
Tough Choices
A Memoir
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $15.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Carly Fiorina
-
By:
-
Carly Fiorina
About this listen
For six years, as she led HP through drastic changes and a controversial merger, Fiorina was the subject of endless analysis, debate, and speculation. She appeared on the cover of every major magazine, and her every word was scrutinized. Yet in all that time, the public never got to know the person behind the persona.
Tough Choices will finally reveal the real Carly Fiorina, who writes with brutal honesty about her triumphs and failures, her deepest fears and most painful confrontations, including her sudden and very public firing by HP's board of directors.
It's an amazing life story: Fiorina was a liberal-arts major and law-school dropout who didn't even consider a business career until her mid-20s. But soon she was blazing through big jobs at AT&T and then Lucent Technologies, with a growing reputation as a creative, hardworking, visionary leader. Her career path would have been remarkable for anyone, but in an industry dominated by men, it was unprecedented.
Tough Choices shows what it's really like to lead a major corporation in a time of great change while trying to stay true to your values. It's one woman's inspiring story, along with her unique perspectives on leadership, technology, globalization, sexism, and many other issues.
©2006 Carly Fiorina (P)2006 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Walk Through Fire
- A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph
- By: Sheila Johnson
- Narrated by: Sheila Johnson
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Filled with sharply drawn, emotionally powerful senses, Walk Through Fire traces the hardships Sheila faced in her marriage and her professional life. Despite her skills as a violinist and music teacher, as well as her obvious entrepreneurial talent, she had to fight to overcome self-doubt and fears of failure. Sheila vividly details her struggles, including battling institutional racism, losing a child, suffering emotional abuse in her thirty-three-year marriage, and plunging into a deep depression with her divorce. And yet, out of that pain came renewed purpose and meaning.
-
-
I am The Salamander
- By Dee Burton on 09-27-23
By: Sheila Johnson
-
The Ride of a Lifetime
- Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- By: Robert Iger
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Robert Iger
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
-
-
Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
-
My Life in Full
- Work, Family, and Our Future
- By: Indra Nooyi
- Narrated by: Indra Nooyi
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a dozen years as one of the world’s most admired CEOs, Indra Nooyi redefined what it means to be an exceptional leader. The first woman of color and immigrant to run a Fortune 50 company - and one of the foremost strategic thinkers of our time - she transformed PepsiCo with a unique vision, a vigorous pursuit of excellence, and a deep sense of purpose. Now, in a rich memoir brimming with grace, grit, and good humor, My Life in Full offers a firsthand view of Nooyi’s legendary career and the sacrifices it so often demanded.
-
-
Even Better Than Expected
- By Tammi Banks on 09-30-21
By: Indra Nooyi
-
The Confidence Code
- The Science and Art of Self-Assurance - What Women Should Know
- By: Katty Kay, Claire Shipman
- Narrated by: Sandy Rustin
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Working women today are better educated and more well-qualified than ever before. Yet men still predominate in the corporate world. In The Confidence Code, Claire Shipman and Katty Kay argue that the key reason is confidence.
Combining cutting-edge research in genetics, gender, behavior, and cognition - with examples from their own lives and those of other successful women in politics, media, and business - Kay and Shipman go beyond admonishing women to "lean in".
-
-
Stop Ruminating and Give it a Listen
- By Megasaurus on 06-23-14
By: Katty Kay, and others
-
The Everything Store
- Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
- By: Brad Stone
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now.
-
-
Did you know how bad it is to work for Amazon?
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Brad Stone
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Walk Through Fire
- A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph
- By: Sheila Johnson
- Narrated by: Sheila Johnson
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Filled with sharply drawn, emotionally powerful senses, Walk Through Fire traces the hardships Sheila faced in her marriage and her professional life. Despite her skills as a violinist and music teacher, as well as her obvious entrepreneurial talent, she had to fight to overcome self-doubt and fears of failure. Sheila vividly details her struggles, including battling institutional racism, losing a child, suffering emotional abuse in her thirty-three-year marriage, and plunging into a deep depression with her divorce. And yet, out of that pain came renewed purpose and meaning.
-
-
I am The Salamander
- By Dee Burton on 09-27-23
By: Sheila Johnson
-
The Ride of a Lifetime
- Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- By: Robert Iger
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Robert Iger
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
-
-
Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
-
My Life in Full
- Work, Family, and Our Future
- By: Indra Nooyi
- Narrated by: Indra Nooyi
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a dozen years as one of the world’s most admired CEOs, Indra Nooyi redefined what it means to be an exceptional leader. The first woman of color and immigrant to run a Fortune 50 company - and one of the foremost strategic thinkers of our time - she transformed PepsiCo with a unique vision, a vigorous pursuit of excellence, and a deep sense of purpose. Now, in a rich memoir brimming with grace, grit, and good humor, My Life in Full offers a firsthand view of Nooyi’s legendary career and the sacrifices it so often demanded.
-
-
Even Better Than Expected
- By Tammi Banks on 09-30-21
By: Indra Nooyi
-
The Confidence Code
- The Science and Art of Self-Assurance - What Women Should Know
- By: Katty Kay, Claire Shipman
- Narrated by: Sandy Rustin
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Working women today are better educated and more well-qualified than ever before. Yet men still predominate in the corporate world. In The Confidence Code, Claire Shipman and Katty Kay argue that the key reason is confidence.
Combining cutting-edge research in genetics, gender, behavior, and cognition - with examples from their own lives and those of other successful women in politics, media, and business - Kay and Shipman go beyond admonishing women to "lean in".
-
-
Stop Ruminating and Give it a Listen
- By Megasaurus on 06-23-14
By: Katty Kay, and others
-
The Everything Store
- Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
- By: Brad Stone
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now.
-
-
Did you know how bad it is to work for Amazon?
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Brad Stone
-
Play Nice but Win
- A CEO's Journey from Founder to Leader
- By: Michael Dell, James Kaplan
- Narrated by: Michael Dell
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1984, soon-to-be college dropout Michael Dell hid signs of his fledgling PC business in the bathroom of his University of Texas dorm room. Almost 30 years later, at the pinnacle of his success as founder and leader of Dell Technologies, he found himself embroiled in a battle for his company’s survival. What he’d do next could ensure its legacy — or destroy it completely.
-
-
Not perfect, but worth a listen
- By James S. on 11-09-21
By: Michael Dell, and others
-
Leadership
- Six Studies in World Strategy
- By: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Henry Kissinger analyses the lives of six extraordinary leaders—Konrad Adenauer, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan Yew, and Margaret Thatcher—through the distinctive strategies of statecraft that he believes they embodied. To each of these studies, Kissinger brings historical perception, public experience and, because he knew each of the subjects and participated in many of the events he describes, personal knowledge.
-
-
Architects of World Order
- By GrimLockz on 09-21-22
By: Henry Kissinger
-
With All Due Respect
- Defending America with Grit and Grace
- By: Nikki R. Haley
- Narrated by: Nikki R. Haley
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikki Haley is widely admired for her forthright manner (“with all due respect, I don’t get confused”), her sensitive approach to tragic events, and her confident representation of America’s interests as our ambassador to the United Nations during times of crisis and consequence. In this book, Haley offers a firsthand perspective on major national and international matters as well as a behind-the-scenes account of her tenure in the Trump administration.
-
-
'With all due respect, I don't get confused!'
- By Wayne on 11-13-19
By: Nikki R. Haley
-
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy
- The Difference and Why It Matters
- By: Richard Rumelt
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader. A good strategy is a specific and coherent response to - and approach for - overcoming the obstacles to progress. A good strategy works by harnessing and applying power where it will have the greatest effect. Yet, Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate Mom-and-apple-pie values, fluffy packages of buzzwords, motivational slogans, and financial goals with “strategy”.
-
-
Good but thin
- By G. London on 01-04-20
By: Richard Rumelt
-
Extreme Ownership
- How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
- By: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
- Narrated by: Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An updated edition of the blockbuster best-selling leadership book that took America and the world by storm, two US Navy SEAL officers who led the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War demonstrate how to apply powerful leadership principles from the battlefield to business and life.
-
-
I don't read SEAL Books...
- By Amazon Customer on 02-21-17
By: Jocko Willink, and others
-
Winning
- By: Jack Welch, Suzy Welch
- Narrated by: Jack Welch
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Welch knows how to win. During his 40-year career at General Electric, he led the company to year-after-year success around the globe, in multiple markets, against brutal competition. His honest, be-the-best style of management became the gold standard in business, with his relentless focus on people, teamwork, and profits.
-
-
Jack's Alltime-Best
- By Anonymous User on 04-18-05
By: Jack Welch, and others
-
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
- By: Ben Horowitz
- Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ben Horowitz offers essential advice on building and running a startup - practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog. While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz’s personal and often humbling experiences.
-
-
For large company managers, not startups
- By Thomas on 03-18-14
By: Ben Horowitz
-
Principles
- Life and Work
- By: Ray Dalio
- Narrated by: Ray Dalio, Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ray Dalio, one of the world's most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he's developed, refined, and used over the past 40 years to create unique results in both life and business - and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.
-
-
Idea-meritocracy/Principles Reference
- By P Eberle on 06-30-18
By: Ray Dalio
-
It's Your Ship
- Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
- By: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Narrated by: D. Michael Abrashoff
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of Captain D. Michael Abrashoff and his command of USS Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy. Now Abrashoff offers this fascinating tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas. When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of the Benfold, a ship armed with every cutting-edge system available, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity.
-
-
Trust your crew to do their best
- By A. Yoshida on 09-05-16
-
The Motive
- Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities
- By: Patrick M. Lencioni
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has written a dozen books that focus on how leaders can build teams and lead organizations. In The Motive, he shifts his attention toward helping them understand the importance of why they're leading in the first place. Lencioni thrusts his listeners into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. Shay Davis is the CEO of Golden Gate Alarm, who, after just a year in his role, is beginning to worry about his job and is desperate to figure out how to turn things around.
-
-
lacking depth
- By friholito on 12-02-20
-
Lead from the Outside
- How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change
- By: Stacey Abrams
- Narrated by: Stacey Abrams
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
National leader Stacey Abrams has written the guide to harnessing the strengths of being an outsider and succeeding anyway. Leadership is hard. Convincing others - and yourself - that you are capable of taking charge and achieving more requires insight and courage. Lead from the Outside is the handbook for outsiders, written with an eye toward the challenges that hinder women, people of color, the working class, members of the LGBTQ community, and millennials ready to make change.
-
-
Uplifting
- By Jean on 02-03-19
By: Stacey Abrams
-
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
- How Successful People Become Even More Successful
- By: Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What's holding you back? Marshall Goldsmith is an expert at helping global leaders overcome their (sometimes unconscious) annoying habits and attaining a higher level of success. His one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag. But with this audiobook, you'll get Marshall's great advice without the hefty fee!
-
-
Good book, but didn't lend to the audio format
- By Carla on 03-21-11
By: Marshall Goldsmith, and others
Critic reviews
"A much-anticipated memoir." (The New York Times)
"Fiorina's tome is sure to create media buzz." (Fortune)
"The Fiorina buzz is expected to get even louder...when she releases her long-awaited tell-all book." (USA Today)
What listeners say about Tough Choices
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Laurie
- 03-31-07
I couldn't stop listening
I truly enjoyed Carly's story. She relates it in a frank, engaging and insightful manner. Every business leader should read this book because the lessons learned are universal.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LLL
- 02-11-15
Carly is inspirational
I love that this is narrated by the author. It was enjoyable to listen to her tell her own story. Carly is inspirational to anyone (not just women) who wants to climb the ladder of success. I can't wait for her next book to come out.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Denise
- 10-21-06
Tough Choices
There are certainly 2 sides to every story but without knowing exactly what that other side is .... Carly's recounting of her career and the events that led up to her HP outsting was riveting and eye-opening. I learned so much of what success and the "success-climb" looks like from this book. Now I have some decisions to make regarding my own career. You can certainly get what you want but are you willing to to pay in self-invested education, the discomfort of politically charged situations, and the wear and tear put on your personal life. Well, for me I am still unsure. But, certainly for Carly ..... she rocks!
DM in Lake Villa
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Molly Mitchell
- 01-10-17
Excellent!
I love that Carly narrated this herself. I found the content both inspirational and at times moving. She kept me very engaged and helped me to better understand her as a person as well as a professional. I also took away some philosophies I will remember in my own professional life.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Joseph
- 01-11-07
Tough Choices
Interesting insight into Fiorina's business career, especially prior to her time at HP - overcoming the barriers to women in business and the stories of individual business successes and career choices.
Her narrating was a real plus.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jenifer Customer
- 08-22-15
Great book
It was great to hear of her journey to CEO and how boards work. Gained much insight into the life of an amazing mind.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Robin
- 11-27-07
great book
This is a great book for everyone to read. It is a wonderul illustration of the permanent discrimination all women leaders must face in the workplace. Men and Women should read this to understand the business world and what the introduction of women into it means for American society. Fiorina is an inspirational female leader because she has built a historical career despite the fact that she is a woman.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amy O.
- 06-14-17
it was great listening to
Interesting cases about power struggle and gender bias in corporations. Corporations are complicated places. Carly shares his experience in a compeling way, even if one might not agree with her views or choices.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Karen
- 12-18-06
Good stuff
I love that this is read by Carly herself. I like the personal background that goes along with the business life she led. I thought it was informational, inspiring, and touching. Interesting reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Tanya
- 01-25-07
Inspiring and Excellant
As a woman, Carly's words ring true. She is an incredible woman and was extremly sucessfull during her carrer, including HP. She brings up many great points about corporate america, the press, the perception of women in power. I definately recommend this audiobook!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful