Audiobooks narrated by Walter Dixon

Becoming the Best: Build a World-Class Organization Through Values-Based Leadership

What does it mean in practice to be a values-based leader? When faced with real situations, how can you be your best self and create best teams—while also being a best partner with customers and vendors, a best investment for your stakeholders, and a best citizen making a difference in the world? In his bestselling book From Values to Action, Harry Kraemer showed how self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence, and genuine humility are the traits of today's most effective leaders. In Becoming the Best, his highly anticipated follow-up, Kraemer reveals how, in practical terms, anyone can apply these principles to become a values-based leader and to help create values-based organizations. Drawing on his own experiences as the former CEO and chairman of Baxter International, as well as those of other notable leaders and organizations, Kraemer lays out a pathway for understanding the principles and putting them into practice. Regardless of level or job title, individuals can make a difference in their organization and beyond by embodying the essential traits of a great leader. Becoming the Best offers a definitive, actionable guide to show anyone how to apply in practice the principles of values-based leadership personally and professionally, making it an indispensable manual for the new wave of better leaders.

Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr. (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Right to Oblivion: Privacy and the Good Life

We are able to configure privacy settings on our devices and social media platforms, but we know our efforts pale in comparison to the scale of surveillance capitalism and algorithmic manipulation. In our hyperconnected era, many have begun to wonder whether it is still possible to live a private life, or whether it is no longer worth fighting for. The Right to Oblivion argues incisively and persuasively that we still can and should strive for privacy, though for different reasons than we might think. Recent years have seen heated debate in the realm of law and technology about why privacy matters, often focusing on how personal data breaches amount to violations of individual freedom. In a novel philosophical account, Pressly insists that privacy isn't simply a right to be protected but a tool for making life meaningful. Privacy deepens our relationships with others as well as ourselves, reinforcing our capacities for agency, trust, play, self-discovery, and growth. Without privacy, the world would grow shallow, lonely, and inhospitable. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Hannah Arendt, Jorge Luis Borges, and a range of contemporary artists, Pressly shows why we all need a refuge from the world: not a place to hide, but a psychic space beyond the confines of a digital world in which the individual is treated as mere data.

Lowry Pressly (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Patenting Life: Tales from the Front Lines of Intellectual Property and the New Biology

Shortly after the emergence of genetic engineering in the 1970s, academic biologists were courted by venture capitalists and multinational companies. Researchers who understood the new biology of the time went from being merely curious about how the natural world functioned to realizing that they could profit from their newfound recognition. As they were inventing all sorts of newfangled organisms, biologists became acquainted with intellectual property. Patenting Life provides insights into legal fights over patented microbes, virus-resistant crops, ownership of body parts, and the patents they engendered. Covering the early days of recombinant DNA science to the present, Goldstein shares cases from his own career and those of others involving blockbuster biological drugs, aseptic mosquitoes, genetically engineered cows, and CRISPR, the modern gene-editing technology that promises to vanquish congenital diseases such as sickle cell anemia. He also addresses the perceived downsides of the patent system: the high prices of drugs, international access to COVID-19 vaccines and other medicines, and the ascent of genetically modified crops. Patenting Life will appeal to listeners interested in science and technology and also those interested in laws promoting innovation.

Jorge Goldstein (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Waters of the United States: POTUS, SCOTUS, WOTUS, and the Politics of a National Resource

In 2023, the Supreme Court made one of its most devastating rulings in environmental history. By narrowing the legal definition of 'waters of the United States' (WOTUS), the court opened the floodgates to unregulated pollution. But while tremendously consequential, the decision was also simply the latest in a long series of battles over WOTUS, and which rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, and perhaps even farm fields were to be protected by the Clean Water Act of 1972. Waters of the United States is an unprecedented exploration of this history—and its importance for today's efforts to conserve a critical natural resource. The book not only examines how bodies of water are legally defined (and therefore protected), but who gets to decide on these definitions. The result is a fascinating look at the ongoing power struggle between the president and federal agencies, the courts, the states, and Congress, over water quality. Waters of the United States offers the detailed analysis necessary for any lawyer or environmental advocate to understand the nuances of water policy, while spinning a compelling narrative for listeners who have never cracked a law book. The unique mix of insights into environmental law, history, and politics is required for anyone who cares about the future of the nations water.

Royal C. Gardner (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability

In The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability, businessman André Hoffmann and journalist Peter Vanham describe how companies should change their ways to have continued success, and why the current modus operandi is not working. They present a template for creating 'sustainable prosperity', and case-studies of companies that survived and thrived by opting for change. In doing so, they provide a way out of long-standing dilemmas, such as how to balance business needs with impact on nature, shareholders with stakeholders, and short-term vs. long-term profits. You'll find: ● A first-hand account of global healthcare company Roche's sustainability practice, as told by André (Roche's vice-chairman), chairman Severin Schwan, and several other senior management members ● Case-studies and lessons of organizations with visionary leaders, such as INSEAD, IKEA, Harley Davidson, and Holcim ● Strategies for addressing the negative externalities and trade-offs that arise from doing business; identifying the right metrics and targets to deliver on your purpose; and accounting for human, social, and natural capital, alongside financial capital

Andre Hoffmann, Peter Vanham (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Power Phone Scripts: 500 Word-for-Word Questions, Phrases, and Conversations to Open and Close More

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for what to say when the gatekeeper asks you what your call is about? Have your palms ever sweated when the decision maker shuts you down with: 'I wouldn't be interested'? Has your heart taken a fast dive into your stomach when, at the start of your presentation, your prospect tells you that they've thought about it and are just going to pass? If you're in sales, then the question isn't 'Have you ever felt this way?', but rather, 'How often do you feel this way? Are you finally ready to learn how to confidently and effectively overcome these objections, stalls, and blow-offs? If so, Power Phone Scripts was written for you! Unlike other books on sales that tell you what you should do (like build value—hard to do when the prospect is hanging up on you!), Power Phone Scripts provides word-for-word scripts, phrases, questions, and comebacks that you can use on your very next call. Learn to overcome resistance, get through to the decision maker, and then, once you have him or her on the phone, make an instant connection and earn the right to have a meaningful conversation. You'll be equipped with proven questions, conversation starters, and techniques to learn whether or not they are even right for your product or service, and, if they aren't, who else in their company or another department might be.

Mike Brooks (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Leading Successful Change, Revised and Updated Edition: 8 Keys to Making Change Work

When Jack Dorsey returned to Twitter as CEO in 2015, the company was in trouble. But unlike so many other social media platforms that have crumbled under tough conditions, Twitter is still alive—and thriving. How did Twitter turn itself around in one of the most turbulent and competitive industries? The change management approach of authors Gregory P. Shea and Cassie A. Solomon guided a significant area of the organization's turnaround effort. In this revised and updated edition of Leading Successful Change, Shea and Solomon share success stories from a host of companies including Twitter, Viacom, and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, offering a tested method for leading successful change, which they have developed over a combined fifty years of helping organizations do just that. In Leading Successful Change, Shea and Solomon share: why most change efforts fail; the two key tenets for making successful change; how to create a scene that will provide a vision of the future; the 8 Levers of Change, a tried-and-true method for designing the work environment to support the changes; and how winning companies—from IKEA to Whirlpool—are successfully implementing change.

Cassie A. Solomon, Gregory P. Shea (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dealing With People You Can't Stand, 4th Edition: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst

Today, new technologies, the increased role of social media, and the ubiquity of remote work have resulted in more polarized workplaces, the breakdown of social mores, and downright rude behavior. These days, it seems like there are more people we can't stand-not fewer-and, too often, if we aren't yelling at each other, we've just quit talking altogether. The global bestseller Dealing with People You Can't Stand has been helping people make the best of tough situations for nearly three decades, and this new edition has been fully updated to address the needs of our time. You'll learn how to get along and get things done when you're dealing with people who have the uncanny ability to sabotage, derail, and interfere with your plans, needs, and wants. Brand-new chapters cover: narcissism, polarization, remote work, meetings, video communication, social media communication, and communicating with relatives. Whether you're dealing with a manager who won't let you get a word in edgewise in a virtual or hybrid meeting, a coworker who holds beliefs you find extreme, a family member who doesn't respect your boundaries, or trolls on social media, Dealing with People You Can't Stand provides the tools for bringing out the best in people at their worst.

Rick Brinkman, Rick Kirschner (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Getting Out of Debt For Dummies

Get out and stay out of debt the smart and easy way This is a clear and simple guide to getting out from under credit card debt, student loan debt, and all other forms of owing people money. With simple changes and smart decisions, you can start today and enjoy financial stability moving forward. This book covers everything you need to know to take the sting out of those monthly repayments, offering strategies for coping with personal loans, car loans, mortgages, home equity loans, and beyond. Getting Out of Debt For Dummies will help you prioritize and consolidate debt, so you can pay off the most pressing bills first and reduce the number of debtors coming after you. You'll also get pro tips for using credit cards responsibly, building up your credit score, and avoiding debt-generating traps when you make purchases. Getting out of debt doesn't have to be overwhelming. Let this Dummies guide help you quickly and easily repair your finances. You'll be able to: understand the different types of debt, including good and bad debt; develop a strategy for managing student loans and getting on a repayment plan; know what you're signing up for when you use credit cards and pay-later platforms; negotiate with collection agencies, the IRS, and angry creditors; and design a realistic and painless payback schedule-even for serious debt.

Steven Bucci (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Cactus Hunters: Desire and Extinction in the Illicit Succulent Trade

Cacti and succulents are phenomenally popular worldwide among plant enthusiasts, despite being among the world's most threatened species. The fervor driving the illegal trade in succulents might also be driving some species to extinction. Delving into the strange world of succulent collecting, The Cactus Hunters takes us to the heart of this conundrum: the mystery of how and why ardent lovers of these plants engage in their illicit trade. What inspires the desire for a plant? What kind of satisfaction does it promise? The answer, Jared D. Margulies suspects, might be traced through the roots and workings of the illegal succulent trade. His globe-spanning inquiry leads Margulies from a spectacular series of succulent heists on a small island off the coast of Mexico to California law enforcement agents infiltrating a smuggling ring in South Korea, from scientists racing to discover new and rare species before poachers find them to a notorious Czech 'cacto-explorer' who helped turn a landlocked European country into the epicenter of the illegal succulent trade. A heady blend of international intrigue, social theory, botanical lore, and ecological study, The Cactus Hunters offers complex insight into species extinction, conservation, and more-than-human care.

Jared D. Margulies (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Light-Horse Harry: A Biography of Washington's Great Cavalryman, General Henry Lee

Henry Lee learnt to ride before he was five, joined Washington's Army at nineteen, and was appointed Captain of the Fifth Troop of Virginia Dragoons at twenty. At twenty-two, Colonel Lee took command of a mixed cavalry and infantry unit known as 'Lee's Legion'-the finest offensive team in the Continental Army. Nicknamed 'Light-Horse Harry' for his raids on British supply wagons, the young Virginian quickly earned a reputation for horsemanship and distinguished himself as one of the most skilled and courageous cavalry officers of the American Revolution. After the war Lee served in the Virginia legislature, in Congress, in the Virginia Convention of 1788 that ratified the federal Constitution, and as governor of the state. His political career was interrupted while he commanded the Army to put down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. From 1799 to 1801 he served in the House of Representatives. Noel B. Gerson charts the triumphs and tragedies of one of the nation's most distinguished citizens, whose rise to fame was overshadowed by bankruptcy, imprisonment, and injuries he received from an angry mob. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary sources, including private correspondence and Lee's own published memoirs, Gerson masterfully portrays a dedicated patriot and natural-born soldier, a trait he passed on to his son, General Robert E. Lee.

Noel B. Gerson (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Richard Posner

Judge Richard Posner is one of the great legal minds of our age, on par with such generation-defining judges as Holmes, Hand, and Friendly. A judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the principal exponent of the enormously influential law and economics movement, he writes provocative books as a public intellectual, receives frequent media attention, and has been at the center of some very high-profile legal spats. He is also a member of an increasingly rare breed-judges who write their own opinions rather than delegating the work to clerks. Now, for the first time, this fascinating figure receives a full-length biographical treatment. In Richard Posner, William Domnarski examines the life experience, personality, academic career, jurisprudence, and professional relationships of his subject with depth and clarity. Domnarski has had access to Posner himself and to Posner's extensive archive at the University of Chicago. In addition, Domnarski was able to interview and correspond with more than two hundred people Posner has known, worked with, or gone to school with over the course of his career. Richard Posner is a comprehensive and accessible account of a unique judge who, despite never having sat on the Supreme Court, has nevertheless dominated the way law is understood in contemporary America.

William Domnarski (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Walter Dixon