By blending personal anecdotes with historical weight Rickover Underway, My Way succeeds in humanizing a legend. It is a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of leadership, education and the hidden emotional life of a genius.
Mark Kantrowitz
Author, two bestsellers
Amazon’s May-June 2026 Bestseller
Rickover Underway, My Way
by Joann DiGennaro and Joe David
Rickover Underway, My Way chronicles the life of Admiral H.G. Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy, his rise from the ghetto in Tsarist Russia to admiralty in the U.S. Navy. During his remarkable climb to fame and position, he regularly faced resistance from both the Navy and industry. The reason: He was a multi-dimensional thinker and a fierce fighter who believed a feat most people thought was far-fetched could be achieved. His reward: He became the first man to use nuclear fission to drive submarines (the Nautilus) and to create electric power plants (Shippingport Atomic Power Station).
Rickover Underway, My Way
Authors, Joann DiGennaro and Joe David
During his 64 years in the navy, Admiral Rickover lived uncompromisingly by his rules without abandoning his principles. His remarkable success that followed was the result of his unwavering commitment to excellence and his mastery of nuclear engineering.
As a leader, he was labeled acerbic, unorthodox, and unyielding, because he did his job his way, while aware that it conflicted with Navy protocol. Because of such an independent spirit, he was hated by many in the Navy and industry. Undaunted by their attitude and their subsequent retaliations, he would settle the matter as he saw fit (by applying common sense to the issue or by seeking the support of the U.S. Congress). By such actions, he was able to complete his work on schedule, his way, and broaden the divide between him and his enemies.
Rickover Underway, My Way is a fast-paced adventure story of the Admiral’s career and private life; it highlights his work-ethic, his writings, his achievements, and his private and public loves.
In 1986, he died, but he left behind for posterity an important legacy, a foundation devoted to preparing young scholars for a career in STEM. His foundation, which has been flourishing for over forty years, is known to the world today as the Center for Excellence in Education in McLean, Virginia.
Rickover Underway, My Way isn't another book about a great man in history. It is a tribute to an extraordinary man – his work, his ideas, and the sensible pathway he followed to greatness!
As a leader, he was labeled acerbic, unorthodox, and unyielding, because he did his job his way, while aware that it conflicted with Navy protocol. Because of such an independent spirit, he was hated by many in the Navy and industry. Undaunted by their attitude and their subsequent retaliations, he would settle the matter as he saw fit (by applying common sense to the issue or by seeking the support of the U.S. Congress). By such actions, he was able to complete his work on schedule, his way, and broaden the divide between him and his enemies.
Rickover Underway, My Way is a fast-paced adventure story of the Admiral’s career and private life; it highlights his work-ethic, his writings, his achievements, and his private and public loves.
In 1986, he died, but he left behind for posterity an important legacy, a foundation devoted to preparing young scholars for a career in STEM. His foundation, which has been flourishing for over forty years, is known to the world today as the Center for Excellence in Education in McLean, Virginia.
Rickover Underway, My Way isn't another book about a great man in history. It is a tribute to an extraordinary man – his work, his ideas, and the sensible pathway he followed to greatness!
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Authors
Joe David co-authored the Rickover book with Joann DiGennaro. It is one of David’s four books that he has written on education – Gourmet Getaways (cooking schools in America), Teacher of the Year, The Fire Within (two novels about the scandalous public school system), and Rickover Underway, My Way (STEM Education). David, who has had a long writing career, has been published in major magazines, newspapers, education journals and even online. In the 1980s and 90s, he was a frequent radio and television talk show guest in major U.S. markets where he frequently discussed his book The Fire Within, a highly critical novel about the public school system. He has also prepared and moderated a series of forums on education (National Press Club, Washington, DC), and five radio show interviews on education for WAMC-New York, aired on NPR. Throughout his long career, he has always shown a special interest in education.
Joann DiGennaro is president of the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), formerly the Admiral Rickover Foundation, which she and the Admiral found in 1982. As president of CEE, she and the Admiral initiated the Research Science Institute (RSI) for top-achieving U.S. and international high school STEM scholars. After forty-plus years of success, RSI is still succeeding; today, it has grown to become a world-renowned collaborative effort with MIT each summer. Through DiGennaro’s efforts, she has developed STEM initiative in 68 nations, read the law at Oxford University, and served as a Harvard University Research Affiliate. She holds two degrees and a Juris Doctorate. U.S. News and World Report has named her one of the 100 Women Leaders in STEM in the U.S.A. for her accomplishments in STEM education.
Joann DiGennaro is president of the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), formerly the Admiral Rickover Foundation, which she and the Admiral found in 1982. As president of CEE, she and the Admiral initiated the Research Science Institute (RSI) for top-achieving U.S. and international high school STEM scholars. After forty-plus years of success, RSI is still succeeding; today, it has grown to become a world-renowned collaborative effort with MIT each summer. Through DiGennaro’s efforts, she has developed STEM initiative in 68 nations, read the law at Oxford University, and served as a Harvard University Research Affiliate. She holds two degrees and a Juris Doctorate. U.S. News and World Report has named her one of the 100 Women Leaders in STEM in the U.S.A. for her accomplishments in STEM education.
Available through Amazon, and generally
by Joann DiGennaro and Joe David
ISBN: 979-8-2505-3615-8$19.95 softbackISBN: 979-8-2591-8497-8$29.95 hardbackAmazon ASIN: B0GX32T9QR$9.95 kindle