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This book is a great backdrop during a summer trip to northern Michigan. I had no idea how vital great lakes area natural resources and shipping have been to the economy. I love industrial and business history, and Bacon tells it so well. The characters of the crew and local people in port are well fascinating.

Many interesting characters, cold towns on Lake Superior, their local businesses, and enormous taconite loading and unloading machines and operations filled days in the life of the Fitz and other laker crews. These tales are interesting and brought to life through the author's careful character building and stories.

The Fitz was decorated by the JL Hudson's, the premiere dept store in Detroit. Although expensive this was a good investment as it attracted the best crew on the Great Lakes. The Fitz won every award during its inaugural seasons: fastest trips, largest cargo hauled for individual runs, and cumulatively for entire seasons.

Shipping beat trains and trucks for efficiency by 100s of %. A better boat was needed to class them all, and the Edmund Fitzgerald was it. Northwestern Mutual Insurance's president was its name sake tho the name was chosen without his knowledge. It was a long narrow ship with shallow draft to fit through Soo Locks, and the fastest on the lakes with the largest cargo holds -- 80% of Fitz's 729 feet were holds.

In the wake of WWII, the US and its Workshop of the World in the upper midwest supplied the machinery, appliances, and vehicles that Europe and the world needed. Detroit became the wealthiest city in the world with all of the trappings. The Fortune 500 was dominated by auto related companies in the 50s and 60s. Great Lakes shipping was on overdrive to supply the needed materials.

With the risks of sailing the Great Lakes so high, why do it? The rewards! The upper midwest is rich in vast supplies of lumber, grain, limestone, iron ore & taconite, and the world's best soil and climate for farming, and the world's biggest lakes that connect to mighty rivers and eventually canals. Lakes get those raw materials to markets and factories with worldwide reach. Chicago, Gary, Detroit & Cleveland grew.

The carnage of the Nov 1913 "White Hurricane" storm of the century was felt throughout the Great Lakes. Bodies and pieces of ships washed ashore for weeks. All told, 19 ships were wiped out with 254 souls aboard. The Weather Service and extra pay offered to crew for sailing in November were blamed. The record was held for 62 years until Nov 1975, long enough for the lessons learned from 1913 to be forgotten.

The harrowing tale of the LC Waldo and rescue crews during the Nov 7, 1913 storm is recounted with palpable fear and tumult.

The author describes his fascination with the topic and dedicates thr book to the 29 men lost and their families. The Great Lakes conditions and risks are harrowing, with waves, wind and ice intensifying the shoals, islands, bridges, tight rivers, ports and other ships that must be navigated. The casualties in the century before the show the toll: averaging one shipwreck per week and nearly one casualty per day.

The Afterthought includes a self-assessment quiz on the 14 chapters which include the 11 thinking skills. Then advice is offered based on the low, medium and high score for each chapter / skill. For example, for a skill that scored low, bring someone onto the team who is proficient and scores high on that skill. The author encourages you to think well, making it your greatest tool for creating the world you desire.

Skill 11: Bottom‑line thinking brings clarity, sharpens decisions, boosts morale, and secures the future, as shown in Frances Hesselbein’s leadership. Identify the true bottom line and make it your focus, build a strategic plan to reach it, align people with it, and create a consistent system to monitor progress so you gain maximum return and unlock your full potential.

Skill 10: Unselfish thinking focuses on others’ journeys and collaborates for shared growth, modeled by George Washington Carver. It brings fulfillment, adds value, strengthens character, and creates lasting impact. Practice servant leadership, notice others’ needs, give quietly, check your motives, act now, and build a legacy that lifts people higher and inspires those who follow.

Skill 9: Shared thinking lifts you beyond solo limits by combining strengths, because none of us is as smart as all of us. It accelerates progress, strengthens ideas, sparks innovation, and multiplies value. Value others’ insights, shift from competition to cooperation, set clear agendas, involve the right people, reward good thinkers, and cultivate a culture where ideas grow together.

Skill 8: Questioning popular thinking frees you from old ideas, conventional wisdom, and groupthink. Popular thinking can discourage real thought, offer false hope, resist change, and produce only average results. How? Think before you follow, value different perspectives, question your own assumptions & successes, try new approaches, and get comfortable with discomfort to achieve uncommon results.

Skill 7: Reflective thinking asks daily what you learned, what to share, & what to do. It puts experiences in perspective, adds emotional distance from on experience, strengthens decision‑making, clarifies the big picture, and turns good moments into valuable ones. Set time aside, remove distractions, review your day, ask deep questions about values, relationships & experiences, and cement learning through action.

Skill 6: Possibility thinking expands what you believe can be achieved, as George Lucas did with Star Wars. It opens options, attracts opportunities, fuels big dreams, lifts you above average, energizes commitment, & keeps you from quitting. Stop focusing on impossibilities, ignore limiting voices, look for potential in every situation, dream bigger, challenge the status quo, & draw inspiration from great achievers.

Skill 5: Strategic thinking gives direction today and expands tomorrow’s potential. Planning your life and living your plan simplifies challenges, prompts the right questions, prepares you for uncertainty, reduces errors, and builds influence. Break issues down, ask Why before How, identify real obstacles and resources, develop a plan, place people well, and repeat the process to drive lasting progress.

Realistic thinking grounds you in truth without limiting creativity. It helps leaders define reality, manage risks, set achievable targets, and build credibility. It minimizes disappointment, supports wise planning, and turns dreams into action. Do your homework, weigh pros and cons, consider worst‑case outcomes, align plans with real resources, stay anchored in facts, and think with clarity.

Skill 3: Creative thinking thrives when you value ideas, explore options, embrace ambiguity, connect the unconnected, and don’t fear failure. It adds value, attracts others, and challenges the status quo. Remove creativity killers, ask bold questions, build a creative environment, spend time with creative people, and stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Skill 2: Focused thinking unlocks potential. Like Crayola staying true to children's art supplies, focus channels energy, matures ideas, and brings clarity. Prioritize what matters, remove distractions, set goals, track progress, and adjust. Doing a few things well requires giving up many. Choose impact over breadth and stay committed to what matters most.

Skill 1: Big‑picture thinking expands what’s possible. Eratosthenes proved it by estimating Earth’s size with shadows, assuming it was round not flat. This mindset means learning continually, listening well, and seeing beyond the obvious. It helps leaders spot vision early, size up situations, guide teams, avoid the mundane, and explore new ground. Keep learning, growing, and looking wide.

In Chap 3 Maxwell relates skills and practices on mastering intentional thinking. His formula is The Right Thought plus the Right People in the Right Environment at the Right Time for the Right Reason = the Right Result. He elaborates: act to find a thinking place for good thoughts, stretch thoughts, expose yourself to good thinkers and sources, have a good sounding board, and learn, improve, repeat the process.

Chapter 2 illustrates the positive impact of changed thinking through case studies and examples. People are limited by their own thinking, often boxed in by rules, regulations, and programs instead of issues and ideas. Changed thinking is not automatic, is difficult, it's worth it, and the best gift you can give to others. It changes beliefs, expectations, attitudrs, behaviors, performance, and your life.

Chap 1 explains the importance of great thinking and gives several reasons why success in life or a profession is caused by great thinking. Too many people are taught facts or what to think, not how to think, and how to think well. The latter causes people to distinguish their lives and careers from mediocre thinkers. 11 specific thinking skills will be explained and illustrated with examples by Maxwell.

In Chap 3, Hate America, Inc, Levin outlines the century-long effort to erode Americanism through an Americanized Marxism spread via academia and social engineering. He profiles key Marxist thinkers and leaders and warns of indoctrination in education, linking it to modern policy pushes like free college. The goal: reshape society toward a godless utopian ideal, despite its deadly global legacy and massive failures.

Both Hildreth and Cutler led complete lives, upstanding Christian men of impeccable character to whom Ohio is forever indebted. in 1860 the population reached 2 million, and William Cutler was elected to Congress. He gave passionate abolition speeches, just as his father Ephraim often did. In 1863 the Confederates under John Morgan fought the Ohio militia across southern Ohio before surrendering in Salineville.

In his early 80s in the early 1850s, Cutler regularly rode on horseback 28 miles one way to his farm in Amesville. In 1853 his horse stumbled and threw him. He died July 8 1853 of internal his injuries, having never missed an Ohio U trustees mtg. Just before and much to his delight, Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 about stories from black servants in Cincinnati. Dr Samuel Hildreth died 16 days after Cutler.

Ephraim Cutler, the most notable of Ohio's pioneers aged gracefully in his tight family. His son William was very mild mannered and humble, and became Speaker of the House in the Ohio state legislature. In June 1846, matriarch Sally and Ephraim's wife of 38 years died. Son Charles died in 1849 of cholera in California, having joined the gold rush. Marietta remained a small town of less than 4,000 people in 1850.

John Quincy Adams travels west at 76 y.o. to dedicate a new observatory (and the largest in the western hemisphere) in Cincinnati, then visits Marietta w/ fanfare. Discussion on a boat trip north with Ephraim Cutler, Caleb Emerson, and Joseph Barker, Jr. covered a wide range of topics: the 1783 Treaty of Paris & NW Territory and John Adams, the Ohio Constitution, and the Underground Railroad thru Marietta and Ohio.

Many from afar visited Ohio and the northwest territory. The erudite socialites were not impressed by the earnest and hardworking in the Marietta area. Charles Dickens was astonished and charmed by Cincinnati. Dr. Hildreth took three months to visit his family in the east via carriage, steamboat, canal boat, train coach and many stops at rapidly growing towns. A visit to his alma mater Yale was especially endearing.