A young man leaves home to make his fortune in a gold rush. Jim Richards had no language skills, no money and no idea, but when his adventures mining gold and diamond-filled potholes in the remote rivers of Guyana led to real money his problems were only just beginning. Chasing gold and diamond rushes around the world, Richards became the ultimate prospector. From diving for diamonds in the piranha-infested rivers of South America to gold prospecting in the blazing deserts of Australia, from getting caught up in the BRE-X mining scam in Indonesia to starting a gold rush in the war-torn jungles of Laos. To find the gold, he first had to find himself. He learned to dig deep into his own soul and discover the resilience and fortitude required to overcome isolation, disease, criminals and gun-toting secret police and come out on top. He went on to found a string of successful mining businesses and is today one of the industry's most respected executives.