Mine's Bigger: Tom Perkins and the Making of the Greatest Sailing Machine Ever Built

A great read about a fascinting and innovative yacht which merges old and new technology very gracefully. In addition, the author gives the reader great insight into Tom Perkins personality and how he earned his way into owning the Maltese Falcon.

"Mine's Bigger" reacquaints us with Tom Perkins, to whom author David A. Kaplan had previously introduced us as one of the leading venture capitalists behind "The Silicon Boys". What follows is the story the "Maltese Falcon", the greatest sailing vessel ever built, a tale in which Perkins is no less driven (and, some might say, no more sane) than the seafaring protagonists of Melville and Hemingway. Along the way, readers will learn more about sailing and nautical engineering than they could ever have imagined caring to know. Although Kaplan literally fell down on the jibe in researching this book, his occupancy of one of the four guest staterooms on the Falcon's maiden voyage is testimony to his ability to go places that few of his readers ever will and come back with details, anecdotes and insight.

I have been reading David Kaplan's books for over 20 years, and happily recommend his latest: "Mine's Bigger". It tells the story of the world's largest privately-owned sailing vessel and how it was conceived of and designed by its owner, Tom Perkins. Perkins is a legendary venture capitalist (known for his insight, power, and damn good luck in Silicon Valley), and Kaplan peeled a few layers of the SV onion back in "Silicon Boys". As a result, this book is much more than "here's how I built this big boat". Expect a few snarky stories (all in good fun) , helpful exposition on what exactly all those sails are called and why, and some wonderment over how much, er, stuff somebody with more money than God can acquire. Buy it. You will not regret it.

Anyone who sails will love this book. It tells the story of the construction of the largest sailing yacht ever built and the fascinating man who built it. Kaplan writes knowledgeably and clearly. An ideal summer vacation read.

David A. Kaplan has skillfully interwoven the stories of the world's greatest private yacht, its owner Tom Perkins, and of Perkins's Silicon Valley milieu, a subject Kaplan explored well in The Silicon Boys. As a nonsailor I learned quite a bit about naval architecture, which Kaplan explained well in layman's terms. Perkins's story is remarkable, from his rise at HP to the top of the venture capital food chain, to his dedication to the creation of this new vessel. The ship is described in beautiful detail, and while it could certainly be labeled an object of excess and vanity, we see what a technical marvel it is and how Perkins drove to create something very special, using his own engineering skills and not just his bank account. Beyond Perkins's drive we also see his devotion to his first wife and his deep sorrow at her passing, his love of sailing for its own sake and his democratic association with his crews. In short, this isn't just a very rich guy with nothing to do but impress his fellow plutocrats. Kaplan writes with wit and economy. I highly recommend the book.