Noble Obsession

Mr. Slack discussed his book, Noble Obsession: Charles Goodyear, Thomas Hancock, and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the Nineteenth Century, published by Hyperion. In it, he discusses the rivalry between Mr. Goodyear and Mr. Hancock, who both were interested in making improvements in rubber. American inventor and entrepreneur Charles Goodyear developed vulcanization- the technique used to transform rubber into a more useable product, but he sent his samples to manufacturers before patenting his improvements. Mr. Hancock came across a sample and reverse engineered and patented the improvements before Mr. Goodyear. The book detailed Mr. Goodyear’s susequent personal and financial struggles to win a patent for his innovative manufacturing process. The patent conflict culminated in the 1852 trial between Goodyear and his long-time British rival, Thomas Hancock. Goodyear was eventually awarded the patent. close