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Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (平装)
by Ron Chernow
| Category:
Biography, Finance, American capitalism |
| Market price: ¥ 208.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A superb piece of biographical writing. Chernow writes at epic length, yet never fails to entertain, inform and awe-inspire. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 7 items |
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Serge Marinkovic (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Chernow does not mass produce is works but takes his time with his small research staff to finely engrave his biographies with unsurpassed vital detail. He always captures the small less reknown yet pivotal moments in Rockefellers life. His poor relationship with his father that late in his fathers life he tries to reclaim. Is unsurpassed in capturing a man that all he wished was to feel loved as a child. Which by appearances he wasn't. Although a goal of Rockeffeler was to live to be a 100 years old was not achieved. He achieved so many others. His philanthropy was unequaled even by Carnegie and JP Morgan. He established the University of Chicago which has produced more Nobel Laureats than any other university. We see and feel Rockefellers decisions and the emotions behind many of them which is the most difficult aspect of biographical writing to achieve. A superb biography by my favorite writer.
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Serge Marinkovic (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Chernow does not mass produce is works but takes his time with his small research staff to finely engrave his biographies with unsurpassed vital detail. He always captures the small less reknown yet pivotal moments in Rockefellers life. His poor relationship with his father that late in his fathers life he tries to reclaim. Is unsurpassed in capturing a man that all he wished was to feel loved as a child. Which by appearances he wasn't. Although a goal of Rockeffeler was to live to be a 100 years old was not achieved. He achieved so many others. His philanthropy was unequaled even by Carnegie and JP Morgan. He established the University of Chicago which has produced more Nobel Laureats than any other university. We see and feel Rockefellers decisions and the emotions behind many of them which is the most difficult aspect of biographical writing to achieve. A superb biography by my favorite writer.
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M. Nowacki (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
John D. Rockefeller was the richest man ever in America. He had $900 million in 1911. Today that would be worth about $120 billion by some estimates. For this, Rockefeller was hated by journalist Ida Tarbell. Ron Chernow does not subtly avoid talking about the controversy surrounding Rockefeller, but addresses it head on and doesn't give his opinion. It is just the facts. Ron Chernow also spends time talking about Rockefeller's philanthropic efforts. He leaves the reader without any doubts that Rockefeller was the greatest philanthropists American has produced. (Bill Gates is will be close though).
This book is very detailed (that is why it is so long) and is the best biography I have ever read. It is the best not only because I am a big fan of Rockefeller, but because of the way it is written. Many people give 5 stars to average books, but this really is a 5 star book. |
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Mary Sibley (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
The University of Chicago and the Riverside Church are two institutions which came into existence through Rockefeller largesse. John D. Rockefeller was a true force in late nineteenth century and early twentieth century America. His strategic-thinking in the area of business was exceptional, his one-sidedness notable. Not everyone considered him a force for the good. He did not distribute money to his children upon their maturity, but kept them on allowances. His daughters, Alta and Bessie, married cold, remote, self-absorbed men. Standard Oil attained its peak influence in the 1890's.
Under Theodore Roosevelt Rockefeller's name became short-hand for corporate villainy. Ida Tarbell began her series on Standard Oil in McClure's Magazine in 1902. Ida Tarbell's series may be the most impressive thing about Standard Oil. The rise of Standard Oil was based upon its relationship with the railroads. There were secret kickbacks. Rockefeller was both the brains of Standard Oil and a monarch of philanthropy. Moving from one mode to another he experienced no self-dividedness. Trying to square philanthropy with self-reliance, he contributed to education and medical research. His work was influenced by the social gospel movement. Frederick t. Gates headed the philanthropies.
In retirement Rockefeller devoted about one hour a day to philanthropy. Winston Churchill felt that Rockefeller's endowment of research was a sort of milestone. In 1907 Standard Oil received a record fine of $29.4 million. Reporters saw in Rockefeller a poker face, but there was deep rage. An appeals court reversed the fine and found in imposing the fine there was an abuse of judicial discretion. During the 1907 Panic in October Rockefeller seemed civic-minded when he pledged half his wealth to stave off economic collapse.
Purloined letters of Archbold, Rockefeller's successor, concerning bribery resulted in scandal publicized by the Hearst papers. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was shocked. He resigned from the Standard Oil Board in 1910. The company was dismantled in 1911 pursuant to a Supreme Court decision. Rockefeller brought an unprecedented scale and scope to the charitable trust. He contemplated the formation of a giant foundation. The Rockefeller Foundation was attuned to the optimism of the Progressive Era. Initially the focus was on public health and medical education.
I have not sufficient space to outline for the reader the immense task undertaken by Chernow to set forth the social and economic context of Rockefeller's extensive business and charitable activities. |
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Craig Matteson (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Whatever your opinion of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., this book will give you information that will allow you to reassess your views in light of new and better information. This book helped me understand what Mr. Rockefeller achieved during his long life and what he was after. And it wasn't just money for money's sake.
Certainly, there is much about his business practices in building Standard Oil that rankle, but you will be surprised how many of them have become standard business practices in our time (no pun intended). The point that is too often overlooked is that this man helped bring better quality, safer, and less expensive lighting oil to the citizenry than they ever had with whale oil (or from any other source, for that matter). And he drove the price of kerosene down and still made money. We shout for better prices for consumers today, don't we?
Mr.Chernow writes vividly on the breakup of Standard Oil and how the advent of the automobile made him richer than ever. The accounts of his building Spelman College, the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Medical center and more are worth reading. As are the family's connections to some of the largest banks in our country.
Reading about John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s path in life is absorbing and bracing. The tragedy (massacre) at CFI is awful and the way Junior faced that and went to Colorado and spoke with the people face to face is evidence of great character.
There is something here for everyone to learn about this important man and a family that has an important role in our country to this day.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
I just finished reading Titan, which is the story of John D. Rockefeller. This is a thick book that is 800+ pages long. I was intimidated by the book at first, but once I started, I couldn't put it down. The language was very easy to follow, and the story itself was intereresting.
I found the author a very good story teller. He starts the story before Rockefeller was born, and we gain insights to the period, and the family into which he was born. I found it fascinating to uncover various sources of influence over this very successful man, including his parents, his brothers, the general social and economical climate in Cleveland in late 1800's, and his baptist upbringing. The story is fascinating, because we are able to follow how his roots made him the man he became.
When we are following the life story of the Titan, we are also following the beginnings of industrialism in the USA. We learn how Standard Oil company started out selling kerosene to light up homes around the world. In the background there is Edison, competing for the same market. Interesting historical persons make guest appearances in the story. We learn of Roosevelt, and his fight against monopolies. We come across Carl Jung, who analyzes John D.'s daughter Edith. We meet James Joyce, who is "patronized" by Edith. When building Rockefeller center, John D.'s son junior has to deal with the controversial mural Diego Rivera lovingly paints (and that scene is covered in detail in the movie "Frida", but somehow I had forgotten that the whole event took place in Rockefeller center). We are treated to a journey to the past, of which I knew very little about.
The book is a good corporate biography, as well as a personal one. We learn how Standard Oil became a giant, how it was broken apart after violating the Sherman Act. I find that I understand the fuss about Microsoft much better after reading this book. While following Standard Oil, we learn that this company was the root from which Amoco, Chevron, Exxon, and Mobil sprang. We learn a bit about the roots of Citibank and Chase Manhattan as well.
John D.'s philantrophy is also a main focus of the book. I was somewhat familiar with his connections to University of Chicago, but realized that I did not know the whole extent of it. His many charities, endowments and donations are granted good space in the book.
In terms of the writing, I have only one complaint. The author in general does a good job not taking sides. I never got the feeling that he was taking sides presenting this controversial life, and the life of Standard Oil. However, from time to time I got the feeling that the author changed his mind about John D. across passages, or led the reader to make certain assumptions about the man, but presented contradictory information later on. It is really difficult to pinpoint which exact passages contradicted each other, but it was a feeling I could not shake off.
All in all, great read. I would recommend this if you are looking for a good personal biography, a good corporate biography, or a historical account of US industrialism between 1850-1930. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Having first read the Warburgs I figured this would be a good book. But it was better then that. Ron Chernow really knows how to write a book that will keep your interest from one page to the next. He has an eye for the business info that you want to know and knows right where to put it. Great detail is written about the way Rockefeller thought about life and business. You will learn the business tactics that Rockefeller used to enlarge his organization, one of which was selling for less then the competition which really works just look at Walmart! All the details that you would be interested in knowing about Mr. Rockefeller you can find in this book and you will enjoy the time spent reading it.
I learned so much about the man that I never knew. For the most part Ron did a great job at being unbiased and tells of the struggles and triumphs of this great man. From a child to his death his life unfolds right before your eyes. I never knew before how much of a devout Chrisitan Rockefeller was and how he believed that God had given him his money. It was very interesting. He also goes into good detail about his philanthropy and other aspects of his life including all the dirt and legal problems that were brought against the trust of Standard Oil. Some of the people that Rockefeller was involved with are also covered along with a lot of good information about his son John D Jr. Overall I would have to say this was one of the BEST biographies I have read.
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1 Total 1 pages 7 items |
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