Audiobooks narrated by Dan Bittner

Gold from Iron: A Humble Beginning, Olympic Dreams, and the Power in Getting Back Up

A daring and improbable story of Olympic gold from blue-collar origins Every summer in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Nick Baumgartner went to work pouring concrete, taking on the harsh physical conditions of the construction trade to support his professional snowboarding dreams come winter. To limit travel time while he trained for the Olympics an hour and a half away from home, he lived out of a crusty, old construction van, parked anywhere he could find a spot. And in 2022, after seventeen years of failure—all the crashes, injuries, and personal setbacks—he won Olympic gold at forty years old, becoming the oldest Olympic snowboard medalist in history. In this candid and affable memoir, Baumgartner details his journey from a one-stoplight town to the podium in Beijing. Tales of crisscrossing the globe on the racing circuit and competing in four Olympic Games sit comfortably alongside Baumgartner’s reflections as a single parent and his affectionate portrayal of Iron River, Michigan, the community that raised him. More than just a sports story, Gold from Iron is a tale of massive dreams, constant sacrifice, and the lessons that can be learned racing down an ice-covered course on a carbon fiber board.

Nick Baumgartner (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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The Darkest White: A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him

From Eric Blehm, the bestselling author of The Last Season and Fearless, comes an extraordinary new book in the vein of Into the Wild, the story of the legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly and his death in the 2003 Durrand Glacier Avalanche—a devastating and controversial tragedy that claimed the lives of seven people. On January 20, 2003, a thunderous crack rang out and a 100-foot-wide tide of snow barreled down the Northern Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. More than a dozen skiers and snowboarders were thrust down the mountain, buried beneath several tons of rock-hard snow and ice in the Durrand Glacier Avalanche. A heroic search and rescue ensued. Among those buried was Craig Kelly—“the Michael Jordan of snowboarding”—a man who had propelled the sport into the mainstream before walking away from competitions, to rekindle his passion in the untamed alpine wilds of North America The Darkest White is the story of Craig Kelly’s life, a heartbreaking but extraordinary and inspiring odyssey of a latchkey kid whose athletic prowess and innovations would revolutionize winter sports, take him around the globe, and push him into ever more extreme environments that would ultimately take his life. It is also a definitive, immersive account of snowboarding and the cultural movement that exploded around it, growing the sport from minor Gen X cult hobby to Olympic centerpiece and a billion-dollar business full of feuds and rivalries. Finally, The Darkest White is a mesmerizing, cautionary portrait of the mountains, of the allure and the glory they offer, and of the avalanches they unleash with unforgiving fury.

Eric Blehm (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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The Summer Queen

This captivating sequel to The Buried and the Bound draws listeners into the twisted and irresistible world of the Fair Folk―perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Hazel Wood. As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them. But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them―something Leo’s not willing to lose. 'Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame. But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.

Rochelle Hassan (Author), Dan Bittner, Daniel Henning, Nikki Massoud (Narrator)

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Warlord of the Broken Land

The greatest upsets occur when complete victory is at hand. As a Green Beret on an alien world, the victorious Warlord of Mihdradahl is used to being close to death. The prospect of peace and how to live in it is an entirely different story. When a new enemy brings the end of Benjamin Colt’s peace, his purpose for living, and his entire future, the Warlord must wage a battle as no other. But how to fight an enemy that undermines the faith of his people? What weapon can be wielded to prevent a civil war among the citizens of Queen Talis Darmon’s kingdom? And in the chaos of their division, will the enemy to their south realize that now is the perfect time to invade? Benjamin Colt must draw on every source of wisdom and experience he possesses to battle enemies known and unknowable—from the bloody, brutal battlefields to the threat ripping away at the invisible fabric of Talis Darmon’s mind. Only a Warlord can win the fight and deliver Talis from the slow madness of forlorn that can only end in oblivion!

Doc Spears (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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Robots through the Ages: A Science Fiction Anthology

A remarkable collection, Robots through the Ages includes stories from some of the best writers of science fiction, both old and new. This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature. Since The Iliad—in which we are shown golden statues built by Hephaestus “with minds and wisdoms”—humans have been fascinated by the idea of artificial life. From the Argonautica to the medieval Jewish legend of the Golem and Ambrose Bierce’s tale of a chess-playing robot, the idea of what robots are—and who creates them—can be drastically different. This book collects a broad selection of short stories from celebrated authors such as Philip K. Dick, Seanan McGuire, Roger Zelazny, Connie Willis, and many more. Robots through the Ages not only celebrates the history of robots and the genre of science fiction, but the dauntless nature of human ingenuity.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Robert Silverberg (Author), Bronson Pinchot, Dan Bittner, James Anderson Foster, Jesse Vilinsky, Jim Meskimen, John Pirhalla, Leonard Nimoy, Matt Godfrey, Natasha Soudek, Neil Hellegers, Noah Michael Levine, Peter Ganim, Scott Aiello, Stefan Rudnicki, Steven Jay Cohen, Tim Campbell (Narrator)

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The Buried and the Bound

A contemporary fantasy YA debut from Rochelle Hassan about monsters, magic, and wicked fae, perfect for fans of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Hazel Wood As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts―an uncommonly magical place―Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger―to herself and others―becomes too great for her to handle alone. Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He’s road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn’t even know his true love’s name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it’s haunting. Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with Aziza: he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse. When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown … even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.

Rochelle Hassan (Author), Dan Bittner, Daniel Henning, Nikki Massoud (Narrator)

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The Kick-A** Book of Cobra Kai: An Official Behind-the-Scenes Companion

Calling all badasses - tie on your headbands and tighten your cores! The only official guide to the kickin’ world of the Emmy-nominated and globally beloved show Cobra Kai is here. The Kick-A** Book of Cobra Kai is a celebration of the superfans — an essential companion to the show acting as a master sensei ready to guide readers through the karate-crazed San Fernando Valley. The legacy of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai continues with interviews with Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), Martin Kove (John Kreese), Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz), Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso), and MUCH MORE! The show’s creators will give an unprecedented look inside the making of Cobra Ka: the writing, directing, and production of this beloved franchise that has grown from scrappy underdog to a global phenomenon. You will hear directly from the show’s crew, including our stunt team who will give you an exclusive behind the scenes look into fight choreography, journey through the Valley from the magical retreat of the Miyagi-do dojo to the humble strip mall that houses the Cobra Kai dojo with our set designers, and hear from our composers how the badass soundtrack for the show was conceived. And much more! Remember, Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy!

Rachel Bertsche (Author), Brian Nishii, Brittany Pressley, Dan Bittner, Fred Berman, Grace Capeless, James Fouhey, Jeff Gurner, Jesse Vilinsky (Narrator)

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The Rescue Effect: The Key to Saving Life on Earth

"Details profound examples of life's resilience and makes a convincing case that the natural world still has a lot worth fighting for." -Paul Greenberg, New York Times bestselling author of Four Fish and The Climate Diet As climate change continues to intensify, the outlook for life on Earth often seems bleak. Yet hope for the future can be found in the "rescue effect," which is nature's innate ability to help organisms persist during hard times. Like a thermostat starting the air conditioning when a room gets too warm, the rescue effect automatically kicks in when organisms are stressed or declining. In The Rescue Effect, Michael Mehta Webster reveals the science behind nature's inherent resilience, through compelling stories of species that are adapting to the changing world-including tigers in the jungles of India, cichlid fish in the great lakes of Africa, and corals in the Caribbean. In some cases, like the mountain pygmy-possum in the snowy mountains of southeast Australia, we risk losing species without intensive help from people. As observers to-and the cause of-species declines, we must choose whether and how to help, while navigating challenging questions about emerging technologies and the ethics of conservation actions. Ultimately, Webster argues that there are good reasons to expect a bright future, because everywhere we look, we can see evidence that nature can rescue many species from extinction; and when nature alone is not up to the task, we can help. Combining rigorous research with gripping storytelling, The Rescue Effect provides the cautious optimism we need to help save life on Earth.

Michael Mehta Webster (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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The Start-up of You: Adapt, Take Risks, Grow Your Network, and Transform Your Life

Brought to you by Penguin. The New York Times No. 1 bestseller that can transform your life and career. Co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, and author Ben Casnocha offer a revolutionary method to accelerate your life and career. The secret is to think like an entrepreneur - to run the 'start-up of you'. Entrepreneurs are nimble. They invest in themselves. They build their networks. They take intelligent risks. They make uncertainty and volatility work to their advantage. These are the very same skills we all need to get ahead. Hoffman and Casnocha show how you can create opportunities where others see dead-ends, and when to take proactive risks where others may seek safety. They reveal how to maintain a competitive advantage so you can stand-out from others. They explain how you can build your network. Above all, they share the insights and strategies you need to succeed in the most important venture of all - your own life. 'I think that the startup approach to life is necessary. This book distills the key techniques needed to succeed.' Jack Dorsay, co-founder of Twitter 'Everyone, women and men alike, needs to think big to succeed. This is a practical book that shows you how to take control and build a career that will enable you to have real impact.' Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In and COO of Facebook © Ben Casnocha 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Ben Casnocha, Reid Hoffman (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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Tweet Cute

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from Emma Lord, Tweet Cute is about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected. Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist and secretly running Big League Burger's massive Twitter account. Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper's side. When he isn't trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin Ethan's shadow, he's busy working in his family's deli and when Big League Burger steals his grandma's iconic grilled cheese recipe, he'll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. All's fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack's spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they're publicly duelling it out, they're also falling for each other on an anonymous chat app Jack built. As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate, even these two rivals can't ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance . . . 'Gossip Girl meets Mean Girls mixed with To All The Boys I've Loved Before with a touch of You've Got Mail. It's basically impossible not to like.' — Hypable

Emma Lord (Author), Dan Bittner, Emily Shaffer (Narrator)

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The Startup of You (Revised and Updated): Adapt, Take Risks, Grow Your Network, and Transform Your C

The groundbreaking #1 New York Times bestseller that taught a generation how to transform their careers-now in a revised and updated edition "A profound book about self-determination and self-realization."-Senator Cory Booker "The Startup of You is crammed with insights and strategies to help each of us create the work life we want."-Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project In this invaluable book, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and venture capitalist Ben Casnocha show how to accelerate your career in today's competitive world. The key is to manage your career as if it were a startup business: a living, breathing, growing startup of you. Why? Startups-and the entrepreneurs who run them-are nimble. They invest in themselves. They build their professional networks. They take intelligent risks. They make uncertainty and volatility work to their advantage. These are the very same skills professionals need to get ahead today. This book isn't about cover letters or résumés. Instead, you will learn the best practices of the most successful startups and how to apply these entrepreneurial strategies to your career. Whether you work for a giant multinational corporation, stitch together multiple gigs in a portfolio career, or are launching your own venture, you need to know how to • adapt your career plans as pandemics rage and technologies upend industries • develop a competitive advantage so that you stand out from others at work • strengthen your professional network by building powerful alliances and maintaining a diverse mix of relationships • engineer serendipity that produces life-changing career opportunities • take proactive risks to become more resilient to industry tsunamis • tap your network for information and intelligence that help you make smarter decisions The career landscape has changed dramatically in the decade since Hoffman and Casnocha first published this guide. In an urgent update to the frameworks that have helped hundreds of thousands of people transform their careers, this new edition of The Startup of You will teach you how to achieve your boldest professional ambitions.

Ben Casnocha, Reid Hoffman (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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Little Brother: Love, Tragedy, and My Search for the Truth

This intimate exploration of race and inequality in America tells the story of a journalist's long-time relationship with his mentee, Jorell Cleveland, through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and investigates Jorell's tragic fatal shooting. In 2005, soon after Ben Westhoff moved to St. Louis, he joined the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and was paired with Jorell Cleveland. Ben was twenty-eight, a white college grad from an affluent family. Jorell was eight, one of nine children from a poor, African American family living in nearby Ferguson. But the two instantly connected. Ben and Jorell formed a bond stronger than nearly any other in their lives. When Ben met the woman who'd become his wife, she observed that Ben and Jorell were "a package deal." They were brothers. In the summer of 2016, Jorell was shot at point blank range in broad daylight in the middle of the street, yet no one was charged in his death. Ben grappled with mourning Jorell, but also with a feeling of responsibility. As Jorell's mentor, what could he have done differently? As a journalist, he had reported on gang life, interviewed crime kingpins, and even infiltrated drug labs in China. But now, he was investigating the life and death of someone he knew personally and examining what he did and did not know about his friend. Learning the truth about Jorell and the man who killed him required Ben to uncover a heartbreaking cycle of poverty, poor education, drug trafficking, and violence. Little Brother brilliantly combines a deeply personal history with a true-crime narrative that exposes the realities of life in communities like Ferguson all around the country.

Ben Westhoff (Author), Ben Westhoff, Dan Bittner (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Dan Bittner