This is an account of the sinking of Titanic written by one of the survivors only two months after the event. For that reason alone, it's fascinating. But Beesley also gives us a snapshot of the 1912 mindset: where in the 21st century, most of us would seek therapy after such trauma, Beesley remarks that there is no sense dwelling on tragedy, and that it's best to put the whole thing out of our minds. In fact, Beesley says the only reason he's writing the book is to make sure that necessary changes are put in place so no such tragedy happens again. He's quite passionate about this responsibility, which he says we all share. As a example of personal and societal response to horrifying events, Beesley's book shows us we are not so very different, even 100 years later.