Bold Endeavors

Bold Endeavors is a compelling narrative of ten large and transformative events in American history. It is an absorbing journey through the past as we read about determined national leaders -- Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and Eisenhower -- who found the will, steadiness, and political acumen to make decisions that were often unpopular but that proved to be visionary -- decisions that are the building blocks of America's destiny. Rohatyn begins with the diplomatic intrigues of the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the country; moves to the controversial construction of the Erie Canal, which opened a water route to the West; then continues to Lincoln's resolute support for the transcontinental railroad, Land Grant colleges, and the Homestead Act; documents the strategy -- and ruthless determination -- that built the Panama Canal; details the visionary and pragmatic politics that allowed FDR to bring electricity to rural America and use the Reconstruction Finance Act to help pull the country from the grip of the Depression; captures the foresight of national purpose which led to the G.I. Bill, which propelled the nation forward; and describes the creation of the interstate highway system that modernized America. Bold Endeavors is an urgent call for present-day action in this time of grave national crisis. "The nation is falling apart -- literally," Rohatyn warns. "America's roads and bridges, schools and hospitals, airports and roadways, ports and dams, water lines and air control systems -- the country's entire infrastructure is rapidly and dangerously deteriorating." To reverse this catastrophic degeneration and create tens of thousands of new jobs, Rohatyn offers a carefully reasoned and practical solution. Bold and imaginative political leadership must use the power and the resources of the federal government to finance the rebuilding of the nation's infrastructure. Rohatyn's page-turning case studies are precedents for purposeful, resourceful, and tenacious leadership that is necessary to accomplish both the rebuilding of America and the country's emergence from its present financial crisis. These bold endeavors from the nation's past are instructive, a guide and an inspiration for Americans today. If the nation is to be rebuilt and its infrastructure renewed, if the country is to emerge from the present economic crisis and reclaim its position of unqualified strength and leadership in world affairs, then it must be guided by the vision, determination, and investments that originally helped create a secure and prosperous America.

Bold Endeavors: Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration presents the results of 15 years of research for NASA and the Department of Defense concerning the factors that contribute to adjustment and sustained human performance under conditions of isolation and confinement. The research involved the study of previous space operations and conditions on Earth, such as submarines, Antarctic stations, polar expeditions, and voyages of discovery, that are comparable to what might be expected for future long duration space missions. Bold Endeavors is read by students, engineers, behavioral scientists, modern explorers, and the personnel staffing US Antarctic stations, among others; it has been described as “required reading” for members of NASA’s Expedition Corps, astronauts who are preparing for expeditions to the International Space Station and beyond. Bold Endeavors is of interest to the fields of psychology, psychiatry, human factors and ergonomics, anthropology, aerospace engineering, space medicine, personnel selection, organizational management, and the history of exploration. The chapter on Food is even used as a reference in culinary and hospitality-management programs.

The experiences of explorers, military personnel, and astronauts in long-duration confinement are distilled in this highly readable guide.

A young bird, safe in its nest, debates whether or not to risk trying its wings.

"An immense treasure trove of fact-filled and highly readable fun.” --Simon Winchester, The New York Times Book Review A Sunday Times (U.K.) Best Book of 2018 and Winner of the Mary Soames Award for History An unprecedented history of the storied ship that Darwin said helped add a hemisphere to the civilized world The Enlightenment was an age of endeavors, with Britain consumed by the impulse for grand projects undertaken at speed. Endeavour was also the name given to a collier bought by the Royal Navy in 1768. It was a commonplace coal-carrying vessel that no one could have guessed would go on to become the most significant ship in the chronicle of British exploration. The first history of its kind, Peter Moore’s Endeavour: The Ship That Changed the World is a revealing and comprehensive account of the storied ship’s role in shaping the Western world. Endeavour famously carried James Cook on his first major voyage, charting for the first time New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia. Yet it was a ship with many lives: During the battles for control of New York in 1776, she witnessed the bloody birth of the republic. As well as carrying botanists, a Polynesian priest, and the remains of the first kangaroo to arrive in Britain, she transported Newcastle coal and Hessian soldiers. NASA ultimately named a space shuttle in her honor. But to others she would be a toxic symbol of imperialism. Through careful research, Moore tells the story of one of history’s most important sailing ships, and in turn shines new light on the ambition and consequences of the Age of Enlightenment.

Explores the philosophical dimensions present in the works of ancient Greek poets and playwrights.

Bold is a radical how-to guide for using exponential technologies, moonshot thinking, and crowd-powered tools to create extraordinary wealth while also positively impacting the lives of billions. A follow-up to the authors' Abundance (2012).