revenues. The book will: Articulate how social is a compelling new business model for the Internet of Things Discuss current technologies, such as smart phones and tablets, and how they can/will enable Social Machines Teach readers the business benefits of connecting machines to a social network Teach readers how to learn from existing implementations and customize them for their own use.

Peter Semmelhack (Author), Mark Whitten (Narrator)

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Stop the School Bus: Getting Education Reform Back on Track

From a seasoned veteran of public education, Stop the School Bus exposes the unwarranted and misguided school reform initiatives that are negatively impacting students and educators across the country. Gerald Tirozzi covers all the hottest school reform trendsincluding charter schools, teacher merit pay, Race to the Top, common core standards, and more. While some reform efforts are bringing about positive change, many make egregious promises, lack a research base, fail to address the needs of students and educators, and utilize a smoke and mirror depiction of success. The chapters in the book will each represent a bus stop bringing into clear focus a particular misguided reform effort, explaining its negative effect on school reform, the wasted political capital involved, and the often debilitating impact on students and staff. Tirozzi will also provide specific recommendations as to how the reform initiative presented in the chapter can be improved uponwhich, in turn, can help re-route the bus to more meaningful school reform.

Gerald N. Tirozzi (Author), Mark Whitten (Narrator)

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Unrelenting Innovation: How to Create a Culture for Market Dominance

The hands on guide for fostering relentless innovation within your company Gerard Tellis, a noted expert on innovation, advertising, and global markets, makes the compelling case that the culture of a firm is the crucial driver of an organizations innovativeness. In this groundbreaking book he describes the three traits and three practices necessary to create a culture of relentless innovation. Organizations must be willing to cannibalize successful products, embrace risk, and focus on the future. Organizations build these traits by providing incentives for enterprise, empowering product champions, and encouraging internal markets. Spelling out the critical role of culture, the author provides illustrative examples of organizations with winning cultures and explores the theory and evidence for each of the six components of culture. The book concludes with a discussion of why culture is superior to alternate theories for fostering innovation. Offers a groundbreaking take on innovation that is driven by a companys culture Shows what it takes to create a culture of innovation within any organization Based on a study of 770 companies across 15 countries, the origin of 90 radical innovations spanning over 100 years, and the evolution of 66 markets spanning over a 100 years. Provides numerous mini cases to illustrate the workings of culture Written by Gerard Tellis director of the Center for Global Innovation This must-have resource clearly shows the role of culture in driving relentless innovation and how to foster it within any organization.

Gerard J. Tellis (Author), Mark Whitten (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Mark Whitten