In 2006, a previously unknown Irish technology company by the name of Steorn created headlines globally when it took out a full-page ad in The Economist, in which it claimed to have made the scientific breakthrough of this - or any other - century: perpetual motion, nothing less than a complete and immediate solution to the global energy crisis.
The investment money poured in, with some of Ireland's most respected entrepreneurs and institutions getting on board, but the demonstration was a spectacular failure. So how did so many well-meaning and otherwise sensible people get things so desperately, absurdly wrong? The story begins with a malfunctioning CCTV system and ends with an exploding battery, and it drives home Ireland's frenzied state of mind during the Celtic Tiger years.
'A compelling and frequently bizarre read' - The Sunday Times (Ireland Edition)
'The Impossible Dream, Barry J Whyte's new book about the rise and fall of what he describes as "the Celtic Tiger's most audacious start-up", proves once again that not all publicity is good publicity. It also shows that smart people can be as likely as fools to be easily parted with their money.' - Irish Times
Whyte brilliantly sets the context in which Steorn was first active, a time when it suddenly didn't seem strange to hear of taxi drivers buying apartments in Bulgaria. - Irish Times
While there is some technical jargon and deep dives of company documents to wade through, The Impossible Dream is for the most part an easy-to-read yarn that firmly places the ascent and crash of Steorn within the context of the Celtic Tiger era. - Irish Times
It's hard to explain to anybody who wasn't here just how cash-drunk most of Ireland became during the heady, reckless days when the Celtic Tiger's roar was full-throated and it seemed the good times would never end. Barry J Whyte manages to capture the mood of the times, as he provides background on the country's "most audacious startup" from those gluttonous days. - The Business Post
The Steorn story is fascinating, although it sometimes feels like the equivalent of rubber-necking at a car accident as you drive slowly by; it's excruciating, but you can't turn away from what is essentially a parable for our times. - The Business Post
'An extraordinary story and a fascinating book' - Pat Kenny



![Bartlett, Steven BARGAIN POPULAR PSYCHOLOGY Steven Bartlett: Happy Sexy Millionaire [2021] paperback](http://chaptersbookstore.com/cdn/shop/files/bartlett-steven-steven-bartlett-happy-sexy-millionaire-2021-paperback-57846168682835_{width}x.jpg?v=1726599370)
![Merriman, Paul BARGAIN BUSINESS Paul Merriman: Money Made Easy [2024] paperback](http://chaptersbookstore.com/cdn/shop/files/merriman-paul-paul-merriman-money-made-easy-2024-paperback-57867840356691_{width}x.jpg?v=1747127034)
![Lyons, Tom PREORDER NONFICTION New Tom Lyons: Aer Dogs [2025] paperback](http://chaptersbookstore.com/cdn/shop/files/lyons-tom-tom-lyons-aer-dogs-2025-paperback-9781917105002-1132308718_{width}x.jpg?v=1739919720)
![Sinek, Simon BUSINESS Simon Sinek: Start With Why: The Inspiring Million-Copy Bestseller That Will Help You Find Your Purpose [2011] paperback](http://chaptersbookstore.com/cdn/shop/files/sinek-simon-simon-sinek-start-with-why-the-inspiring-million-copy-bestseller-that-will-help-you-find-your-purpose-2011-paperback-58602148102483_{width}x.jpg?v=1735296555)
![Robbins, Mel BUSINESS New Mel Robbins: The Let Them Theory [2024] hardback](http://chaptersbookstore.com/cdn/shop/files/robbins-mel-mel-robbins-the-let-them-theory-2024-hardback-9781788176187-1119305536_{width}x.jpg?v=1748526457)