1
of
1
The Fairfax Way
Inside Prem Watsa's Secret to Lasting Success
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 84 ratings, 13 reviews)
Brief Description
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...
Read More
Format: Hardback
$7499
Unit price
/
Unavailable
International Supplier
This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Fairfax Way
$7499
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
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.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781037802195
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 18 November 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Viking Press Inc
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 160.0mm
Height: 238.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 376
About the Author
DAVID THOMAS has had a front-row seat on the Canadian business world for several decades in Toronto, serving twice as Editor of the Financial Post and leading the reporting team at the Globe and Mail's Report on Business. He served stints as Editor-in-Chief at MoneySense, Marketing and Canadian Business, and as Business Editor at Maclean's. He was born in Vancouver and is currently based in London, England, where you can still buy newspapers at the convenience store.
Also by David Thomas
View all-
The Silence of the Archive
In recent years, big data initiatives, not to mention Hollywood, the video game industry and countless other popular media, have reinforced and even glamourised the public image of the archive as the ultimate repository of facts and the hope of future generations for uncovering ‘what actually happened’. The reality is, however, that for all sorts of reasons, the record may...Paperback$16500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Raising Emotionally Strong Boys – Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life
About those meltdowns, blowups, and one-word answers... Some say that's just how boys are—prone to outbursts or sullenness. But what's behind these and other issues? Drawing from twenty-five years of counselling boys and working with parents, David Thomas sheds light on common emotional struggles, including anger, anxiety, and depression, and shares practical ways you can help your son be: Resourceful—equipped...Paperback$5000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
More from Business & Entrepreneurship
View all-
How To Be Wrong
Sometimes the only way to be right is to get comfortable with being wrong. Most startup advice is dangerously misguided. The mythology of the lone genius founder, the obsession with capital raising, and the theatre of startup ecosystems lead countless ventures astray. Drawing on two decades at the heart of New Zealand's most successful technology companies – Trade Me, Xero,...Paperback$3600Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Roadmap to Property Success
Ready to ditch the 9-to-5 and build lasting wealth through property? In Roadmap to Property Success, seasoned investor and coach Steve Goodey shares the exact strategies that helped him – and thousands of Kiwis – build sustainable property portfolios from scratch. With real-life lessons, hard-won wisdom, and zero sugar-coating, this is your no-BS guide to property investing in New Zealand....Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Shoe Dog
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is a riveting memoir that unveils the remarkable journey behind the creation of Nike, one of the world's most iconic and successful brands. Phil Knight's story begins in 1962, when fresh out of business school, he embarks on a daring entrepreneurial adventure with a radical premise: to import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Armed...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Business Made Simple
Business Made Simple by Donald Miller is an essential guide for anyone looking to elevate their career and create a profitable business. This practical book offers sixty daily readings, each accompanied by insightful videos, designed to help professionals and business owners gain a clear understanding of how successful businesses operate. Rather than relying on theoretical knowledge, Miller shares actionable strategies...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams. Kathryn Petersen,...Hardback$4700Elsewhere:$5199Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips late August -
Good To Great
Good to Great by Jim Collins is an authoritative guide that investigates what takes a company from mere mediocrity to exceptional greatness. This acclaimed work is based on a five-year research project comparing teams that made that leap to those that didn’t. Collins and his research team examined financial performance, management practices, and corporate culture to distill the essential factors...Hardback$5400Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
This Is Strategy
From Seth Godin, one of the world's most influential business thinkers and bestselling author of This is Marketing, comes an essential guide to thinking strategically in a complex, ever-changing world."With his signature clarity and brevity, the marketing maven presents memorable, practical advice for making smarter plans." —Adam Grant, author of Think AgainIn this unique and thought-provoking book, Godin shares insights on...Paperback$3150Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Zero to One
Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel is a ground-breaking and thought-provoking examination of innovation and what it takes for a new company to prosper. Written by Peter Thiel, the co-founder of one of the most successful tech start-ups in history, this book provides a fresh perspective on how to build a valuable and unique enterprise in a...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition
Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition by W. Chan Kim and Renée A. Mauborgne is an essential guide for anyone looking to transform their business strategies and leap into untapped market spaces. This acclaimed book illustrates how companies can break free from the traditional war of competition and instead, create their own "blue oceans" of uncontested market space. The authors delve...Hardback$5700Elsewhere:$6499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Toyota Way, Second Edition: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer
Explore the enlightened path to transformational business success with the updated and expanded edition of Jeffrey Liker's acclaimed work, The Toyota Way, Second Edition: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. Delve into the legendary business philosophy that has placed Toyota at the pinnacle of global manufacturing excellence. In this highly anticipated update, Jeffrey Liker refines and broadens the...Hardback$8500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
High Output Management
High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove is a legendary business book and a Silicon Valley staple. Written by the former chairman and CEO of Intel, it offers invaluable insights into the art of managing and running a successful company. This practical handbook provides guidance for navigating real-life business scenarios and serves as a powerful manifesto that has the potential...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3700Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
How to Grow Your Small Business
The Wall Street Journal Bestseller For so many entrepreneurs, running a small business ended up looking different than they imagined. They’re stressed, discouraged, and not confident in their plan for growth. In How to Grow Your Small Business, Donald Miller gives entrepreneurs a 6-step plan to grow their businesses so they produce dependable, predictable results. Using the exact steps you’ll...Paperback$2900Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Business & Entrepreneurship lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
