Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
By Ron Chernow
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John D. Rockefeller, Sr., history's first billionaire and the patriarch of America's most famous dynasty, is an icon whose true nature has eluded three generations of historians. Now Ron Chernow, a National Book Award–winning biographer, gives us a detailed and insightful history of the mogul. Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller's exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist. Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world's richest man by creating America's most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America. Rockefeller was likely the most controversial businessman in our nation's history. Critics charged that his empire was built on unscrupulous tactics: grand-scale collusion with the railroads, predatory pricing, industrial espionage, and wholesale bribery of political officials. The titan spent more than thirty years dodging investigations until Teddy Roosevelt and his trustbusters embarked on a marathon crusade to bring Standard Oil to bay. While providing abundant evidence of Rockefeller's misdeeds, Chernow discards the stereotype of the cold-blooded monster to sketch an unforgettably human portrait of a quirky, eccentric original. A devout Baptist and temperance advocate, Rockefeller gave money more generously than anyone before him—his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University. Titan presents a finely nuanced portrait of a fascinating, complex man, synthesizing his public and private lives and disclosing numerous family scandals, tragedies, and misfortunes that have never before come to light. John D. Rockefeller's story captures a pivotal moment in American history, documenting the dramatic post–Civil War shift from small business to the rise of giant corporations that irrevocably transformed the nation. With cameos by Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Ida Tarbell, Andrew Carnegie, Carl Jung, J. P. Morgan, William James, Henry Clay Frick, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers, Titan turns Rockefeller's life into a vivid tapestry of American society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is Ron Chernow's signal triumph that he writes this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.
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Summary
Summary
A New York Times bestseller
An Audible.com Bestseller
A 1998 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
A 1998 New York Times Editor’s Choice
A 1998 BusinessWeek Best Business Book of the Year
A 1998 Time Magazine Book of the Year
A 1998 Economist Best Biography of the Year
John D. Rockefeller, Sr., history's first billionaire and the patriarch of America's most famous dynasty, is an icon whose true nature has eluded three generations of historians. Now Ron Chernow, a National Book Award–winning biographer, gives us a detailed and insightful history of the mogul. Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller's exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist.
Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world's richest man by creating America's most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America.
Rockefeller was likely the most controversial businessman in our nation's history. Critics charged that his empire was built on unscrupulous tactics: grand-scale collusion with the railroads, predatory pricing, industrial espionage, and wholesale bribery of political officials. The titan spent more than thirty years dodging investigations until Teddy Roosevelt and his trustbusters embarked on a marathon crusade to bring Standard Oil to bay.
While providing abundant evidence of Rockefeller's misdeeds, Chernow discards the stereotype of the cold-blooded monster to sketch an unforgettably human portrait of a quirky, eccentric original. A devout Baptist and temperance advocate, Rockefeller gave money more generously than anyone before him—his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University. Titan presents a finely nuanced portrait of a fascinating, complex man, synthesizing his public and private lives and disclosing numerous family scandals, tragedies, and misfortunes that have never before come to light.
John D. Rockefeller's story captures a pivotal moment in American history, documenting the dramatic post–Civil War shift from small business to the rise of giant corporations that irrevocably transformed the nation. With cameos by Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Ida Tarbell, Andrew Carnegie, Carl Jung, J. P. Morgan, William James, Henry Clay Frick, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers, Titan turns Rockefeller's life into a vivid tapestry of American society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is Ron Chernow's signal triumph that he writes this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
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Good but lacking essentials
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Having just finished this work, I have to admit the detail was massive. I see Rockefeller and his legacy in a new light, thanks to Chernow's excellent research and appreciate what the entire family did to build our nation. Although many think of the man as a controlling monopolist, Chernow balances the scales with what he believes is a full account of his benevolence.
The author's failure to credit Rockefeller with a business acumen consistent with his faith, fails the reader as to Rockefeller's true motive. Chernow seems almost befuddled by the fact that Rockefeller could justify, as a devout Christian, putting competition out of business. For Rockefeller, his self-interest closely corresponded with God's while most of his competitors were interested in quick cash, and a host of illicit uses for same. The Biblical businessman who sets out to earn millions for the purpose of giving it away to worthy causes has no problem "competing" with those without the same purpose. That competition invariably includes putting people out of business, which is the nature of true capitalism.
Unfortunately Rockefeller could not insure the same Godly principles would be maintained by his underlings. Chernow failed to mention the numerous employees terminated for failing to maintain Rockefeller's principles and instead focused on what he perceived as hypocrisy. By focusing on his contemporary critics, who he admits ultimately failed to impress anyone except self-serving politicians, Chernow fails the reader. Rockefeller was biblically consistent in his personal life, although somewhat fundamental but considering the vast amounts given to charity and the tiny estate at his death, the branding of the man as a "vile monopolist" seems incredulous.
The error modern historions who have little or no business/economic background make is the false understanding that competition is something designed to aid the consumer, which is the ultimate good. This latter day philosophy defies the Bible, which describes the investment of capital (True Capitalism) as something one does for his family, his church community and the world by benevolence rather than low prices. The fact that our government after the "Gilded Age" began to hamper business with laws designed to pander to voters doesn't make it right. Rockefeller understood this and unfortunately Chernow doesn't.
Details
Details
Available Formats : | Digital Download, Digital Rental, CD, MP3 CD |
Category: | Nonfiction/Biography & Autobiography |
Runtime: | 35.07 |
Audience: | Adult |
Language: | English |
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