num_pages: 256
description: Noble Obsession is the riveting history of a flawed discovery that made and destroyed fortunes -- rubber. It is the story of American Charles Goodyear and his obsession, vision and courage in attempting to reinvent rubber and turn it into the indispensable substance it is today, and of Englishman Thomas Hancock's attempts to rob him of his rightful place in history.In the 1830s investors fell over themselves to invest in rubber factories. But within a few short years, the industry was on its knees. The miracle substance had fatal flaws. In cold weather it became brittle; in temperatures over 90 degrees, it melted. But while rubber was dismissed by most people, Goodyear was convinced there was a solution. Noble Obsession charts his triumphs and his failures as he sought to uncover the scientific breakthrough that would alter the course of history.Charles Slack interweaves the stories of Goodyear and Hancock and tells a tale filled with villains, con men, entrepreneurs and fascinating facts about the science and business of rubber -- from the jungles of Brazil and the laboratories of Europe, to the courtrooms of America.
language: English
title: NOBLE OBSESSION: CHARLES GOODYEAR, THOMAS HANCOCK, AND THE RACE TO UNLOCK THe GREATEST INDUSTRIAL SECRET OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
titlecomplete: NOBLE OBSESSION: CHARLES GOODYEAR, THOMAS HANCOCK, AND THE RACE TO UNLOCK THe GREATEST INDUSTRIAL SECRET OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
genres: History, Business
ratings_count: 61
publisher: W. W. Norton & Company