Audiobooks narrated by Stephen Bowlby

The Corporation and the Twentieth Century: The History of American Business Enterprise

The twentieth century was the managerial century in the United States. An organizational transformation, from entrepreneurial to managerial capitalism, brought forth what became a dominant narrative: that administrative coordination by trained professional managers is essential to the efficient running of organizations both public and private. And yet if managerialism was the apotheosis of administrative efficiency, why did both its practice and the accompanying narrative lie in ruins by the end of the century? In The Corporation and the Twentieth Century, Richard Langlois offers an alternative version: a comprehensive and nuanced reframing and reassessment of the economic, institutional, and intellectual history of the managerial era. Langlois argues that managerialism rose to prominence not because of its inherent superiority but because of its contingent value in a young and rapidly developing American economy. By the end of the twentieth century, Langlois writes, these market-supporting institutions had reemerged to shift advantage toward entrepreneurial and market-driven modes of organization. This magisterial new account of the rise and fall of managerialism holds significant implications for contemporary debates about industrial and antitrust policies and the role of the corporation in the twenty-first century.

Richard N. Langlois (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Never Dead: A Novel

A series of grave robberies in the 1920s go unsolved until reporter Michael Jacobs follows a new thread. His investigation leads him to a small town in the suburbs of Chicago named Elk Hills. While there, he finds out more haunting information than the police ever discovered. But with each interview bringing him closer to the truth, he finds himself becoming a part of the story he was looking to write. At the same time, wealthy businessman Edmund Creighton organizes a group of equally wealthy families and individuals in the Chicago area to finance illegal experiments in the basement of his mansion. These experiments require the presence of recently dead bodies which the members of the secret society are more than happy to acquire. But by the time these dark secrets are uncovered, it may be too late for Michael, or the truth, to make any difference. Contains mature themes.

Joe Scipione (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Life In The Pits: My Time as a Trader on the Rough-and-Tumble Exchange Floors

In 1989, Brad Schaeffer was working as an artist when his trader brother invited him to visit the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Schaeffer promptly quit his job and became a clerk in that most iconic arena of raw capitalism. During the next six years, Schaeffer rose from clerk to trader, making markets on Eurodollar options in Chicago and heating oil options in New York. In that time, jammed literally shoulder-to-shoulder, he screamed, flailed his arms, hurled expletives, and pushed and shoved his way through his day. In Life in the Pits, Schaeffer recalls the uneasy camaraderie of working right next to fierce competitors, the sheer intensity of dealing in stacks of money changing hands with a simple scream or hand signal, and the hijinks, excesses, and collection of characters as colorful as the jackets they wore, giving the listener an intimate look into what life was like down in the financial mosh pits. A worthy successor to Liar's Poker and Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, Life in the Pits offers nuggets of wisdom on what makes a successful trader and the rules all must follow to survive in such an unforgiving environment. Schaeffer's often hilarious, yet sometimes profound, reflections take us on his personal journey from penniless artist to moving millions of dollars' worth of commodities in the blink of an eye.

Brad Schaeffer (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Not All Roads Lead to Heaven Devotional: 100 Daily Readings about Our Only Hope for Eternal Life

Jesus said no one comes to the Father except through him. But in our inclusive world, such an exclusive claim isn't popular. Believers today face persistent pressure to abandon this belief, which the world sees as antiquated at best and hateful at worst. What we need is godly encouragement to stay the course and courage to share the gospel compassionately with those around us. Based on his popular book Not All Roads Lead to Heaven, this new devotional from Dr. Robert Jeffress offers 100 daily readings to bolster your faith in Jesus and boost your passion for sharing the Good News. These readings delve into what both the Old and New Testaments say about salvation, answer popular objections to the gospel, and equip you with the wisdom and reasoning you need to share your faith with boldness and love. God has appointed us to be his representatives on earth to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. It's the most loving thing we can do for the people around us. Let this devotional encourage and equip you to live joyfully in the knowledge of our one-of-a-kind Savior.

Dr. Robert Jeffress (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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One Day I'll Work for Myself: The Dream and Delusion that Conquered America

What makes the dream of self-employment so alluring, so pervasive in today's world? Benjamin C. Waterhouse offers a provocative argument: the modern cult of the hustle is a direct consequence of economic failures-bad jobs, stagnant wages, and inequality-since the 1970s. With original research, Waterhouse traces a new narrative history of business in America, populated with vivid characters-from the activists, academics, and work-from-home gurus who hailed business ownership as our economic salvation to the upstarts who took the plunge. Some flourish; some squeak by. Some fail. As Waterhouse shows, the go-it-alone movement that began in the 1970s laid the political and cultural groundwork for today's gig economy and its ethos: everyone should be their own boss. While some people find success in that world, countless others are left bouncing from gig to gig-exploited, underpaid, or conned by get-rich-quick scams. And our politics doesn't know how to respond. Accessible, fast-paced, and eye-opening, One Day I'll Work for Myself offers a fresh, insightful cultural history of the US economy from the perspective of the people within it, asking urgent questions about why we're clinging to old strategies for progress-and at what cost.

Benjamin C. Waterhouse (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America

The widening gulf between rural and urban America is becoming the most serious political divide of our day. Support for Democrats, up and down the ballot, has plummeted throughout the countryside, and the entire governing system is threatened by one-party dominance. After Donald Trump's surprising victories throughout rural America, pundits and journalists went searching for answers, popping into roadside diners and opining from afar. Rural Americans are supposedly bigots, culturally backward, lazy, scared of the future, and radical. But is it that simple? This pathbreaking book pinpoints forces behind the rise of the 'rural voter'-a new political identity that combines a deeply felt sense of place with an increasingly nationalized set of concerns. Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea uncover how this overwhelmingly crucial voting bloc emerged and how it has roiled American politics. They show how perceptions of economic and social change, racial anxieties, and a traditional way of life under assault have converged into a belief in rural uniqueness and separateness. This book offers a timely warning that the chasm separating urban and rural Americans cannot be papered over with policies or rhetoric. Instead, The Rural Voter demonstrates, this division strikes at the heart of enduring conflicts over American identity.

Daniel M. Shea, Nicholas Jacobs (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Brave Together: Lead by Design, Spark Creativity, and Shape the Future with the Power of Co-Creation

We've been told that working harder and smarter is the only way to succeed in business and life. But it's not true. Hustle culture is causing burnout and pain in our lives, making us feel divided. What if instead we focused on working creatively with others? And asked How can we shape cultures people love? There is hope in co-creation. Brave Together is a deep exploration into how we can live and lead as co-creators, filled with unexpected stories, powerful principles, and a future-oriented framework. The authors have pressure-tested this work with startups and Fortune 500s-including Apple. Coaching leaders how to reimagine their approach to culture, converting creative ideas into billion-dollar solutions with the help of these patterns: The Mirror Test: Take ownership of your reality and your creative identity. The Hero's Sacrifice: Break free of ego to connect with others in inspiring ways. Become the Future: Create a synthesis, manifesting the best in mind, heart, and spirit. Chris Deaver and Ian Clawson have written a handbook that challenges the status quo approach to leadership, work, and culture. It offers the path to a bright future that isn't self-made but shared.

Chris Deaver, Ian Clawson (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Problem Hunting: The Tech Startup Textbook

A unicorn founder gives step-by-step advice on everything from finding product-market fit to managing investors In Problem Hunting: The Tech Startup Textbook, Brian Long offers a tactical approach to building a tech company based on his experience growing a multi-billion dollar software business and selling another business to Twitter for nine figures. This is a daily playbook that any budding entrepreneur will return to over and over again as a reference when building their business. Problem Hunting is broken down into chapters giving simple, step-by-step advice for each stage and functional department needed to run a startup tech company: finding and testing product market fit; creating and refining your product; selling and marketing your new solution; hiring your team and building your culture; mobilizing financial, legal, and compliance functions; and pitching investors and securing funding. Built upon learning and anecdotes from a unicorn founder, Problem Hunting has everything prospective entrepreneurs and leaders need to start their business.

Brian Long (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Out of the Far North

Tensions are at a breaking point. The Western markets that once relied on Russian gas have turned to Israel for their energy needs. Furious at this interference in its control over the West, Russia demands that Israel stop its defensive military strikes against Iranian weapons transported into Syria. Weapons Israel knows are meant for the annihilation of their country. As Israel’s elite fighting forces and the Mossad go undercover, they detect the Kremlin is planning a major attack against Israel, using Syria as a cover. Can the Mossad unveil the details in time to thwart Russia's sinister plan? In the race for clues, Mossad agents Nir Tavor and Nicole le Roux plunge themselves into the treacherous underworld of Russian oligarch money, power, and decadence. Drawing closer to the endgame, they realize their efforts to stop the attack could trigger an all-out war. In this electrifying thriller, hostilities explode as Tavor and le Roux fight to prevent a devastating conflict. Will they be able to outwit their enemies—or will their actions have catastrophic consequences?

Amir Tsarfati, Steve Yohn (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Bizarro: The Surreal Saga of America's Secret War on Synthetic Drugs and the Florida Kingpins It Cap

Inside a drug war so screwy that people don't know what's illegal-until it's too late. Bizarro is a must-listen tale of the unprecedented prosecution of Burton Ritchie and Ben Galecki, the Florida-based founders of a sprawling 'spice' (synthetic cannabinoid) operation. With this book, journalist and former New York City narcotics prosecutor Jordan S. Rubin exposes a Reagan-era law called the Analogue Act, which targets dealers selling drugs that are 'substantially similar' to controlled substances-an unwieldy law that produces erratic results in court. Rubin brings listeners deep inside the synthetic war, exploring how Ritchie and Galecki landed in its crosshairs and why one of the DEA's own chemists may have been their best chance at freedom, until he was arrested too. This stranger-than-fiction narrative is backed by thousands of pages of court records and exclusive interviews with defendants, lawyers, law enforcement, celebrities, and more. Bizarro reveals the world of underground chemists making drugs faster than the government can ban them, dealers making millions in a gray market, and a justice system run amok.

Jordan S. Rubin (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Midway Submerged: American and Japanese Submarine Operations at the Battle of Midway, May–June 1942

Most books gloss over submarines at Midway and, if they are mentioned at all, conclude they failed miserably and had little impact on the outcome of the battle. It is undeniable that carrier aviation and intelligence saved the day, but the role of the submarine was an important one in defense of an anticipated amphibious assault. Midway Submerged is a comprehensive examination of a little-known aspect of this pivotal naval battle, explaining how Nimitz used his submarines at Midway and the Japanese misused theirs based on a flawed tactical plan. Based on in-depth archival research not only into the battle itself, but also submarine design and construction, and tactical and operational doctrine for both the United States and Japan, it brings a whole new dimension to the discussion of the battle of Midway. It examines the intended role of the submarine in the plans and doctrine of both navies, and what the submarines were expected to accomplish for both fleets during the battle, before assessing the actual accomplishments, successes, and failures of the submarine forces on both sides. Of particular importance, the book offers an analysis of how well these vessels fulfilled the expectations placed on them by their naval planners, concluding that submarines played a more important role in the outcome than has been previously understood.

Mark W. Allen (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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The Enemy Harassed: Washington's New Jersey Campaign of 1777

In late December 1776, the American War of Independence appeared to be on its last legs. General George Washington's continental forces had been reduced to a shadow of their former strength, and the British Army had chased them across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Desperate times call for desperate measures, however, and George Washington responded to this crisis with astonishing audacity. On Christmas night 1776, he recrossed the Delaware as a nor'easter churned up the coast, burying his small detachment under howling sheets of snow and ice. Undaunted, they attacked a Hessian brigade at Trenton, New Jersey, taking the German auxiliaries by complete surprise. Then, only three days later, Washington struck again, crossing the Delaware, slipping away from the British at Trenton, and attacking the Redcoats at Princeton. The British, now back on their heels, retreated toward New Brunswick as Washington's reinvigorated force followed them north into Jersey. Over the next eight months, Washington's continentals and the state militias of New Jersey would go head-to-head with the British in a multitude of battles, eventually forcing the British to flee New Jersey by sea. In this captivating narrative of the American War of Independence, Jim Stempel brings to life one of the most violent, courageous, yet virtually forgotten periods of the Revolutionary War.

Jim Stempel (Author), Stephen Bowlby (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Stephen Bowlby