Audiobooks by David Thomas

The Fairfax Way: Inside Prem Watsa's Secret to Lasting Success

"The rise and stall-and rise again-of corporate Canada's least well-known spectacular success Even those who have heard of Prem Watsa and Fairfax Financial probably don't understand them. The company sprawls across more than 100 countries and is known for its complex finances-so complex, they once attracted a who's-who of Wall Street short sellers who misread the company as the next Enron and decided it could be profitably pushed into an open grave. The hedge funds even had Bob Dylan lined up to sing at the company's funeral party. Fairfax stared down regulators and fought back. Dylan never got the chance to sing. Watsa, now 75, stole a page from Warren Buffett in building a $45 billion global empire built on value investing and insurance assets. Its bold and creative trades are legendary, often moving against the herd and making billions while others lose their shirts. These days, the company is back winning billion-dollar bets, but away from the headlines. The Fairfax Way explores the lessons learned and why skies are now blue above a transformed company. In its 39-year history, Fairfax's annual compound return of 19.2% trounces the S&P 500's 11.3%. Lately, it is outperforming even Silicon Valley tech stocks and winning back an investor following. It's time to get to know Fairfax better. The company's holdings include strategic investments like Bauer hockey sticks, William Ashley wedding gifts, Sleep Country mattresses, Golf Town stores, and Seaspan container ships. If you took home Swiss Chalet chicken last week or went for steak at the Keg, you ate at Fairfax restaurants. It's time to get to know Prem Watsa better, too. People long misjudged him as a recluse. Truth is, he simply always wanted to build a business, not talk to the media. After 40 years, he and his executives have finally decided it's a good time to open up. For all the colourful dealmaking, billion-dollar bets, high-stakes hedge fund wars, Thomas reveals an inspiring story for our current troubled times. What emerges is that many people just had trouble believing Fairfax had the audacity to build a company culture based on the golden rule-treat others as you would have them treat you. The Fairfax Way captures the inside story of how a culture of treating people right can be a secret competitive moat to long-term outperformance."

David Thomas (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Taking the Lead: Winning Business Principles that Fuel Joe Gibbs Racing

"The president of Joe Gibbs Racing―the winningest team in NASCAR history―shares the secrets of succeeding in business and in life. In NASCAR, as in life, the difference between winning and losing often comes down to being in the right place at the right time and making the most of every opportunity. Nobody understands that better than Dave Alpern. Dave started his career as an unpaid intern selling T-shirts for the newly formed Joe Gibbs Racing team. Nearly three decades later, he's now the president of JGR, a multimillion-dollar elite, record-setting racing team with more than 500 employees. In Taking the Lead, Dave shares the wisdom he's learned along the way: key principles that will equip you with what you need to rise to the top and succeed with integrity and purpose―whatever team you're on."

Dave Alpern, David Thomas (Author), Dave Alpern (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Multicultural Mind: Unleashing the Hidden Force for Innovation in Your Organization

"Organizations need innovation, and there is a source right under their noses. Research has shown that people with multiple cultural experiences have higher levels of creativity-David Thomas shows how to create a workplace in which multiculturals can thrive and everyone can benefit from their insights. In today's rapidly evolving business world continual innovation is now a must. Scholar and consultant David C. Thomas says the same forces of globalization that have created today's superheated competitive environment have also provided a potential hidden advantage: the multiculturals in your midst. Thomas cites ample research and examples showing that people who have experienced more than one culture are more creative that those with more limited experience. Multiculturals have a broader worldview. Having to integrate different cultural values forces them to develop more complex ways of thinking and makes them better able to see new patterns and connections. Their heightened empathy, the result of learning to adapt to sometimes wildly different cultures, helps them build support for their ideas and work effectively on the teams that implement them. This book makes a powerful business case for recognizing and cultivating a new dimension of diversity. Thomas looks at how different people express their multicultural identities and how to establish the organizational conditions under which multiculturals can flourish, And he shows how even the most monocultural among us can develop the characteristics of a multicultural mind."

David Thomas (Author), Jeff Hoyt (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

"Playing off the themes in the Caldecott Medal–winning children's book Where the Wild Things Are, this informative, practical, and encouraging guide will help parents guide boys down the path to healthy and authentic manhood. Wild Things addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of a boy, written by two therapists who are currently engaged in clinical work with boys and their parents and who are also fathers raising five sons. This book contains chapters such as 'Sit Still! Pay Attention!,' 'Deficits and Disappointments,' and 'Rituals, Ceremonies, and Rites of Passage.'"

David Thomas, Stephen James (Author), David Colacci (Narrator)

Audiobook

Foxcatcher: A True Story of Murder, Madness and the Quest for Olympic Gold

"Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of Foxcatcher by Mark Schultz, read by Stephen Mendel. On 22nd January 1996 Dave Schultz, Olympic gold medallist and wrestling's golden boy, was shot in the back by John E. du Pont at the famed Foxcatcher estate in Pennsylvania. That started a two day siege at the ranch before the du Pont family heir was finally captured. Foxcatcher is Mark Schultz's vivid portrait of the complex relationship he and his brother had with du Pont, a man whose catastrophic break from reality lead to tragedy. No one knows the inside story of what went on behind the scenes at Foxcatcher Farms - and inside John du Pont's head - better than Mark Schultz, also an Olympic gold medalist and a part of the Foxcatcher team."

David Thomas, Mark Schultz (Author), Stephen Mendel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Called for Life: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic

"Dr. Kent and Amber Brantly (with David Thomas) tell of Dr. Brantly’s near-death encounter with the Ebola virus in Liberia. The first American diagnosed during the 2014 outbreak, Dr. Brantly’s ordeal—including his controversial evacuation to and hospitalization in the United States—received worldwide media attention. Interspersed in the account is the full story of how both Kent and his wife, Amber, sought to serve others in the name of Christ in Liberia. Then, when tragedy struck—as thousands, perhaps millions of people worldwide prayed for his life—miraculous events unfolded that resulted in Dr. Brantly’s flight to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta…and an eventual clean bill of health."

Amber Brantly, David Thomas, Kaleo Griffith, Kent Brantly (Author), Sarah Zimmerman (Narrator)

Audiobook

First: What It Takes to Win

"Reigning CrossFit World Champion Rich Froning is 'The Fittest Man on Earth.' He's fast, he's strong, and he's incredibly disciplined. But it takes more than physical strength to compete and win at an elite level. It takes incredible mental and spiritual toughness as well. And it is the precise balance of all three that makes Rich Froning a champion. In First, listeners follow Rich as he trains for and competes in back-to-back CrossFit World Championships. Along the way, Rich shares invaluable training tips, motivational techniques, and spiritual insights that, in keeping with the CrossFit philosophy, will prepare you to respond to any real-life physical, mental, or spiritual challenge."

David Thomas, Rich Froning (Author), Sean Pratt (Narrator)

Audiobook

Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness, and the Quest forOlympic

"The riveting true story—soon to be the subject of a high-profile film—of Olympic wrestling gold medal-winning brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and their fatal relationship with the eccentric John du Pont, heir to the du Pont dynasty On January 26, 1996, Dave Schultz, Olympic gold medal winner and wrestling golden boy, was shot three times by du Pont family heir John E. du Pont at the famed Foxcatcher Farms estate in Pennsylvania. Following the murder there was a tense standoff when du Pont barricaded himself in his home for two days before he was finally captured. Foxcatcher is gold medal winner Mark Schultz’s memoir, revealing what made him and his brother champion and what brought them to Foxcatcher Farms. It’s a vivid portrait of the complex relationship he and his brother had with du Pont, a man whose catastrophic break from reality led to tragedy. No one knows the inside story of what went on behind the scenes at Foxcatcher Farms—and inside John du Pont’s head—better than Mark Schultz. The incredible true story of these championship-winning brothers and the wealthiest convicted murderer of all time will be making headlines this fall, and Mark’s memoir will reveal the true inside story."

David Thomas, Mark Schultz (Author), Stephen Mendel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by David Thomas

Join Our Community