STAMFORD, CT. – CNBC Senior Talent Producer and author Lori Ann LaRocco offers readers a rarefied view into the high-stakes world of shipping in "Dynasties of the Sea: The Shipowners and Financiers Who Expanded the Era of Free Trade."
Packed with personal stories, actionable business strategies and tips for navigating the precarious world of global finance, "Dynasties of the Sea" is both a vital business book and a rollicking good read.
"Dynasties of the Sea" profiles 21 of the world’s shipping pioneers, the men and women who have built and lost and re-built vast fortunes moving goods across the sea. Whether born into the business or swept into it by a love of adventure and profit, these characters tell the stories of their early beginnings and cyclical successes in one of the most volatile and profitable businesses on earth. Despite the industry having “the lowest cycle-to-cycle financial returns and the highest inter-cycle volatility," according to marine finance expert Matt McCleery, “one might be tempted to think the international shipping industry would do nothing but destroy capital…yet the fact is that it has created more fortunes than any other business except technology.”
LaRocco, known as the journalist with the “trillion-dollar rolodex” for her ability to get busy billionaires to pick up the phone, is no stranger to the world’s business elite. "One of the biggest themes that came out of this book is how these shipping titans are worried about the health of the global economy and the bloated imbalance sheets of the United States and Europe," LaRocco says. "Their decisions on how they are leading were compelling."
The shipping leaders give their candid assessment of where they are in the shipping cycle, the changing energy landscape and how they plan to lead their companies in the future.
And LaRocco received excellent reviews from many in the business world including Donald Trump.
“'Dynasties of the Sea' is a must read for anyone. Lori Ann LaRocco captures the big ideas and backgrounds of these shipping titans who tend to stay out of the spotlight. This book is engaging and emphasizes shipping’s vital role in free trade and how important capitalism is to the growth of the global economy. Powerful!” said Trump, chairman and president of the Trump Organization.
LaRocco and her family live in West Milford.
"Dynasties of the Sea" is published by Marine Money International and available at Amazon.com for $24.95. The Kindle version is $9.99.