In the late 1990s John Pollack was operating like a Washington speechwriter when, annoyed by the cynicism and hypocrisy on Capitol Hill, he quit his job to go after a boyhood dream: to build a sail boat produced entirely of wine corks and take it on an epic journey.

Cork Motorboat tells the story of Pollack’s improbable pursuit. Overcoming one obstacle after another, he convinces skeptical bartenders to save lots of their corks, corrals an excellent but disorganized partner, and finally cajoles more than one hundred about Cork Motorboat volunteers who help build the boat until their fingers bleed. Eventually, Pollack completes his vessel of 165,321 corks and models sail on an excellent voyage down the Douro River in Portugal, where in fact the Cork Boat turns into a national sensation.

In recounting these travels, Pollack skillfully meanders through exciting arcana, in the cork wars to the annals of rubber bands (some 15,000 of which help keep his boat together). He also offers an insider’s go through the Light House, where he was a Presidential speechwriter and enlisted navy stewards to save lots of corks for the sail boat.

Written with uncommon grace and disarming humor, Cork Motorboat is normally a buoyant tale of whimsy, experience, and the power of imagination.