Ship of Gold

In 1857, the SS Central America sunk during a hurricane off the Carolina coast, taking with it over 400 passengers and 30,000 pounds of gold. The story of the ship, its sinking, and its eventual salvage in 1987 by a group of deep-sea explorers led by Tommy Thompson (the marine engineer, not the politician), is chronicled in Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea by Gary Kinder. Apart from being a rousing story of human endurance and adventure, Ship of Gold is one of the best business books I have ever read. Yes, I do mean business book; there is more to learn in this tome than in ten standard MBA textbooks. The story holds remarkable case studies in the importance of following one’s passion, managing vision, overcoming failure, raising capital, dealing with unique personality types, assembling teams, fostering innovation on the fly, and managing knowledge; and on a darker note, avoiding the treachery of unscrupulous competitors, dealing with overweening regulation, managing inevitable legal wrangling, and the managing the paramount need to preserve trade secrets.

Also of note, the author, Gary Kinder, is a lawyer by training, and teaches advanced legal writing courses throughout the US. I suspect that these classes offer great value to all who have the opportunity to attend.

In any case, if you have read Ship of Gold, please share your thoughts. Do not miss this superb book.