According to the book description of Against the Tide: Rickover's
Leadership Principles and the Rise of the Nuclear Navy, it "is a
leadership book that illustrates how Adm. Hyman Rickover made a unique impact on
American and Navy culture. Dave Oliver is the first former nuclear submarine
commander who sailed for the venerable admiral to write about Rickover's
management techniques. Oliver draws upon a wealth of untold stories to show how
one man changed American and Navy culture while altering the course of history.
The
driving force behind America's nuclear submarine navy, Rickover revolutionized
naval warfare while concurrently proving to be a wellspring of innovation that
drove American technology in the latter half of the twentieth-century. As a
testament to his success, Rickover's single-minded focus on safety protected
both American citizens and sailors from nuclear contamination, a record that is
in stark contrast to the dozens of nuclear reactor accidents suffered by the
Russians.
While Rickover has been the subject of a number of biographies, little has been
written about his unique management practices that changed the culture of a
two-hundred-year-old institution and affected the outcome of the Cold War.
Rickover's achievements have been obscured because they were largely conducted
in secret and because he possessed a demanding and abrasive personality that
alienated many potential supporters. Nevertheless he was an extraordinary
manager with significant lessons for all those in decision-making positions.
The
author had the good fortune to know and to serve under Rickover during much of
his thirty-year career in the Navy and is singularly qualified to demonstrate
the management and leadership principles behind Rickover's success."
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