What do you think?
Rate this book
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
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, the National Book Award-winning biographer of the Morgan and Warburg banking families, gives us a history of the mogul "etched with uncommon objectivity and literary grace . . . as detailed, balanced, and psychologically insightful a portrait of the tycoon as we may ever have" (Kirkus Reviews). 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 will indelibly alter 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 new 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--his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University--than anyone before him. 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. Pierpont 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 narrates this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.
From the Hardcover edition.
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 new 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--his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University--than anyone before him. 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. Pierpont 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 narrates this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.
From the Hardcover edition.
832 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 1998
About the author
Ron Chernow
24 books5,354 followersRon Chernow was born in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating with honors from Yale College and Cambridge University with degrees in English Literature, he began a prolific career as a freelance journalist. Between 1973 and 1982, Chernow published over sixty articles in national publications, including numerous cover stories. In the mid-80s Chernow went to work at the Twentieth Century Fund, a prestigious New York think tank, where he served as director of financial policy studies and received what he described as “a crash course in economics and financial history.”
Chernow’s journalistic talents combined with his experience studying financial policy culminated in the writing of his extraordinary first book, The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance (1990). Winner of the 1990 National Book Award for Nonfiction, The House of Morgan traces the amazing history of four generations of the J.P. Morgan empire. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “As a portrait of finance, politics and the world of avarice and ambition on Wall Street, the book has the movement and tension of an epic novel. It is, quite simply, a tour de force.” Chernow continued his exploration of famous financial dynasties with his second book, The Warburgs (1994), the story of a remarkable Jewish family. The book traces Hamburg’s most influential banking family of the 18th century from their successful beginnings to when Hitler’s Third Reich forced them to give up their business, and ultimately to their regained prosperity in America on Wall Street.
Described by Time as “one of the great American biographies,” Chernow’s Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1998) brilliantly reveals the complexities of America’s first billionaire. Rockefeller was known as a Robber Baron, whose Standard Oil Company monopolized an entire industry before it was broken up by the famous Supreme Court anti-trust decision in 1911. At the same time, Rockefeller was one of the century’s greatest philanthropists donating enormous sums to universities and medical institutions. Chernow is the Secretary of PEN American Center, the country’s most prominent writers’ organization, and is currently at work on a biography of Alexander Hamilton. He lives in Brooklyn Heights, New York.
In addition to writing biographies, Chernow is a book reviewer, essayist, and radio commentator. His book reviews and op-ed articles appear frequently in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He comments regularly on business and finance for National Public Radio and for many shows on CNBC, CNN, and the Fox News Channel. In addition, he served as the principal expert on the A&E biography of J.P. Morgan and will be featured as the key Rockefeller expert on an upcoming CNBC documentary.
Chernow’s journalistic talents combined with his experience studying financial policy culminated in the writing of his extraordinary first book, The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance (1990). Winner of the 1990 National Book Award for Nonfiction, The House of Morgan traces the amazing history of four generations of the J.P. Morgan empire. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “As a portrait of finance, politics and the world of avarice and ambition on Wall Street, the book has the movement and tension of an epic novel. It is, quite simply, a tour de force.” Chernow continued his exploration of famous financial dynasties with his second book, The Warburgs (1994), the story of a remarkable Jewish family. The book traces Hamburg’s most influential banking family of the 18th century from their successful beginnings to when Hitler’s Third Reich forced them to give up their business, and ultimately to their regained prosperity in America on Wall Street.
Described by Time as “one of the great American biographies,” Chernow’s Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1998) brilliantly reveals the complexities of America’s first billionaire. Rockefeller was known as a Robber Baron, whose Standard Oil Company monopolized an entire industry before it was broken up by the famous Supreme Court anti-trust decision in 1911. At the same time, Rockefeller was one of the century’s greatest philanthropists donating enormous sums to universities and medical institutions. Chernow is the Secretary of PEN American Center, the country’s most prominent writers’ organization, and is currently at work on a biography of Alexander Hamilton. He lives in Brooklyn Heights, New York.
In addition to writing biographies, Chernow is a book reviewer, essayist, and radio commentator. His book reviews and op-ed articles appear frequently in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He comments regularly on business and finance for National Public Radio and for many shows on CNBC, CNN, and the Fox News Channel. In addition, he served as the principal expert on the A&E biography of J.P. Morgan and will be featured as the key Rockefeller expert on an upcoming CNBC documentary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,701 reviews
April 12, 2021
Without doubt this book deserves five stars. Those five stars mean quite simply that I loved every minute spent with the book. This is my favorite by Ron Chernow. In this book there is so much more to relate to personally than when you read about an American President from a bygone era.
The book covers with great depth John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s parents, siblings, wife, children, grandchildren and all the in-laws. You follow how Sr. made his money - all those with whom he ran Standard Oil, all those who criticized his methods. Every action is viewed from multiple points of view. You get not only corrupt business but also immense philanthropic beneficence. It is utterly fascinating to watch how the world and the family change. You can read this for history. You can read it for study of familial relationships. Religion, art, psychology, corporate management, in fact everything that changed the world from the America of the 1800s to the interwar years is reflected here in one family.
I simply cannot summarize adequately all the diverse subjects touched upon. The most important point to stress is that every topic is presented in such a way that you want to know more and more and more. You do not want it to stop. Chernow presents the facts clearly. He presents the facts with humor. He has a quote of Mark Twain that is deliciously salacious. So damn funny! Chernow gives you both sides, and not just at one moment in time but over many years. Ida Tarbell and Frederick Taylor Gates and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (who started MoMa) and Carl Gustav Jung - just four of the many who are so wonderfully portrayed. In naming four, I simply feel that I do injustice to the book for not naming all the others equally well portrayed.
It is almost impossible to write an adequate review of such an excellent book. …….. except to say I adored it. Probably because it gave me history that I could relate to and understand, in addition to a study of how people behave and interact. Real people, people who have good qualities and bad. You constantly are thinking, "Why did he/she do that?!" You do understand, even if you yourself would do otherwise.
The audiobook narration by Grover Gardner was absolutely superb. Perfect speed. Easy to follow. Zero complaints!
The book covers with great depth John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s parents, siblings, wife, children, grandchildren and all the in-laws. You follow how Sr. made his money - all those with whom he ran Standard Oil, all those who criticized his methods. Every action is viewed from multiple points of view. You get not only corrupt business but also immense philanthropic beneficence. It is utterly fascinating to watch how the world and the family change. You can read this for history. You can read it for study of familial relationships. Religion, art, psychology, corporate management, in fact everything that changed the world from the America of the 1800s to the interwar years is reflected here in one family.
I simply cannot summarize adequately all the diverse subjects touched upon. The most important point to stress is that every topic is presented in such a way that you want to know more and more and more. You do not want it to stop. Chernow presents the facts clearly. He presents the facts with humor. He has a quote of Mark Twain that is deliciously salacious. So damn funny! Chernow gives you both sides, and not just at one moment in time but over many years. Ida Tarbell and Frederick Taylor Gates and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (who started MoMa) and Carl Gustav Jung - just four of the many who are so wonderfully portrayed. In naming four, I simply feel that I do injustice to the book for not naming all the others equally well portrayed.
It is almost impossible to write an adequate review of such an excellent book. …….. except to say I adored it. Probably because it gave me history that I could relate to and understand, in addition to a study of how people behave and interact. Real people, people who have good qualities and bad. You constantly are thinking, "Why did he/she do that?!" You do understand, even if you yourself would do otherwise.
The audiobook narration by Grover Gardner was absolutely superb. Perfect speed. Easy to follow. Zero complaints!
October 22, 2018
"Standard Oil had taught the American public an important but paradoxical lesson: Free markets, if left completely to their own devices, can wind up terribly unfree. Competitive capitalism did not exist in a state of nature but had to be defined or restrained by law."
- Ron Chernow, Titan
One of the great truths about America is the paradoxes built into it, almost from the beginning. It was the land of the free, but built largely on the backs of slaves. It has all the bunting of freedom, but often can act like an adolescent empire. Those same paradoxes are also found within American Capitalism AND some of America's greatest men. Rockefeller is one of those men, known for both good and evil, where it is very hard to write a biography without carrying into it A LOT of bias. Standard Oil, in some ways, is the perfect example of many of the virtues of capitalism (and the Protestant work ethic). It also contains within it, many of the vices.
Chernow is able to explore the life of Rockefeller without turning the book into a hagiography (Rockefeller paid for plenty of those) or Devil's dictionary (there were plenty of those too). He examines Rockefeller as a man, faults and brilliance combined. This isn't a perfect biography, but is definitely top shelf. It isn't even Chernow's best. I'd rank this one under Alexander Hamilton, but over Washington: A Life (Since I haven't read The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Financeor The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family, I'll decide later where it fits among those two). The biggest weakness, in my opinion, of this biography was the end. Chernow wanted a cradle to grave biography and delivered it. I just feel he could have cut about 100 pages from the last 15 years of Rockefeller's life. The biography became a bit less compelling after the chapters on the Rockefeller Foundation. While I think his time in Florida, giving out dimes and nickels, needed a few lines -- it just wandered a bit at the end (thus my four stars, not five).
Some of what I loved the most from this book, however, were the bits about minor satellites to Rockefeller. I loved the discussions concerning such fascinating figures as Ida Tarbell (the Jane Mayer of the early 20th Century), Frederick T. Gates (who helped Rockefeller give his money away, and invest it later in his life), JR (a whole book can be written on the relationship between Rockefeller Sr & Rockefeller Jr), the Baptists (another whole book could be written on the relationship between the Rockefellers and religion), etc. These asides alone were worth the entire price of admission.
I kept thinking as I read this of Jane Mayer's book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right. It was amazing how much power Rockefeller really had. It was also amazing at how bad both the Rockefellers and Standard Oil were at public relations and politics. It seems in some ways the Kochs have learned from the mistakes of previous billionaires, but it also seems like the more things change with oil, money, and politics - the more they stay the same.
***
Finally, Chernow writes primarily about banking families and American biographies:
Chernow's Banking Dynasties:
1. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. - ★★★★
2. The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance - ★★★★
3. The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family - ★★★★
Chernow's American Political Biographies:
1. Alexander Hamilton - ★★★★★
2. Washington: A Life - ★★★★★
3. Grant - ★★★★★
Upon reviewing my reviews, I'm convinced Chernow does slightly better at writing histories of individuals rather than families; politics rather than finance. However, I should note, I've enjoyed ALL of his books and he's a master at his craft.
- Ron Chernow, Titan
One of the great truths about America is the paradoxes built into it, almost from the beginning. It was the land of the free, but built largely on the backs of slaves. It has all the bunting of freedom, but often can act like an adolescent empire. Those same paradoxes are also found within American Capitalism AND some of America's greatest men. Rockefeller is one of those men, known for both good and evil, where it is very hard to write a biography without carrying into it A LOT of bias. Standard Oil, in some ways, is the perfect example of many of the virtues of capitalism (and the Protestant work ethic). It also contains within it, many of the vices.
Chernow is able to explore the life of Rockefeller without turning the book into a hagiography (Rockefeller paid for plenty of those) or Devil's dictionary (there were plenty of those too). He examines Rockefeller as a man, faults and brilliance combined. This isn't a perfect biography, but is definitely top shelf. It isn't even Chernow's best. I'd rank this one under Alexander Hamilton, but over Washington: A Life (Since I haven't read The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Financeor The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family, I'll decide later where it fits among those two). The biggest weakness, in my opinion, of this biography was the end. Chernow wanted a cradle to grave biography and delivered it. I just feel he could have cut about 100 pages from the last 15 years of Rockefeller's life. The biography became a bit less compelling after the chapters on the Rockefeller Foundation. While I think his time in Florida, giving out dimes and nickels, needed a few lines -- it just wandered a bit at the end (thus my four stars, not five).
Some of what I loved the most from this book, however, were the bits about minor satellites to Rockefeller. I loved the discussions concerning such fascinating figures as Ida Tarbell (the Jane Mayer of the early 20th Century), Frederick T. Gates (who helped Rockefeller give his money away, and invest it later in his life), JR (a whole book can be written on the relationship between Rockefeller Sr & Rockefeller Jr), the Baptists (another whole book could be written on the relationship between the Rockefellers and religion), etc. These asides alone were worth the entire price of admission.
I kept thinking as I read this of Jane Mayer's book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right. It was amazing how much power Rockefeller really had. It was also amazing at how bad both the Rockefellers and Standard Oil were at public relations and politics. It seems in some ways the Kochs have learned from the mistakes of previous billionaires, but it also seems like the more things change with oil, money, and politics - the more they stay the same.
***
Finally, Chernow writes primarily about banking families and American biographies:
Chernow's Banking Dynasties:
1. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. - ★★★★
2. The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance - ★★★★
3. The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family - ★★★★
Chernow's American Political Biographies:
1. Alexander Hamilton - ★★★★★
2. Washington: A Life - ★★★★★
3. Grant - ★★★★★
Upon reviewing my reviews, I'm convinced Chernow does slightly better at writing histories of individuals rather than families; politics rather than finance. However, I should note, I've enjoyed ALL of his books and he's a master at his craft.
July 1, 2020
He played golf assiduously, always alone, matching his record on one day against his record on another; just what the saints do when they daily examine their conscience... Such was probably also the interest dominating Rockefeller's chase after millions. He was beyond comparing himself with his competitors; he compared himself with himself.
—George Santayana
As a child of Sleepy Hollow, I have almost literally grown up in Rockefeller’s shadow. The best walking paths in the area are in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, an expansive and beautiful slice of forest made from a part of Rockefeller’s former estate. I can also walk to Rockwood, a park with a gorgeous view of the Hudson River, where John’s brother William had his mansion (since demolished). John D. Rockefeller’s own mansion, Kykuit, sits atop the nearby Pocantico Hills, and is a popular tourist destination. And yet, aside from his reputation as an ultra-rich monopolist, I knew almost nothing about the man.
Thus I turned to Ron Chernow, and I am glad I did. For Rockefeller presents a challenging subject for would-be biographers. A private, reserved, and even a secretive man, John D. Rockefeller was a beguiling mixture of avarice and piety; and throughout his life he has provoked both passionate praise and vicious criticism. Since Rockefeller himself was so guarded during his lifetime, never spontaneous or candid, while achieving such historical importance, it is hard to resist the urge to simplify his character—merely to fill up the lacunae he left. Luckily, Chernow’s patience and sensitivity allow him to paint a convincing and unforgettable portrait of this evasive figure.
As Chernow himself says, Rockefeller was the walking embodiment of Max Weber’s Protestant Ethic. He was actuated by a faith which told him that it was his holy duty to work zealously, and which taught him to see his own success as divine favor and his rivals’ failure as divine retribution. This faith in his mission and his rectitude gave him a purpose and a justification, pushing him to work more devotedly than his colleagues, and to feel no pangs of remorse for those he bruised along the way. His outstanding strengths were his iron will and his extreme deliberation. He kept to a rigid schedule, never acted impulsively, tabulated all of his personal expenses in a little booklet, and even showed up to work on his wedding day. This was a man who made money with the morbid devotion of a saint.
During the sections charting Rockefeller’s rise to success, I was filled with a horrified disgust with the man. Such a joyless, self-righteous hypocrite—filling his pockets with gold and wagging his fingers at the poor. I did not see anything to praise in his religion of money. Simple greed is noxious enough, but sanctimonious greed is revolting.
Yet by the end of the book I found that I both liked and admired the man, or at least the man he later became. For Rockefeller, while full of his own vices, was free of many of the vices we associate with the rich. He was neither ostentatious nor profligate; and if his puritan strictness seems joyless—his hatred of drink, cards, smoking, or anything remotely racy—it at least saved him from hedonistic debauchery. And as he grew older, he became more playful, giving away dimes to strangers, riding around in sporty automobiles, and obsessively playing golf. I was surprised to learn that Rockefeller retired early from his post at the helm of Standard Oil, ceasing all regular duties in his fifties, only retaining a symbolic title. Clearly, he saw more to life than work and money.
But Rockefeller’s greatest virtue was his charity. He gave profusely and generously throughout his life, even more than Andrew Carnegie. Much of this was news to me (for example, I had no idea he founded the University of Chicago); and this is no accident, since Rockefeller did not like putting his name on things. (His name was so vilified anyway it would likely have hampered his charities.) And contrary to what you might expect, Rockefeller’s philanthropic impulse was deep and genuine, something he had from the beginning of his life. According to Chernow, Rockefeller’s contributions to medical research revolutionized the field. So on a purely utilitarian tabulation of pain and pleasure inflicted, Rockefeller probably comes out positive in the end. (Rockefeller himself, of course, thought that his life had been virtuous from beginning to end, and never conceived charity as recompense.)
As I hope I have made clear, Rockefeller was a complex man—or, perhaps it is more accurate to say that he continually resists attempts to stereotype him, which is always uncomfortable. And it is a testament to Chernow’s ability that he captures Rockefeller in all these aspects. Now, this was my first Chernow biography and, I admit, I was somewhat disappointed at first. Naturally, I measured this book against Robert Caro’s The Power Broker, and found Chernow’s book very thin on historical background by comparison. But Chernow partially compensates for this with his fine psychological sensitivity, as sharp as a first-rate novelist. The result is a thoroughly engrossing biography, so good that I am left wishing Chernow had made it longer—specifically during Rockefeller’s early years. And you know a book is good when 700 pages does not satisfy.
_____________________
(As an afterthought, I would like to note how gratifying it is when different books serendipitously overlap. I knew of Charles Strong as one of George Santayana's best friends, familiar to me from Santayana's autobiography and his letters. But I did not remember that Strong married Bessie Rockefeller, John's eldest child, who went insane and died at the age of forty. Santayana helped to look after Bessie's daughter, Margaret, and even handed her off during her wedding.)
June 6, 2015
Titan is another Ron Chernow masterpiece. Titan refers to John D. Rockefeller the oil tycoon and philanthropist. He had two qualities that may have been responsible for his great business acumen. The first was that he was a deeply religious Baptist. His belief that God would always take care of him allowed him to make, what some would consider, considerable gambles. The second quality was his reverence for money. He valued money so much that he recorded each expenditure in his personal ledger. He always looked at saving. He felt that money should not sit still so he always made sure his money was being paid interest. He obtained his religious convictions from his devout mother and his love of money from his often absent flim-flam father who earned money as a traveling medicine man.
When oil was discovered in western Pennsylvania Rockefeller quickly realized its value. He however lived in Cleveland where there was no oil. He would not move to the oil fields around Titusville, PA because the rowdy drillers appalled his religious convictions. So he borrowed money with another bright man named Henry Flagler and they started Standard Oil.
Standard imported oil to refine and resold it as mainly as kerosene for lighting lamp posts from their offices in Cleveland.
Some of Rockefeller’s brilliance shows how he manipulated railroads by buying up rivals and threatening not to use a particular railroad without receiving a discount. He also guaranteed to the railroads that he would fill every car. This act ensured the railroad would receive a profit because most refiners at the time could not fill all the cars leaving empty space on the train. He also built pipelines that encouraged greater rebates from railroads.
Oil at the time was only used for kerosene to light lamps and as lubricating oil. By the 1890’s Thomas Edison was promoting his electric light which threatened and eventually would take over kerosene’s need as an illuminant. But God would save oil because at the same time various automobile makers were cranking out cars which needed oil to run. This would perpetuate John D and some of his clan from the super rich to the ultra-super rich.
As the world got wind of his riches John D. was swamped with donation requests. He gave plenty away because he was not only frugal but generous as well. But as he gave away money there was still venom thrown at him for his unfair business practices and his extraordinary wealth. And with this came investigations. When he was called to congress he gave calm non-information to the committee members so well that his lawyer said that he was the best client he could ever hope for.
As he began to age he started to work less and retreat to his New York house as well as vacation in Florida. At the same time his business partner Henry Flagler became less interested in Standard Oil and was instead envisioning the potential in developing swamp ridden Florida. His son John D. Jr. was entering college. They decided on Brown University because it was a long standing Baptist College. Jr. did well and met and married Abbey Aldrich the daughter of a powerful Rhode Island Senator Nelson Aldrich. Jr. was a bit reclusive and had been taught by his devout mother that dancing was immoral. Abby, on the other hand, was outgoing and had been taught the art of dancing.
Jr. worked at Standard Oil but Standard Oil executive John Archibald w ran it when John D. retired. Although John D. retired he still owned controlling stock and was still seen as the owner by outsiders.
However, after John D’s retirement he received tons of lawsuits. Also a bright reporter named Ida Tarbell, while harboring a grudge against him, began a series of negative stories about John D in a (just starting out) magazine called McClure’s. She exposed some true and some false stories but whatever she wrote sold magazines. One topic that she uncovered was that John D’s father, the flim-flam man, was still alive but no one knew where he was living. This set off a massive man-hunt by eager reporters looking for “sure to sell” stories about the finding of the “Titan’s” elusive father. However, the flim-flam man died before he was caught.
As the Titan received barbarous insults thrown at him he just ignored them. And at the same time he engaged in philanthropic activities of such proportion that it boggles the mind. He developed and funded medical research schools based on the newly used scientific method while he himself believed in and practiced the homeopathic medical method.
On the business side, Standard Oil was brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in 1911. It ruled that Standard was a trust and needed to be broken up. So as his great company broke into many independent pieces, God must have kept smiling on his devoted child. The reason is because as he no longer owned the companies he still held large sums of stock in each. And as each stock price rose he became richer and richer.
The author goes into the interesting story of the “Titan’s” youngest daughter, Edith. She married another wealthy man named Harold McCormick son of the inventor of the farming reaper. However, Edith slid into deep depression and agoraphobia. So the couple ventured to Europe as a recuperative vacation. They wind up meeting Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, who agreed to treat Edith. Her father believed Jung was a quack but Edith became enthralled with him. She used her money to fund Jung’s practice while he drug her treatments on for eight years. Her husband became involved with Jung as well. Finally she ended her affiliation with Jung and her marriage as well. She moved back to the U.S. and lived as a wealthy eccentric.
John D. decided to spend most of the rest of his life in his Florida retreat in Ormand,. He oddly reverted in many ways to a childhood that he missed by being so serious as a youngster. He played golf constantly and had a chauffeur drive him around town where he picked up strangers just for conversation. He came to like picking up women supposedly where he would cover their laps with a blanket and let his hands roam. I do not believe this entirely because he never did this sort of thing in the past.
I neglected to mention that his wife Cettie had died long before John D.’s Florida escapades. She was not a large part of the story because she feared crowds, suffered from agoraphobia (like her daughter) and was bedridden and sickly a lot of her life. She was, however, a devout Christian and very nice woman.
John D’s goal was to reach 100 years of age. As he made it into his 90’s he began to weaken and he gave up his passion - golf. But he still rode a stationary exercise bike to gain needed strength. He died at the age 97 just six weeks short of his ninety-eighth birthday.
There has been no greater contributor to society than John D. Rockefeller. He started colleges and medical universities, funded research to stop malaria and hook worm and gave millions to needy people. His son Jr. paid for and developed Colonial Williamsburg and the Rockefeller Center in New York City.
When oil was discovered in western Pennsylvania Rockefeller quickly realized its value. He however lived in Cleveland where there was no oil. He would not move to the oil fields around Titusville, PA because the rowdy drillers appalled his religious convictions. So he borrowed money with another bright man named Henry Flagler and they started Standard Oil.
Standard imported oil to refine and resold it as mainly as kerosene for lighting lamp posts from their offices in Cleveland.
Some of Rockefeller’s brilliance shows how he manipulated railroads by buying up rivals and threatening not to use a particular railroad without receiving a discount. He also guaranteed to the railroads that he would fill every car. This act ensured the railroad would receive a profit because most refiners at the time could not fill all the cars leaving empty space on the train. He also built pipelines that encouraged greater rebates from railroads.
Oil at the time was only used for kerosene to light lamps and as lubricating oil. By the 1890’s Thomas Edison was promoting his electric light which threatened and eventually would take over kerosene’s need as an illuminant. But God would save oil because at the same time various automobile makers were cranking out cars which needed oil to run. This would perpetuate John D and some of his clan from the super rich to the ultra-super rich.
As the world got wind of his riches John D. was swamped with donation requests. He gave plenty away because he was not only frugal but generous as well. But as he gave away money there was still venom thrown at him for his unfair business practices and his extraordinary wealth. And with this came investigations. When he was called to congress he gave calm non-information to the committee members so well that his lawyer said that he was the best client he could ever hope for.
As he began to age he started to work less and retreat to his New York house as well as vacation in Florida. At the same time his business partner Henry Flagler became less interested in Standard Oil and was instead envisioning the potential in developing swamp ridden Florida. His son John D. Jr. was entering college. They decided on Brown University because it was a long standing Baptist College. Jr. did well and met and married Abbey Aldrich the daughter of a powerful Rhode Island Senator Nelson Aldrich. Jr. was a bit reclusive and had been taught by his devout mother that dancing was immoral. Abby, on the other hand, was outgoing and had been taught the art of dancing.
Jr. worked at Standard Oil but Standard Oil executive John Archibald w ran it when John D. retired. Although John D. retired he still owned controlling stock and was still seen as the owner by outsiders.
However, after John D’s retirement he received tons of lawsuits. Also a bright reporter named Ida Tarbell, while harboring a grudge against him, began a series of negative stories about John D in a (just starting out) magazine called McClure’s. She exposed some true and some false stories but whatever she wrote sold magazines. One topic that she uncovered was that John D’s father, the flim-flam man, was still alive but no one knew where he was living. This set off a massive man-hunt by eager reporters looking for “sure to sell” stories about the finding of the “Titan’s” elusive father. However, the flim-flam man died before he was caught.
As the Titan received barbarous insults thrown at him he just ignored them. And at the same time he engaged in philanthropic activities of such proportion that it boggles the mind. He developed and funded medical research schools based on the newly used scientific method while he himself believed in and practiced the homeopathic medical method.
On the business side, Standard Oil was brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in 1911. It ruled that Standard was a trust and needed to be broken up. So as his great company broke into many independent pieces, God must have kept smiling on his devoted child. The reason is because as he no longer owned the companies he still held large sums of stock in each. And as each stock price rose he became richer and richer.
The author goes into the interesting story of the “Titan’s” youngest daughter, Edith. She married another wealthy man named Harold McCormick son of the inventor of the farming reaper. However, Edith slid into deep depression and agoraphobia. So the couple ventured to Europe as a recuperative vacation. They wind up meeting Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, who agreed to treat Edith. Her father believed Jung was a quack but Edith became enthralled with him. She used her money to fund Jung’s practice while he drug her treatments on for eight years. Her husband became involved with Jung as well. Finally she ended her affiliation with Jung and her marriage as well. She moved back to the U.S. and lived as a wealthy eccentric.
John D. decided to spend most of the rest of his life in his Florida retreat in Ormand,. He oddly reverted in many ways to a childhood that he missed by being so serious as a youngster. He played golf constantly and had a chauffeur drive him around town where he picked up strangers just for conversation. He came to like picking up women supposedly where he would cover their laps with a blanket and let his hands roam. I do not believe this entirely because he never did this sort of thing in the past.
I neglected to mention that his wife Cettie had died long before John D.’s Florida escapades. She was not a large part of the story because she feared crowds, suffered from agoraphobia (like her daughter) and was bedridden and sickly a lot of her life. She was, however, a devout Christian and very nice woman.
John D’s goal was to reach 100 years of age. As he made it into his 90’s he began to weaken and he gave up his passion - golf. But he still rode a stationary exercise bike to gain needed strength. He died at the age 97 just six weeks short of his ninety-eighth birthday.
There has been no greater contributor to society than John D. Rockefeller. He started colleges and medical universities, funded research to stop malaria and hook worm and gave millions to needy people. His son Jr. paid for and developed Colonial Williamsburg and the Rockefeller Center in New York City.
July 17, 2023
John D. Rockefeller didn't believe in competition. He rationalized that monopolies are the best business model because of their smoothness of operation. He started small as an oil refiner in Cleveland and progressed with his company, Standard Oil, to become the largest oil company in the world. And he didn't care who he smashed to achieve this. Really bad stuff. And he never believed he did anything wrong. I think if Jesus sat JDR (a life-long Baptist) down in a chair and explained why what he did was wrong, JDR still would not have agreed with Him.
Rockefeller did wonderful things after he retired. He loved giving away his money. I never knew that he founded The University of Chicago. And Spelman College for black women. He didn't like putting his name on his donations. (Rockefeller Center in New York City was developed and named by his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.)
I'm probably going to end up reading all of Ron Chernow's books. I haven't read one yet that hasn't been worthy of 5 stars+.
Rockefeller did wonderful things after he retired. He loved giving away his money. I never knew that he founded The University of Chicago. And Spelman College for black women. He didn't like putting his name on his donations. (Rockefeller Center in New York City was developed and named by his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.)
I'm probably going to end up reading all of Ron Chernow's books. I haven't read one yet that hasn't been worthy of 5 stars+.
November 3, 2020
https://thebestbiographies.com/2020/1...
“Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.” is the fourth of seven books Ron Chernow has written. Among his others are the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Washington: A Life,” the widely-acclaimed “Alexander Hamilton,” his inaugural book “The House of Morgan” and his recent biography of Ulysses S. Grant.
Anyone familiar with Chernow’s writing will quickly recognize his trademark style. This book’s narrative is uncommonly engaging, exceptionally insightful, appropriately thorough and magnificently eloquent. Chernow has a knack for choosing incredibly interesting biographical subjects and then thoroughly researching, dissecting and conveying their essence in a fluent and incisive manner.
The famously taciturn (and often expressionless) Rockefeller is carefully uncovered layer-by-layer and ends up a far more intriguing and multi-faceted individual than many readers might expect. If not quite someone I’d want to grab a drink with (he was a lifelong teetotaler in any event) this “desiccated fossil” of the Gilded Age turns out to be extraordinarily interesting…and incredibly human.
The narrative does a terrific job reviewing Rockefeller’s childhood, revealing his parents’ backgrounds (and pathologies) and exploring which personality traits they each passed on to him. It will not take most readers long to realize that Rockefeller’s father – also known as “Devil Bill” – deserves a biography all to himself.
In later chapters, coverage of Rockefeller’s wife, children and his sons- and daughter-in-law proves outstanding. Each of these family members, along with several of his unrelated contemporaries, essentially receive their own riveting mini-biographies.
Other excellent aspects of the book include its review of the important role Christianity played in Rockefeller’s life, careful analyses of Standard Oil’s strategic objectives and concomitant business tactics, and a marvelous chapter documenting Rockefeller’s relationships with fellow Robber barons Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan.
But no biography of Rockefeller would be complete without devoting considerable attention to the work of muckraking journalist Ida Tarbell. Her groundbreaking nineteen-part series on Standard Oil exposed Rockefeller’s monopolistic business practices and helped lead to its dissolution in 1911. Chernow’s review of Tarbell’s work and its impact on Rockefeller’s personal and professional lives is superb.
If this biography of John D. Rockefeller is not perfect, its flaws are few and far between. Some readers may be bothered by the author’s reluctance to skim the tree tops on some comparative uninteresting topics; Chernow consistently chooses to fully investigate not only what happened but also why.
In addition, while this is not a particularly “difficult” read, the narrative does not lend itself to high-speed consumption. On many pages, every sentence seems meticulously designed for maximum potency – with virtually no extraneous verbiage. That, along with the book’s length, makes this a more demanding than average biographical journey…but with commensurate compensation, to be sure.
Overall, Ron Chernow’s “Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.” ranks among the very best of the nearly 300 biographies I’ve read. As only a masterful biographer can manage, Chernow expertly analyzes and fully humanizes his subject. With a brilliantly crafted narrative and penetrating style, this biography will appeal to nearly anyone with an interest in the Gilded Age, the use of unrestrained corporate power, or an incredibly compelling life story.
Overall rating: 4¾ stars
“Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.” is the fourth of seven books Ron Chernow has written. Among his others are the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Washington: A Life,” the widely-acclaimed “Alexander Hamilton,” his inaugural book “The House of Morgan” and his recent biography of Ulysses S. Grant.
Anyone familiar with Chernow’s writing will quickly recognize his trademark style. This book’s narrative is uncommonly engaging, exceptionally insightful, appropriately thorough and magnificently eloquent. Chernow has a knack for choosing incredibly interesting biographical subjects and then thoroughly researching, dissecting and conveying their essence in a fluent and incisive manner.
The famously taciturn (and often expressionless) Rockefeller is carefully uncovered layer-by-layer and ends up a far more intriguing and multi-faceted individual than many readers might expect. If not quite someone I’d want to grab a drink with (he was a lifelong teetotaler in any event) this “desiccated fossil” of the Gilded Age turns out to be extraordinarily interesting…and incredibly human.
The narrative does a terrific job reviewing Rockefeller’s childhood, revealing his parents’ backgrounds (and pathologies) and exploring which personality traits they each passed on to him. It will not take most readers long to realize that Rockefeller’s father – also known as “Devil Bill” – deserves a biography all to himself.
In later chapters, coverage of Rockefeller’s wife, children and his sons- and daughter-in-law proves outstanding. Each of these family members, along with several of his unrelated contemporaries, essentially receive their own riveting mini-biographies.
Other excellent aspects of the book include its review of the important role Christianity played in Rockefeller’s life, careful analyses of Standard Oil’s strategic objectives and concomitant business tactics, and a marvelous chapter documenting Rockefeller’s relationships with fellow Robber barons Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan.
But no biography of Rockefeller would be complete without devoting considerable attention to the work of muckraking journalist Ida Tarbell. Her groundbreaking nineteen-part series on Standard Oil exposed Rockefeller’s monopolistic business practices and helped lead to its dissolution in 1911. Chernow’s review of Tarbell’s work and its impact on Rockefeller’s personal and professional lives is superb.
If this biography of John D. Rockefeller is not perfect, its flaws are few and far between. Some readers may be bothered by the author’s reluctance to skim the tree tops on some comparative uninteresting topics; Chernow consistently chooses to fully investigate not only what happened but also why.
In addition, while this is not a particularly “difficult” read, the narrative does not lend itself to high-speed consumption. On many pages, every sentence seems meticulously designed for maximum potency – with virtually no extraneous verbiage. That, along with the book’s length, makes this a more demanding than average biographical journey…but with commensurate compensation, to be sure.
Overall, Ron Chernow’s “Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.” ranks among the very best of the nearly 300 biographies I’ve read. As only a masterful biographer can manage, Chernow expertly analyzes and fully humanizes his subject. With a brilliantly crafted narrative and penetrating style, this biography will appeal to nearly anyone with an interest in the Gilded Age, the use of unrestrained corporate power, or an incredibly compelling life story.
Overall rating: 4¾ stars
Read
February 20, 2017Truly magisterial.
I came away from Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America with a thirst for more on early US industrial magnates and their corrupt shenanigans, operating in an age free of regulation, tax or indeed any interference by government, really. Is it surprising to find that under such circumstances the market does not necessarily regulate itself, and what insinuates itself into every nook and cranny is a massive all-embracing monopoly, that kills competition through takeovers and destructive pricing? Perhaps not, but what is amazing is how Chernow manages to persuade us that John D. Rockefeller's main motivation was not sheer brazen acquisitiveness, but an obsessive need for order and the utter conviction that he was the best person to run the whole of the oil industry, including its transport, pipelines, refineries and financial services. Chernow portrays Rockefeller senior as a mass of contradictions, and yet manages to pull them all together into a coherent whole human being, who survived long enough to be remembered for his benign philanthropy rather than for the distant dubious business practices of his youth.
I know it's impossible to judge at such distance and on such flimsy evidence, but I'm going to do it anyway (didn't you just know I would): I do get the distinct impression that women who existed within the rarefied atmosphere of fabulous wealth, alongside obsessive patriarchs who came out of a puritan Baptist tradition that saw enjoyment as sinful, tended to have nothing left to do in life except cultivate refined and ladylike diseases. Maybe they were genuinely ill, but it felt distinctly psychosomatic. Not just the women either, Junior and at least one of the grandsons too. Abby did better: in defiance of her husband (Junior) who couldn't see the point of modern art, and her f-i-l who probably thought Cézanne was the right hand of the devil, she threw herself into helping to create MoMa. There's my Calvinistic upbringing popping up to the surface, you see. I obviously have great faith in the health-giving power of hard work. Or maybe it's more to do with finding something that gives sense and value to your life. Doesn't always have to be work. (Although it does in my mother's case. And yes, I am my mother's daughter. Ah shoot).
I came away from Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America with a thirst for more on early US industrial magnates and their corrupt shenanigans, operating in an age free of regulation, tax or indeed any interference by government, really. Is it surprising to find that under such circumstances the market does not necessarily regulate itself, and what insinuates itself into every nook and cranny is a massive all-embracing monopoly, that kills competition through takeovers and destructive pricing? Perhaps not, but what is amazing is how Chernow manages to persuade us that John D. Rockefeller's main motivation was not sheer brazen acquisitiveness, but an obsessive need for order and the utter conviction that he was the best person to run the whole of the oil industry, including its transport, pipelines, refineries and financial services. Chernow portrays Rockefeller senior as a mass of contradictions, and yet manages to pull them all together into a coherent whole human being, who survived long enough to be remembered for his benign philanthropy rather than for the distant dubious business practices of his youth.
I know it's impossible to judge at such distance and on such flimsy evidence, but I'm going to do it anyway (didn't you just know I would): I do get the distinct impression that women who existed within the rarefied atmosphere of fabulous wealth, alongside obsessive patriarchs who came out of a puritan Baptist tradition that saw enjoyment as sinful, tended to have nothing left to do in life except cultivate refined and ladylike diseases. Maybe they were genuinely ill, but it felt distinctly psychosomatic. Not just the women either, Junior and at least one of the grandsons too. Abby did better: in defiance of her husband (Junior) who couldn't see the point of modern art, and her f-i-l who probably thought Cézanne was the right hand of the devil, she threw herself into helping to create MoMa. There's my Calvinistic upbringing popping up to the surface, you see. I obviously have great faith in the health-giving power of hard work. Or maybe it's more to do with finding something that gives sense and value to your life. Doesn't always have to be work. (Although it does in my mother's case. And yes, I am my mother's daughter. Ah shoot).
March 5, 2017
It's only March but I suspect this will end up being my favorite book of the year. I listened to the audio - 35 hours in less than a week. That's unheard of for me, unless I'm on an obscenely long road trip but this book was exceptional. I'm not sure if I kept listening because I couldn't sleep or if I couldn't sleep because I kept listening.
Rockefeller has always been an inspiration to me in both business and personal life although we have little in common, like the fact that he was richer than God. Speaking of God, he was also a fervent Baptist and his religion seems to have guided nearly every decision he made. He wasn't in the business of saving souls though; he was in the business of doing what he was good at - accumulating wealth - and then giving away shitloads of that wealth to people who needed it for practical reasons regardless of the recipient's belief system.
I'm not a religious dude but I respect that. A lot.
I first read about Rockefeller in The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power which ended up being my favorite history book. Standard Oil obviously played a huge role in that account. This could very well be my favorite biography, every bit as good or better than the author's more recent book on Alexander Hamilton.
This paints a mostly positive impression of Rockefeller in contrast to his initial biographer, Ida Tarbell, who comes across as a bit of a bitch but I walked away with that impression after reading The Prize too. Opinions will differ on that depending on the reader's views of capitalism in general. Some people equate wealthy with evil and I don't expect to change anyone's mind. It was interesting that Rockefeller was a vocal opponent of the income tax when it was introduced with the top rate being 6%. He'd probably drop dead of shock to see how that tax has evolved today. Opinions will differ on that as well depending on whether it's the government's role to confiscate personal earnings. For the past century or so that seems to be the case.
I don't want to start a tax debate. I'm just a fan of watching history unfold. I highly recommend this one for both its entertainment and informative value. Very few biographies qualify as "page turners" but this is one of them.
Rockefeller has always been an inspiration to me in both business and personal life although we have little in common, like the fact that he was richer than God. Speaking of God, he was also a fervent Baptist and his religion seems to have guided nearly every decision he made. He wasn't in the business of saving souls though; he was in the business of doing what he was good at - accumulating wealth - and then giving away shitloads of that wealth to people who needed it for practical reasons regardless of the recipient's belief system.
I'm not a religious dude but I respect that. A lot.
I first read about Rockefeller in The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power which ended up being my favorite history book. Standard Oil obviously played a huge role in that account. This could very well be my favorite biography, every bit as good or better than the author's more recent book on Alexander Hamilton.
This paints a mostly positive impression of Rockefeller in contrast to his initial biographer, Ida Tarbell, who comes across as a bit of a bitch but I walked away with that impression after reading The Prize too. Opinions will differ on that depending on the reader's views of capitalism in general. Some people equate wealthy with evil and I don't expect to change anyone's mind. It was interesting that Rockefeller was a vocal opponent of the income tax when it was introduced with the top rate being 6%. He'd probably drop dead of shock to see how that tax has evolved today. Opinions will differ on that as well depending on whether it's the government's role to confiscate personal earnings. For the past century or so that seems to be the case.
I don't want to start a tax debate. I'm just a fan of watching history unfold. I highly recommend this one for both its entertainment and informative value. Very few biographies qualify as "page turners" but this is one of them.
December 26, 2018
I know Chernow has such a great reputation as a biographer, so I don't want to be too critical. I'm also biased because I just read The Power Broker, which has to be the absolute best biography in the world and the most well-written non-fiction I've ever read. However, I was not too impressed with Chernow's writing style. He added details that were unnecessary. The Power Broker is over 1,000 pages long, but I really believe that every word served a purpose. Titan, on the other hand, seemed inflated with boring facts that had nothing to do with Chernow's point, which wasn't that good a point in the first place. Good editing would have helped a lot. I felt that Chernow's word choice was often inarticulate, as if he was using a thesaurus and not coming up with the word to really describe what he meant. My last criticism is that Chernow's thesis for the whole book seems to be that John D. Rockefeller isn't as bad as Ida Tarbell made everyone believe. The problem with this argument is that the author is assuming that everyone knows who Ida Tarbell is and that everyone has a negative opinion of John D. Rockefeller as a money grubbing anti-unionist. I consider myself much more informed about American history than the average person and I didn't know what he was talking about. If his whole point is to prove Tarbell wrong, he should have addressed her accusations at the beginning. Five hundred pages in, when Chernow finally tells you what Tarbel said, you've already been hearing about her in brief asides that imply anyone half educated should know who that is many, many times.
May 2, 2023
When history passes its final verdict on John D. Rockefeller, it may well be that his endowment of research will be recognized as a milestone in the progress of the race. For the first time, science was given its head; longer term experiment on a large scale has been made practicable, and those that undertake are freed from the shadow of financial disaster. Science today owes as much to the rich men of generosity and discernment as the art of the Renaissance owes to the patronage of Popes and Princes. Of these rich men, John D. Rockefeller is the supreme type.
Winston Spencer Churchill
Winston Spencer Churchill
January 13, 2020
This is a good book, if long. I found Rockefeller's family background interesting as well as his rise to power and wealth through a brilliant business acumen. However it got a bit monotonous listening (I had the audio version through Hoopla) how he absorbed every single competitor in the rail roads and in the oil business. Worth reading, but you need commitment to read it to the end,
July 10, 2019
Ron Chernow, a National Book award-winning author, has written a well-researched biography of the richest man in history America ever had - John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) - ‘Titan’. In today’s (2016) dollars, he was worth $21 billion (in 1913 money, $900,000,000). In other words, he was worth 2% of the United States' national economy of the time by himself.
Was he a good person? Depends on how one defines good.
Rockefeller was extremely religious for most of his life. He was a fundamentalist Baptist until maybe his 70’s (he died at age 98). He seemed to relax his literal belief in the Bible in his old age after the death of his wife, Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman Rockefeller (1839–1915). He did not drink alcohol or smoke, never gambled on cards or wasted anything, and I mean anything, whether it was oil byproducts or a penny. But he generously tithed to his local church wherever he traveled, always attending Baptist services regularly every Sunday all of his life.
In his fifties, he became a renowned philanthropist. Because of his basic genius business acumen and personal faith-based generosity, he helped establish the University of Chicago, a small Baptist college, which became a world-class institution by 1900. He also gave a grant in 1905 to help establish Central Philippine University, the first Baptist and second American university in Asia, in the Catholic Philippines. In 1884, Rockefeller provided the funds for the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in Atlanta for African-American women (Spelman College). Rockefeller’s wife, Laura Cettie Spelman Rockefeller, was dedicated to civil rights and equality for women. Rockefeller established the General Education Board in 1903. The GEB promoted education everywhere in the country. It supported many black schools in the South. Rockefeller also provided financial support to Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Vassar.
Rockefeller became a supporter of medical science. In 1901, he started the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York City, which became Rockefeller University in 1965. He started the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission in 1909. This organization helped to begin the eradication of hookworm disease, which was considered accomplished by the 1920’s in rural areas of the American South. Rockefeller created the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913 with $250 million to continue the work of the Sanitary Commission, which became defunct in 1915. The Rockefeller Foundation focused on public health, medical training, and the arts. The Foundation started the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, the first of its kind. The Foundation built the Peking Union Medical College in China. The Foundation helped in World War I relief charities.
The John D. Rockefellers had four daughters and one son. Rockefeller loved his kids, coming home from work to eat dinner with them, enjoying their company, playing games with them. The Rockefellers never were ostentatious in private or public, practicing moderation in all things.They encouraged their kids to thrift and modesty in money, dress, behavior. The children earned pennies with daily work assigned them, along with a very small allowance. The kids growing up probably did not know how wealthy the family was. Both parents being hardcore Baptists, especially Cettie, the kids were constantly directed towards hardcore Baptist values - singing hymns, praying, to work hard in all they did, to avoid alcohol and cigarettes, never swear, to be self-sacrificing and self-reliant. Junior, for example, wore his sister's dresses as a baby and toddler, the family prudently saving the cost of new clothes for their only son.
On the other hand, John D. Rockefeller was a rapacious bastard in business, especially in establishing the Standard Oil Company in 1870. Competitors and business partners were bribed, bought out, or put down and buried in Rockefeller's drive to own everything - oil companies and railroads and pipelines that transported oil. It is estimated by the end of the 1870s, Standard was refining over 90% of the oil in the U.S. By the way, the end product of the refined oil was kerosene. Kerosene was the valuable product. Gasoline was an annoying byproduct. And then it wasn't.
There is no doubt John D. Rockefeller was a business genius. He seems to have possessed enormous self-control, never showing much emotion or giving anything away by loose talk or behavior. He was reputedly very much a cool customer at all times. He was a stickler for paperwork and numbers, closely scrutinizing and supervising every expenditure and activity, even to his homelife and in teaching his children to keep journals of every penny they spent of their allowance and earnings. Later, he showed a genius in hiring talent and in partnerships to do the close scrutinizing while he concentrated on policy and Wall Street stock investments. He did his homework on personalities, properties, and finance. He knew how to bide his time, wait for the right moment. And obviously, he had very few compunctions in creating a monopoly, believing it best for the country to tame the crazy boom and bust of the oil business as well as to meet his lifelong goal to be rich. He believed in social Darwinism. But he also believed in helping people help themselves. He thought socialism destroyed moral fiber. Capitalism was the cure for everything. Government was best if it stayed out of business, so he bought off officials everywhere he needed to.
Why was he like this? Maybe because Rockefeller's childhood was amazing? - his dad, William Avery 'Bill' Rockefeller, was a scam artist and a bigamist, who allowed his legal wife, Eliza Davison, and his five kids (John being the second oldest) to frequently starve or wonder if they would be starving, while he roamed far all over the country, selling snake oil cures while claiming to be a doctor. Bill would return and pay off the family's debts, then go off again, never telling the family where he was or what he was doing.
In contrast, Eliza, John D. Senior’s mother, was very very religious and industrious and self-sufficient, a poor fundamentalist Baptist. There was no frivolity allowed in the home except the singing of hymns. Everything was a sin, basically, especially the having of fun or enjoying oneself in doing anything. Duty, hard work, and moderation in all fleshly needs, including food and rest, was required only of good people to live correctly in the eyes of God.
Apparently John completely bought into his mother's beliefs and John never doubted her Baptist theology all his life. John never lived his life without a personal rigidity, moral rules and a scheduled daily routine which rarely varied for decades. He was cold at business, warm with family, if not garrolous ever. Clearly his personality was extraordinary. I don't think his upbringing, or his shame about his father, were the only elements involved in the making of John D. Rockefeller, the richest man America ever had.
Ron Chernow apparently found an enormous trove of available information about the history of Standard Oil and John D. Rockefeller, Sr. He uses biographies and business/political histories written by other authors about many of the other Rockefeller children as well as John D. Sr. Newspaper and magazine articles and personal letters and journals are readily found and available in libraries and private collections for credentialed academic researchers, I think.
Chernow pulls it all together in a cogent story full of interesting personalities and business/family history. Many people are examined who were important in each generation of Rockefellers, beginning from the nefarious scammer Rockefeller pere down to his great grandson Nelson Rockefeller's generation, the future 41st Vice-President of the United States in President Gerald Ford's administration. The focal point, is, of course, the life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Most of the early life and career of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a more timid child and insecure and less gifted than his father, more ordinary, if extraordinarily wealthy, is also included. However, Junior becomes remarkably more confident, liberal and philanthropic as a middle-aged adult, not only maintaining his father's late-in-life philanthropic legacy, but expanding it. He did not know about Senior's early decades as a heartless pirate of business for quite awhile, either, and he doesn't quite believe it when he does.
The lives of the sisters and brothers of Senior and Junior are also examined. There are hypochondriacs, mental illnesses and breakdowns, and crackpots included among the Rockefeller bankers-and-politician children. Each generation is better educated and more traveled, but not necessarily smart or savvy about business. I got the feeling it is only the fact that Senior's billions have become such an enormous amount in many inherited investment portfolios of each family member no amount of screwing up or madness can diminish the inherited Rockefeller wealth.
‘Titan' is absolutely fascinating. The book is not simply a dry encyclopedia of facts, but it is instead an amazingly vivid history of business people, a family, and a big business. John D. Rockefeller Sr. and the Standard Oil Company changed the economic pace and science progress of America, the government and the rules of business with much the same impact locally as Einstein having changed the world with his theory of relativity.
In the back of the book are Acknowledgments, Notes, a Bibliography and an Index - all of which are extensive, like, a hundred pages worth. Information can be rich, too...
Was he a good person? Depends on how one defines good.
Rockefeller was extremely religious for most of his life. He was a fundamentalist Baptist until maybe his 70’s (he died at age 98). He seemed to relax his literal belief in the Bible in his old age after the death of his wife, Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman Rockefeller (1839–1915). He did not drink alcohol or smoke, never gambled on cards or wasted anything, and I mean anything, whether it was oil byproducts or a penny. But he generously tithed to his local church wherever he traveled, always attending Baptist services regularly every Sunday all of his life.
In his fifties, he became a renowned philanthropist. Because of his basic genius business acumen and personal faith-based generosity, he helped establish the University of Chicago, a small Baptist college, which became a world-class institution by 1900. He also gave a grant in 1905 to help establish Central Philippine University, the first Baptist and second American university in Asia, in the Catholic Philippines. In 1884, Rockefeller provided the funds for the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in Atlanta for African-American women (Spelman College). Rockefeller’s wife, Laura Cettie Spelman Rockefeller, was dedicated to civil rights and equality for women. Rockefeller established the General Education Board in 1903. The GEB promoted education everywhere in the country. It supported many black schools in the South. Rockefeller also provided financial support to Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Vassar.
Rockefeller became a supporter of medical science. In 1901, he started the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York City, which became Rockefeller University in 1965. He started the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission in 1909. This organization helped to begin the eradication of hookworm disease, which was considered accomplished by the 1920’s in rural areas of the American South. Rockefeller created the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913 with $250 million to continue the work of the Sanitary Commission, which became defunct in 1915. The Rockefeller Foundation focused on public health, medical training, and the arts. The Foundation started the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, the first of its kind. The Foundation built the Peking Union Medical College in China. The Foundation helped in World War I relief charities.
The John D. Rockefellers had four daughters and one son. Rockefeller loved his kids, coming home from work to eat dinner with them, enjoying their company, playing games with them. The Rockefellers never were ostentatious in private or public, practicing moderation in all things.They encouraged their kids to thrift and modesty in money, dress, behavior. The children earned pennies with daily work assigned them, along with a very small allowance. The kids growing up probably did not know how wealthy the family was. Both parents being hardcore Baptists, especially Cettie, the kids were constantly directed towards hardcore Baptist values - singing hymns, praying, to work hard in all they did, to avoid alcohol and cigarettes, never swear, to be self-sacrificing and self-reliant. Junior, for example, wore his sister's dresses as a baby and toddler, the family prudently saving the cost of new clothes for their only son.
On the other hand, John D. Rockefeller was a rapacious bastard in business, especially in establishing the Standard Oil Company in 1870. Competitors and business partners were bribed, bought out, or put down and buried in Rockefeller's drive to own everything - oil companies and railroads and pipelines that transported oil. It is estimated by the end of the 1870s, Standard was refining over 90% of the oil in the U.S. By the way, the end product of the refined oil was kerosene. Kerosene was the valuable product. Gasoline was an annoying byproduct. And then it wasn't.
There is no doubt John D. Rockefeller was a business genius. He seems to have possessed enormous self-control, never showing much emotion or giving anything away by loose talk or behavior. He was reputedly very much a cool customer at all times. He was a stickler for paperwork and numbers, closely scrutinizing and supervising every expenditure and activity, even to his homelife and in teaching his children to keep journals of every penny they spent of their allowance and earnings. Later, he showed a genius in hiring talent and in partnerships to do the close scrutinizing while he concentrated on policy and Wall Street stock investments. He did his homework on personalities, properties, and finance. He knew how to bide his time, wait for the right moment. And obviously, he had very few compunctions in creating a monopoly, believing it best for the country to tame the crazy boom and bust of the oil business as well as to meet his lifelong goal to be rich. He believed in social Darwinism. But he also believed in helping people help themselves. He thought socialism destroyed moral fiber. Capitalism was the cure for everything. Government was best if it stayed out of business, so he bought off officials everywhere he needed to.
Why was he like this? Maybe because Rockefeller's childhood was amazing? - his dad, William Avery 'Bill' Rockefeller, was a scam artist and a bigamist, who allowed his legal wife, Eliza Davison, and his five kids (John being the second oldest) to frequently starve or wonder if they would be starving, while he roamed far all over the country, selling snake oil cures while claiming to be a doctor. Bill would return and pay off the family's debts, then go off again, never telling the family where he was or what he was doing.
In contrast, Eliza, John D. Senior’s mother, was very very religious and industrious and self-sufficient, a poor fundamentalist Baptist. There was no frivolity allowed in the home except the singing of hymns. Everything was a sin, basically, especially the having of fun or enjoying oneself in doing anything. Duty, hard work, and moderation in all fleshly needs, including food and rest, was required only of good people to live correctly in the eyes of God.
Apparently John completely bought into his mother's beliefs and John never doubted her Baptist theology all his life. John never lived his life without a personal rigidity, moral rules and a scheduled daily routine which rarely varied for decades. He was cold at business, warm with family, if not garrolous ever. Clearly his personality was extraordinary. I don't think his upbringing, or his shame about his father, were the only elements involved in the making of John D. Rockefeller, the richest man America ever had.
Ron Chernow apparently found an enormous trove of available information about the history of Standard Oil and John D. Rockefeller, Sr. He uses biographies and business/political histories written by other authors about many of the other Rockefeller children as well as John D. Sr. Newspaper and magazine articles and personal letters and journals are readily found and available in libraries and private collections for credentialed academic researchers, I think.
Chernow pulls it all together in a cogent story full of interesting personalities and business/family history. Many people are examined who were important in each generation of Rockefellers, beginning from the nefarious scammer Rockefeller pere down to his great grandson Nelson Rockefeller's generation, the future 41st Vice-President of the United States in President Gerald Ford's administration. The focal point, is, of course, the life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Most of the early life and career of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a more timid child and insecure and less gifted than his father, more ordinary, if extraordinarily wealthy, is also included. However, Junior becomes remarkably more confident, liberal and philanthropic as a middle-aged adult, not only maintaining his father's late-in-life philanthropic legacy, but expanding it. He did not know about Senior's early decades as a heartless pirate of business for quite awhile, either, and he doesn't quite believe it when he does.
The lives of the sisters and brothers of Senior and Junior are also examined. There are hypochondriacs, mental illnesses and breakdowns, and crackpots included among the Rockefeller bankers-and-politician children. Each generation is better educated and more traveled, but not necessarily smart or savvy about business. I got the feeling it is only the fact that Senior's billions have become such an enormous amount in many inherited investment portfolios of each family member no amount of screwing up or madness can diminish the inherited Rockefeller wealth.
‘Titan' is absolutely fascinating. The book is not simply a dry encyclopedia of facts, but it is instead an amazingly vivid history of business people, a family, and a big business. John D. Rockefeller Sr. and the Standard Oil Company changed the economic pace and science progress of America, the government and the rules of business with much the same impact locally as Einstein having changed the world with his theory of relativity.
In the back of the book are Acknowledgments, Notes, a Bibliography and an Index - all of which are extensive, like, a hundred pages worth. Information can be rich, too...
December 30, 2020
Титанична книга от Ron Chernow за един самоизградил се император в бизнес света.
Джон Д. Рокфелер е интересен не толкова с това, че е станал най-богатият човек, а по-скоро с противоречията в образа му. Но да се върнем към началото.
Не по-малко интересен е баща му, което оказва своето неминуемо влияние. Вагабонтин, ексцентрик, шарлатанин дори - водил двойнствен живот, дори имал второ семейство и нова фамилия (за втория си живот) - предполагам един от многото вагабонти кръстосвали Щатите в онези години. Смесица от какви ли не хора от цялото земно кълбо, малко регламентирани дейности и много стремеж за печалбарство. От всичко това, синът е взел само последното. Отрасва като скромен, тих, набожен и необщителен младеж, с още 4 деца, за които е повече баща (поради хроничната липса на титуляра), отколкото брат. В училище не е сред блестящите, отдават му се само числата. Изглежда това и непоколебимата вяра са му напълно достатъчни.
Има една случка (когато е някъде на 15-16 г.), която според мен предначертава пътя пред очите му. Такова усещане имам с��ед прочита на книга��а, не че авторът го е казал изрично. Църквата, която посещава, е изпаднала в дълг и сградата ще бъде отнете, ако не върне 2000 долара до 2 седмици. Средата на XIX век това са страшно много пари. Нашият методичен младеж се заема веднага с набиране средствата, като след службата застава на изхода и пита всеки колко ще даде. Записва го в тефтер, за да не е просто казано. Прави, струва, накрая има основен принос за събирането на средствата и спасява Църквата. Предполагам тази "кампания" му дава голяма доза от прословутата увереност и упование, че делото му е едва ли не божия мисия.
Не си намира работа веднага, но е твърдо решен да го стори и то точно в големите компании по това време. Ще става бизнесмен човекът, решил го е и никой отказ не е способен да го откаже. Ходи неспирно да досажда на вратите на компаниите, докато не му се изтъркват обувките. Буквално. Накрая в една фирма го вземат за асистент счетоводител пробно, без пари напред. Сваля си връхната дреха и започва веднага. Работи неуморно и няма други занимания. След 3 месеца му изплащат скромната заплата за целия период. Само дотук да прочетат днешните млади "търсещи"работа, цъкащи във FB и оплакващи се, че "няма" - мисля ще е добър урок.
Нещо друго емблематично от този период: Започнал е да списва Ledger "A" което ще е вид счетоводен тефтер за личните си разходи до последния цент. Водил е отчет за абсолютно всичко. Този тефтер се пази в едноименото имение, в сейф и самият Джон Д. го е гледал с умиление и считал за лична светиня. Не някой нечуван диамант, златно кюлче, или др. ... тефтера с центовете. Споменът от къде е тръгнал, излиза да му е бил най-скъп. Или пък просто е спомен за младостта, макар аз да не видях нормалните младежки радости в нея. Да не говорим за детски. Със сигурност не е имал нормално детство - вечно местене, отсъстващ баща, борба за препитание, макар сведенията са да не са били крайно бедни, но майката е пазарувала с месеци на кредит, докато се намери начин, или бащата се върне да покрие борча.
Оставихме един млад счетоводител, за да намерим след няколко години млад предприемач, започнал в търговията с продукти, в случая хранителни стоки, но не че е имало значение точно кой продукт. Бил е добър с числата (се разбрахме), другото е било въпрос на подходящата възможност да се открие. И тя се открива с едно предложение да инвестират в нефтена рафинерия. Не си представяйте сградата на Лукойл край Бургас, по-скоро дървени бараки с примитивни инструменти и съдове, химикали и каквото там е нужно. Това е самото прохождане на петролния бизнес и Щатите са първите открили залеж и започнали да го експлоатират. По това време се е ползвал само керосина за гориво за лампите. После и за смазочни материали. Бензинът и останалото са били отпадъчен продукт (не е имало автомобили с бензинов, или дизелов двигател по това време - още транспортните средства са на пара, т.е. въглища). Цялата операция се е считала за странично занимание, на което в началото не се е обръщало особено внимание. Обаче, лека по-лека процесите се подобряват, продуктите се подобряват, разходите по обработката им спада и започва да прилича на бизнес ... о и то какъв бизнес ще излезе. Треската за черно злато ще засенчи тази за злато. Защото то поне ще направи дузина хора маса богати.
В Развитието на отрочето си "Стандарт ойл" Рокфелер ще покаже дяволска гениалност, ще премаже всичко и всеки по пътя си и не просто ще използва всички видове схеми, за които се сещате. Той ще изобрети голяма част от схемите. Картели, монопол и други ... това за него е единственият начин бизнесът с петрол да влезе в някакъв коловоз, който да го отведе до обетованата земя на вечно църцорещо кранче. И го прави. По онова време правителството въобще не се меси в схемите и остава първите големи мастодонти на САЩ да вилнеят на свобода. И те вилнеят като ламята в райската градина. Железниците, банките, петрола, захарта, алкохола, стоманата ... това са първоте гигантски компании, първите мултимилиардери, първите картели. Сред тях Рокфелер е първи сред равни. Всички изброени взимат пример от неговите машинации.
В последствие, през годините неколкократно ще го разследват от белия дом, ще дава показания пред комисии, картелът му ще е разформирован. От раздробените към 40 компании, обаче, някои отново стават гигантски мастодонти и богатството му само се множи. Поредица от проблеми и финансови възкръсвания - авторът ги е събрал всичките. Книгата �� гигантска, та ще трябва и ревюто да е гигантско, за да обхвана дори само най-интересните части.
Друго искам да обърна внимание. Своята методичност той пренася и в благотворителността. Цели състояния потичат към медицински институти, основава се чикагски университет, към любимата му църква. Един и същ човек премазва хора за долар и дарява милиони за каузите на обществото. Или поне такива са сведенията. Трудно е да се разбере душевното му състояние, защото в този период не говори с журналисти, на изслушванията пред комисии се прави на луд и незнаещ. Не допуска външния свят да повлияе на вътрешния му. Оставам с убеждението, че той си вярва, че е на някаква мисия. Или просто това е единствения начин, по който може да функционира и го прави съвършено в неговите очи. В най-активния си период няма никакви охолства, напротив. Спестява от луксове. Според разбиранията си, учи и децата си на работа, не им позволява да разберат, че са богати. За мен играе с бизнеса и с живота си, все едно е в икономическа игра на Плейстейшън - концентриран изцяло в механиката на играта и не кривва с нищо. Не пуши, не е близвал алкохол никога. Не залага. Машина. Бизнес робот. Водач на една индустрия.
В този и в следващия период е предимно хулен в Америка, защото никой не е в състояние да го разбере. Той и не полага никакви услилия за целта. Критиката на обществото не го интересува. Обществото му е компаниите и хората от баптистката църква. Редица журналисти се упражняват в опитите да го омаскарят по всякакъв начин. Не че лиспват каквито и да е основания, документирани, или не. Чак в най-късните си години става по-отворен към публичността и се опитва да поизчисти образа си. Синът му, Джуниър, който го наследява на директорските постове, приема за своя кауза да направи именно това. Отраснал с представата за богоподобен баща, не приема калта, хвърляна по него. И благодарение на масивната филантропия, до момента на смъртта му той се превръща в по-скоро интересен и харесван в страната образ. Освен, че отдавна е световна знаменитост.
Старецът, играе голф редовно и спазва стриктни режими, доживява почти 98. Много рядка възраст за онова време. Онзи ексцентрик, баща му, впрочем също доживява до 90+, но умира в немилост от света и сина милионер.
Последната третина на книгата е главно за Джуниър, за останалите от клана и наследниците. Интересното при Джуниър е вътрешната борба да се еманципира от забележителния родител. Той не е баща си. Наричат го често негово "Прокси". В крайна сметка има своите падения и успехи и продължава играта. Има един епизод с потушена стачка на работници с помощта на гвардията, където загиват деца и жени. При спорни обстоятелства, но факт, че се е използвало оръжие. Много комплицирани са отнишенията с политиците - от явно подкупи до преследването, на което ги подлага Теди Рузвелт. Рокфелер старши е изпратен като обичан монарх. Доколкото обикновеният човек може да изпитва толкова топли чувста към някой монарх. С това приключва и биографията.
Много информативна книга за онези години, за Новия свят, за основите на на тези гигантски компании, някои от които и до днес са в топ класациите. Прекалено пространно стана, а се сещам за още поне 50 неща, които ми направиха впечатление. Има редица биографии на "титана", включително и оторизирана автобиография, но именно тази ми се струва най-обективна, най-пълна. Авторът е заровил яко глава в документите, историите и сведенията от онова време. В проучването си са му показали неиздавани интервюта, включително и за автобиографията. Образът пред нас е много, много сложен, макар привидно да изглежда воден от прости принципи и с прост механизъм.
Единствено не ми бяха интересни откъсите за останалите членове от клана, най-вече по-младите наследници, защото техният профил е някак изграден от света, който патриархът е изградил, докато той е създал свой собствен свят, със собствени правила от нищото. Дали е зъл гений, или хрисим мисионер на богоугодна служба - оставям всеки да прецени. След този прочит за мен не е еднозначно, както е с повечето житейски съдби.
Джон Д. Рокфелер е интересен не толкова с това, че е станал най-богатият човек, а по-скоро с противоречията в образа му. Но да се върнем към началото.
Не по-малко интересен е баща му, което оказва своето неминуемо влияние. Вагабонтин, ексцентрик, шарлатанин дори - водил двойнствен живот, дори имал второ семейство и нова фамилия (за втория си живот) - предполагам един от многото вагабонти кръстосвали Щатите в онези години. Смесица от какви ли не хора от цялото земно кълбо, малко регламентирани дейности и много стремеж за печалбарство. От всичко това, синът е взел само последното. Отрасва като скромен, тих, набожен и необщителен младеж, с още 4 деца, за които е повече баща (поради хроничната липса на титуляра), отколкото брат. В училище не е сред блестящите, отдават му се само числата. Изглежда това и непоколебимата вяра са му напълно достатъчни.
Има една случка (когато е някъде на 15-16 г.), която според мен предначертава пътя пред очите му. Такова усещане имам с��ед прочита на книга��а, не че авторът го е казал изрично. Църквата, която посещава, е изпаднала в дълг и сградата ще бъде отнете, ако не върне 2000 долара до 2 седмици. Средата на XIX век това са страшно много пари. Нашият методичен младеж се заема веднага с набиране средствата, като след службата застава на изхода и пита всеки колко ще даде. Записва го в тефтер, за да не е просто казано. Прави, струва, накрая има основен принос за събирането на средствата и спасява Църквата. Предполагам тази "кампания" му дава голяма доза от прословутата увереност и упование, че делото му е едва ли не божия мисия.
Не си намира работа веднага, но е твърдо решен да го стори и то точно в големите компании по това време. Ще става бизнесмен човекът, решил го е и никой отказ не е способен да го откаже. Ходи неспирно да досажда на вратите на компаниите, докато не му се изтъркват обувките. Буквално. Накрая в една фирма го вземат за асистент счетоводител пробно, без пари напред. Сваля си връхната дреха и започва веднага. Работи неуморно и няма други занимания. След 3 месеца му изплащат скромната заплата за целия период. Само дотук да прочетат днешните млади "търсещи"работа, цъкащи във FB и оплакващи се, че "няма" - мисля ще е добър урок.
Нещо друго емблематично от този период: Започнал е да списва Ledger "A" което ще е вид счетоводен тефтер за личните си разходи до последния цент. Водил е отчет за абсолютно всичко. Този тефтер се пази в едноименото имение, в сейф и самият Джон Д. го е гледал с умиление и считал за лична светиня. Не някой нечуван диамант, златно кюлче, или др. ... тефтера с центовете. Споменът от къде е тръгнал, излиза да му е бил най-скъп. Или пък просто е спомен за младостта, макар аз да не видях нормалните младежки радости в нея. Да не говорим за детски. Със сигурност не е имал нормално детство - вечно местене, отсъстващ баща, борба за препитание, макар сведенията са да не са били крайно бедни, но майката е пазарувала с месеци на кредит, докато се намери начин, или бащата се върне да покрие борча.
Оставихме един млад счетоводител, за да намерим след няколко години млад предприемач, започнал в търговията с продукти, в случая хранителни стоки, но не че е имало значение точно кой продукт. Бил е добър с числата (се разбрахме), другото е било въпрос на подходящата възможност да се открие. И тя се открива с едно предложение да инвестират в нефтена рафинерия. Не си представяйте сградата на Лукойл край Бургас, по-скоро дървени бараки с примитивни инструменти и съдове, химикали и каквото там е нужно. Това е самото прохождане на петролния бизнес и Щатите са първите открили залеж и започнали да го експлоатират. По това време се е ползвал само керосина за гориво за лампите. После и за смазочни материали. Бензинът и останалото са били отпадъчен продукт (не е имало автомобили с бензинов, или дизелов двигател по това време - още транспортните средства са на пара, т.е. въглища). Цялата операция се е считала за странично занимание, на което в началото не се е обръщало особено внимание. Обаче, лека по-лека процесите се подобряват, продуктите се подобряват, разходите по обработката им спада и започва да прилича на бизнес ... о и то какъв бизнес ще излезе. Треската за черно злато ще засенчи тази за злато. Защото то поне ще направи дузина хора маса богати.
В Развитието на отрочето си "Стандарт ойл" Рокфелер ще покаже дяволска гениалност, ще премаже всичко и всеки по пътя си и не просто ще използва всички видове схеми, за които се сещате. Той ще изобрети голяма част от схемите. Картели, монопол и други ... това за него е единственият начин бизнесът с петрол да влезе в някакъв коловоз, който да го отведе до обетованата земя на вечно църцорещо кранче. И го прави. По онова време правителството въобще не се меси в схемите и остава първите големи мастодонти на САЩ да вилнеят на свобода. И те вилнеят като ламята в райската градина. Железниците, банките, петрола, захарта, алкохола, стоманата ... това са първоте гигантски компании, първите мултимилиардери, първите картели. Сред тях Рокфелер е първи сред равни. Всички изброени взимат пример от неговите машинации.
В последствие, през годините неколкократно ще го разследват от белия дом, ще дава показания пред комисии, картелът му ще е разформирован. От раздробените към 40 компании, обаче, някои отново стават гигантски мастодонти и богатството му само се множи. Поредица от проблеми и финансови възкръсвания - авторът ги е събрал всичките. Книгата �� гигантска, та ще трябва и ревюто да е гигантско, за да обхвана дори само най-интересните части.
Друго искам да обърна внимание. Своята методичност той пренася и в благотворителността. Цели състояния потичат към медицински институти, основава се чикагски университет, към любимата му църква. Един и същ човек премазва хора за долар и дарява милиони за каузите на обществото. Или поне такива са сведенията. Трудно е да се разбере душевното му състояние, защото в този период не говори с журналисти, на изслушванията пред комисии се прави на луд и незнаещ. Не допуска външния свят да повлияе на вътрешния му. Оставам с убеждението, че той си вярва, че е на някаква мисия. Или просто това е единствения начин, по който може да функционира и го прави съвършено в неговите очи. В най-активния си период няма никакви охолства, напротив. Спестява от луксове. Според разбиранията си, учи и децата си на работа, не им позволява да разберат, че са богати. За мен играе с бизнеса и с живота си, все едно е в икономическа игра на Плейстейшън - концентриран изцяло в механиката на играта и не кривва с нищо. Не пуши, не е близвал алкохол никога. Не залага. Машина. Бизнес робот. Водач на една индустрия.
В този и в следващия период е предимно хулен в Америка, защото никой не е в състояние да го разбере. Той и не полага никакви услилия за целта. Критиката на обществото не го интересува. Обществото му е компаниите и хората от баптистката църква. Редица журналисти се упражняват в опитите да го омаскарят по всякакъв начин. Не че лиспват каквито и да е основания, документирани, или не. Чак в най-късните си години става по-отворен към публичността и се опитва да поизчисти образа си. Синът му, Джуниър, който го наследява на директорските постове, приема за своя кауза да направи именно това. Отраснал с представата за богоподобен баща, не приема калта, хвърляна по него. И благодарение на масивната филантропия, до момента на смъртта му той се превръща в по-скоро интересен и харесван в страната образ. Освен, че отдавна е световна знаменитост.
Старецът, играе голф редовно и спазва стриктни режими, доживява почти 98. Много рядка възраст за онова време. Онзи ексцентрик, баща му, впрочем също доживява до 90+, но умира в немилост от света и сина милионер.
Последната третина на книгата е главно за Джуниър, за останалите от клана и наследниците. Интересното при Джуниър е вътрешната борба да се еманципира от забележителния родител. Той не е баща си. Наричат го често негово "Прокси". В крайна сметка има своите падения и успехи и продължава играта. Има един епизод с потушена стачка на работници с помощта на гвардията, където загиват деца и жени. При спорни обстоятелства, но факт, че се е използвало оръжие. Много комплицирани са отнишенията с политиците - от явно подкупи до преследването, на което ги подлага Теди Рузвелт. Рокфелер старши е изпратен като обичан монарх. Доколкото обикновеният човек може да изпитва толкова топли чувста към някой монарх. С това приключва и биографията.
Много информативна книга за онези години, за Новия свят, за основите на на тези гигантски компании, някои от които и до днес са в топ класациите. Прекалено пространно стана, а се сещам за още поне 50 неща, които ми направиха впечатление. Има редица биографии на "титана", включително и оторизирана автобиография, но именно тази ми се струва най-обективна, най-пълна. Авторът е заровил яко глава в документите, историите и сведенията от онова време. В проучването си са му показали неиздавани интервюта, включително и за автобиографията. Образът пред нас е много, много сложен, макар привидно да изглежда воден от прости принципи и с прост механизъм.
Единствено не ми бяха интересни откъсите за останалите членове от клана, най-вече по-младите наследници, защото техният профил е някак изграден от света, който патриархът е изградил, докато той е създал свой собствен свят, със собствени правила от нищото. Дали е зъл гений, или хрисим мисионер на богоугодна служба - оставям всеки да прецени. След този прочит за мен не е еднозначно, както е с повечето житейски съдби.
February 24, 2024
Colossal effort and care was put into chronicling this colossus of American industry, an engaging and insightful read that reveals the man behind the curtain. Chernow neither villainizes nor sanitizes Rockefeller's character or ascent to supremacy in the oil business, through the author's expert guidance, we clearly see the building blocks to his success, whether it be the circumstances of his childhood that propelled him away from what he was escaping, or his natural traits and Puritan work ethic that drove him towards wanting and acquiring more and more.
Because he believed in anonymous donations, I was surprised many times by the far reach he had, the various businesses, educational and philanthropic institutions he created or greatly contributed to, Spelman College, Morehouse College, University of Chicago, MoMA, RIMR, various national parks, the list goes on. Also all the prominent people he crossed paths with, architects, artists, writers, politicians, businessmen. Men like Rockefeller are one in a million, and seem to have lived a million lifetimes more than the average person.
What Chernow did best in this biography was his expert portrait of Rockefeller as a man and how he changed throughout his life. I could read off facts of his business endeavors, all the dates and happenings and figures, but it's not as interesting as knowing why he did what he did, how his values, upbringing, and home life influenced his behavior, how he reacted to the world's reaction of him.
I found the pacing of the book to be great, even the various background characters shed light on Rockefeller, either in how he interacted or influenced, or was influenced by them. The only parts I skimmed were the chapters about his descendants or his much later retired years, they didn't add much to the book, many later pages were spent on his golfing/anecdotal stuff, it's interesting to read in a couple sentences, but not revisited in whole chapters.
Will definitely be rereading this in the future. Bravo!
Because he believed in anonymous donations, I was surprised many times by the far reach he had, the various businesses, educational and philanthropic institutions he created or greatly contributed to, Spelman College, Morehouse College, University of Chicago, MoMA, RIMR, various national parks, the list goes on. Also all the prominent people he crossed paths with, architects, artists, writers, politicians, businessmen. Men like Rockefeller are one in a million, and seem to have lived a million lifetimes more than the average person.
What Chernow did best in this biography was his expert portrait of Rockefeller as a man and how he changed throughout his life. I could read off facts of his business endeavors, all the dates and happenings and figures, but it's not as interesting as knowing why he did what he did, how his values, upbringing, and home life influenced his behavior, how he reacted to the world's reaction of him.
I found the pacing of the book to be great, even the various background characters shed light on Rockefeller, either in how he interacted or influenced, or was influenced by them. The only parts I skimmed were the chapters about his descendants or his much later retired years, they didn't add much to the book, many later pages were spent on his golfing/anecdotal stuff, it's interesting to read in a couple sentences, but not revisited in whole chapters.
Will definitely be rereading this in the future. Bravo!
January 24, 2013
Well-researched and fair biography that is wonderfully written by Chernow. Rockefeller lived a long time (1839-1937) and Chernow does an excellent job of chronicling how society changed over his lifetime and how Rockefeller helped to influence prevailing views of large corporations and wealthy businessmen. Throughout the book, Chernow deftly flushes out Rockefeller's often conflicting business moves and motives vs his ultra-religious private life. Chernow does not attempt to dissuade anyone from thinking Rockefeller the evil genius of Standard Oil, because he was that person who was merciless and domineering where any competition was concerned. Yet, he does not make him out to be a saint for all of his charitable giving and philanthropic endeavours.
As with many of us, Rockefeller was a complex person. In some ways, he was a miser - making his son John Jr. wears his older sisters' hand-me-down clothes. Or making loans to family members and charging them interest on the loans. But the man also gave away what would today be considered billions of dollars to many different institutions. Rockefeller took his money seriously - both in acquiring it and giving it away. The University of Chicago might well have never gotten off the ground had it not been for his multiple, and massive, endowments. He also tried helping fellow church members who were struggling.
He had no interest in most material things such as boats or fancy clothes. Yet, he ended up with 5 different homes and, for a long period of his life, walled himself off from society. His relantionships with his family seemed more formal than friendly. Example: his wife became more or less an invalid late in her life. Yet, Rockefeller kept to his self-imposed seasonal house rotation, despite his wife being too ill to travel. The result: when she died in New York, he was in Florida. His children ended up having many different psychological problems due to the combination of their strict upbringing and the burden of Rockefeller's immense wealth. Chernow is especially good at showing how his family became somewhat dysfunctional, and also showing how Rockefeller's own childhood (his father was a bigamist and disappeared for long stretches at a time) affected him throughout his life. The last few chapters seemed to focus more on John Jr. than they did Rockefeller himself, almost to the point where I think Chernow delved too deeply into Jr's managing of the Rockefeller largesse and family name, but I understand why he included it in the book.
As with many of us, Rockefeller was a complex person. In some ways, he was a miser - making his son John Jr. wears his older sisters' hand-me-down clothes. Or making loans to family members and charging them interest on the loans. But the man also gave away what would today be considered billions of dollars to many different institutions. Rockefeller took his money seriously - both in acquiring it and giving it away. The University of Chicago might well have never gotten off the ground had it not been for his multiple, and massive, endowments. He also tried helping fellow church members who were struggling.
He had no interest in most material things such as boats or fancy clothes. Yet, he ended up with 5 different homes and, for a long period of his life, walled himself off from society. His relantionships with his family seemed more formal than friendly. Example: his wife became more or less an invalid late in her life. Yet, Rockefeller kept to his self-imposed seasonal house rotation, despite his wife being too ill to travel. The result: when she died in New York, he was in Florida. His children ended up having many different psychological problems due to the combination of their strict upbringing and the burden of Rockefeller's immense wealth. Chernow is especially good at showing how his family became somewhat dysfunctional, and also showing how Rockefeller's own childhood (his father was a bigamist and disappeared for long stretches at a time) affected him throughout his life. The last few chapters seemed to focus more on John Jr. than they did Rockefeller himself, almost to the point where I think Chernow delved too deeply into Jr's managing of the Rockefeller largesse and family name, but I understand why he included it in the book.
January 4, 2016
One of the great American Biographies. Chernow always delivers.
The Narrator Grover Gardner, has a monotone type of voice that reminds one of Jack Webb, and yet it seems like exactly the type of voice the listener needs to help them slice through these large historical tomes.
The Narrator Grover Gardner, has a monotone type of voice that reminds one of Jack Webb, and yet it seems like exactly the type of voice the listener needs to help them slice through these large historical tomes.
February 3, 2022
5+ stars
― As to why God had singled out John D. Rockefeller for such spectacular bounty, Rockefeller always adverted to his own adherence to the doctrine of stewardship—the notion of the wealthy man as a mere instrument of God, a temporary trustee of his money, who devoted it to good causes. “It has seemed as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew that I was going to turn around and give it back.”
― Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Winner of both the National Book Award for nonfiction and the Pulitzer Prize for biography, acclaimed historian Ron Chernow has a knack for choosing incredibly interesting biographical subjects. Oddly enough, when asked by his publisher to write a biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Chernow balked. But, after researching Rockefeller, he agreed to write the biography. We can be glad he did. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. is an extraordinary book about one of the most controversial men in history. While I’ve given five stars to each of the four Chernow biographies I’ve read, this one stands out in my mind as the best of them largely because of the subject of the book.
Given unprecedented access to the Rockefeller family archives, including a 1,700-page interview given by Rockefeller in retirement, Chernow is able to give the reader a psychologically insightful portrait of the world’s first billionaire, supported by numerous anecdotes gathered during his investigation. Thoroughly researched, Chernow’s biography is balanced, engaging, remarkably incisive, and skillfully presented. Chernow’s biography tears at the artifice of the famously reserved Rockefeller, revealing a man who is far more interesting and varied than one might expect.
Ron Chernow brilliantly shows how Rockefeller was shaped by his upbringing and the relationships at home. The paternal grandfather of the future business magnate, Godfrey Lewis Rockefeller, married Lucy Avery—a strong woman, firm in her Baptist faith. These qualities would be passed down to her grandson. From all reports, Lucy was more confident and better educated than Godfrey. Although a cheerful man, Godfrey was an alcoholic who experienced inconsistent business success. John’s mother, Eliza Davison Rockefeller, was a dependable, pious mother, much like her mother Lucy. But John’s father, William “Devil Bill” Avery Rockefeller, was a traveling snake oil salesman who posed as a deaf-mute peddler and sold miracle drugs and herbal remedies. He also posed as a phony eye-and-ear specialist named Dr. William Livingston. Bill was also a bigamist who secretly married another woman. John would grow up to demonstrate qualities from both sides of his family.
In addition to the influence of his upbringing, Chernow examines the important role that Christianity and John’s personality played in Rockefeller’s life. Rockefeller was a devoutly religious man who thought that what he did was right. A combination of his upbringing, his faith and his personality led John to become a sententious father and businessman. By nature, he was taciturn. While he was not opposed to the acquisition of wealth, he was critical of the ostentatious display of wealth. Being naturally opposed to wastefulness, Rockefeller would engage in “petty economies,” even after he became the world’s richest man. He would scour balance sheets to find where a supplier might have overcharged them a quarter or a dollar.
― “Do not many of us who fail to achieve big things … fail because we lack concentration—the art of concentrating the mind on the thing to be done at the proper time and to the exclusion of everything else?”
― Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Rockefeller started out his business career as a bookkeeper. Shortly before the Civil War, he and a partner started a shipping company in Cleveland. When oil was discovered in Pennsylvania, they invested in a business that refined crude oil into kerosene used for lighting. They eventually incorporated the business as Standard Oil Company. In an effort to gain a competitive advantage, Rockefeller secretly negotiated a favorable shipping rate from the railroad. When opponents learned of the arrangement, they argued that railroads were “common carriers” that should not favor one client over another.
― One of Rockefeller’s strengths in bargaining situations was that he figured out what he wanted and what the other party wanted and then crafted mutually advantageous terms. Instead of ruining the railroads, Rockefeller tried to help them prosper, albeit in a way that fortified his own position.
― Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
At the time, oil prices tended to fluctuate wildly, and Rockefeller wanted more dependable profits. While trying to form a secret coalition of refiners and railroads, Rockefeller used the threat of the alliance to intimidate other refiners to sell to Standard at bargain prices—the so-called “Cleveland Massacre” of 1872 in which Standard Oil acquired 22 of 26 at highly discounted rates.
As Standard Oil’s success increased, criticism of their methods increased. Many claimed that the business had been built unfairly, often at the expense of smaller, less powerful businesses. They charged that Standard’s growth had been “built on rebates rather than business acumen,” as well as “grand-scale collusion such as American industry had never witnessed.” Rockefeller vehemently denied these accusations.
Chernow devotes considerable attention to the work of the famous muckraking journalist Ida Tarbell, who wrote a detailed nineteen-part exposé in McClure’s Magazine on Rockefeller's unethical and monopolistic business tactics. It was instantly popular with readers, creating an extremely negative image of Rockefeller in the public mind.
Ironically, John D. Rockefeller gave away most of his fortune. After retiring early, he stepped up his philanthropy, turning to his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to manage his giving. Having honeymooned in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, my wife and I benefitted from his son’s philanthropy. An ardent conservationist, “Junior” acquired thousands of acres of breathtaking scenery around Jackson Hole, which he then donated to the federal government for a national park. He also gave to the restoration of the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg, a project I took advantage of many times having grown up in southeastern Virginia. He donated hundreds of millions of dollars to educational, religious and scientific causes, including the creation of the University of Chicago and a Medical Research Center—the American facility devoted solely to medical research.
I came away with mixed feelings about John D. Rockefeller. Despite his questionable business ethics, he had many good qualities. Nevertheless, his personality and beliefs had some serious negative effects. Both his daughter, Edith Rockefeller McCormick, and his son. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. suffered mental health issues in their adult years, largely, it would seem, due to their rather strict upbringing.
Because of the subject matter (the unusual person of Rockefeller) and the author’s giftedness, this work of non-fiction probably ranks as my favorite biography. Given the number of wonderful biographies I have read, that gives you an idea of the exceptional nature of this particular biography.
― As to why God had singled out John D. Rockefeller for such spectacular bounty, Rockefeller always adverted to his own adherence to the doctrine of stewardship—the notion of the wealthy man as a mere instrument of God, a temporary trustee of his money, who devoted it to good causes. “It has seemed as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew that I was going to turn around and give it back.”
― Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Winner of both the National Book Award for nonfiction and the Pulitzer Prize for biography, acclaimed historian Ron Chernow has a knack for choosing incredibly interesting biographical subjects. Oddly enough, when asked by his publisher to write a biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Chernow balked. But, after researching Rockefeller, he agreed to write the biography. We can be glad he did. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. is an extraordinary book about one of the most controversial men in history. While I’ve given five stars to each of the four Chernow biographies I’ve read, this one stands out in my mind as the best of them largely because of the subject of the book.
Given unprecedented access to the Rockefeller family archives, including a 1,700-page interview given by Rockefeller in retirement, Chernow is able to give the reader a psychologically insightful portrait of the world’s first billionaire, supported by numerous anecdotes gathered during his investigation. Thoroughly researched, Chernow’s biography is balanced, engaging, remarkably incisive, and skillfully presented. Chernow’s biography tears at the artifice of the famously reserved Rockefeller, revealing a man who is far more interesting and varied than one might expect.
Ron Chernow brilliantly shows how Rockefeller was shaped by his upbringing and the relationships at home. The paternal grandfather of the future business magnate, Godfrey Lewis Rockefeller, married Lucy Avery—a strong woman, firm in her Baptist faith. These qualities would be passed down to her grandson. From all reports, Lucy was more confident and better educated than Godfrey. Although a cheerful man, Godfrey was an alcoholic who experienced inconsistent business success. John’s mother, Eliza Davison Rockefeller, was a dependable, pious mother, much like her mother Lucy. But John’s father, William “Devil Bill” Avery Rockefeller, was a traveling snake oil salesman who posed as a deaf-mute peddler and sold miracle drugs and herbal remedies. He also posed as a phony eye-and-ear specialist named Dr. William Livingston. Bill was also a bigamist who secretly married another woman. John would grow up to demonstrate qualities from both sides of his family.
In addition to the influence of his upbringing, Chernow examines the important role that Christianity and John’s personality played in Rockefeller’s life. Rockefeller was a devoutly religious man who thought that what he did was right. A combination of his upbringing, his faith and his personality led John to become a sententious father and businessman. By nature, he was taciturn. While he was not opposed to the acquisition of wealth, he was critical of the ostentatious display of wealth. Being naturally opposed to wastefulness, Rockefeller would engage in “petty economies,” even after he became the world’s richest man. He would scour balance sheets to find where a supplier might have overcharged them a quarter or a dollar.
― “Do not many of us who fail to achieve big things … fail because we lack concentration—the art of concentrating the mind on the thing to be done at the proper time and to the exclusion of everything else?”
― Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Rockefeller started out his business career as a bookkeeper. Shortly before the Civil War, he and a partner started a shipping company in Cleveland. When oil was discovered in Pennsylvania, they invested in a business that refined crude oil into kerosene used for lighting. They eventually incorporated the business as Standard Oil Company. In an effort to gain a competitive advantage, Rockefeller secretly negotiated a favorable shipping rate from the railroad. When opponents learned of the arrangement, they argued that railroads were “common carriers” that should not favor one client over another.
― One of Rockefeller’s strengths in bargaining situations was that he figured out what he wanted and what the other party wanted and then crafted mutually advantageous terms. Instead of ruining the railroads, Rockefeller tried to help them prosper, albeit in a way that fortified his own position.
― Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
At the time, oil prices tended to fluctuate wildly, and Rockefeller wanted more dependable profits. While trying to form a secret coalition of refiners and railroads, Rockefeller used the threat of the alliance to intimidate other refiners to sell to Standard at bargain prices—the so-called “Cleveland Massacre” of 1872 in which Standard Oil acquired 22 of 26 at highly discounted rates.
As Standard Oil’s success increased, criticism of their methods increased. Many claimed that the business had been built unfairly, often at the expense of smaller, less powerful businesses. They charged that Standard’s growth had been “built on rebates rather than business acumen,” as well as “grand-scale collusion such as American industry had never witnessed.” Rockefeller vehemently denied these accusations.
Chernow devotes considerable attention to the work of the famous muckraking journalist Ida Tarbell, who wrote a detailed nineteen-part exposé in McClure’s Magazine on Rockefeller's unethical and monopolistic business tactics. It was instantly popular with readers, creating an extremely negative image of Rockefeller in the public mind.
Ironically, John D. Rockefeller gave away most of his fortune. After retiring early, he stepped up his philanthropy, turning to his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to manage his giving. Having honeymooned in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, my wife and I benefitted from his son’s philanthropy. An ardent conservationist, “Junior” acquired thousands of acres of breathtaking scenery around Jackson Hole, which he then donated to the federal government for a national park. He also gave to the restoration of the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg, a project I took advantage of many times having grown up in southeastern Virginia. He donated hundreds of millions of dollars to educational, religious and scientific causes, including the creation of the University of Chicago and a Medical Research Center—the American facility devoted solely to medical research.
I came away with mixed feelings about John D. Rockefeller. Despite his questionable business ethics, he had many good qualities. Nevertheless, his personality and beliefs had some serious negative effects. Both his daughter, Edith Rockefeller McCormick, and his son. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. suffered mental health issues in their adult years, largely, it would seem, due to their rather strict upbringing.
Because of the subject matter (the unusual person of Rockefeller) and the author’s giftedness, this work of non-fiction probably ranks as my favorite biography. Given the number of wonderful biographies I have read, that gives you an idea of the exceptional nature of this particular biography.
June 10, 2009
This book was interesting initially, but became more of an effort the further into it I got. Rockefeller was certainly an interesting man and his contributions to American business were highly significant. However, once the author established the type of man he was, what his contributions were, and the impact he had on society, the book became an exercise in perseverance for me. Serious students of the late industrial revolution and the rise of American and international business, may find it more engaging to the end. SPOILER ALERT... he dies in the end.
April 19, 2016
The life and times of John D. Rockefeller (Senior) are in good hands with Ron Chernow at the helm. While many will know the Rockefeller name as synonymous with money and American business acumen, Chernow seeks to provide the reader with a more thorough understanding of the man, his beliefs, and how he started a multi-generational familial investment in business and political power. In this wonderfully researched biography, Chernow explores John D Rockefeller from three primary perspectives: the grounded family man, the business giant, and the philanthropic juggernaut. Using many sources and a detailed narrative, Chernow brings to life the Rockefeller name and argues that it was not a silver spoon wedged in the man's mouth throughout life, but a fierce determination to succeed at all he tried running through his veins.
Chernow masterfully offers up a perspective of Rockefeller that includes a deeply-rooted family life. Spanning back to early childhood, Chernow weaves a tale of Rockefeller's upbringing, with a doting mother and an absent father. The latter parent is presented throughout as one who chose the bottle, live for over five decades as a polygamist, and presented himself as two personas, one of which was a snake oil salesman of sorts. This left Rockefeller without the quintessential role model that any young man needs in his formative years. However, with this familial impediment, Rockefeller did not repeat the faults he witnessed, choosing a life of independent motivation that created a passion for self-improvement, both in business and as a man. In adulthood, he learned the keen trait of loving others, growing to cherish the love he had to offer, marrying Laura Spelman "Cettie" Rockefeller and beginning a family. While he was without paternal guidance in his own youth, Rockefeller fostered a wonderful ability to parent and his children grew to respect him, as the elder Rockefeller instilled virtues in them, while respecting their independent ideas. Chernow shows how Rockefeller used his amassed wealth to offer his children a better life, but did not let them ride on his coat tails and live off his blood and sweat, keeping them on financial leashes while supporting their life choices. That is not to say that Rockefeller did not seek to steer his children along the path he thought best, weeding out those from his children's (and grandchildren's) lives who might not be best suited for them. Chernow offers vignettes of Rockefeller's compassionate side, while contrasting this with a determined push to ensure future Rockefellers made their mark on history and kept the family name from any taint. Unfortunately, Rockefeller's hands-off approach to his children in their adulthood left at least one daughter, Edith, whose lavish lifestyle clashed with that of her wealthy father, to falter repeatedly and with some significance. That John D. Rockefeller was a family man cannot be disputed throughout this book, though Chernow does not shy away from showing a man who expected much from his offspring.
Rockefeller's business acumen is likely what has made him and his subsequent generations well-known to the general public. Chernow does not shy away from promoting this throughout, but through his paced narrative, the slow and continual rise of Rockefeller's fortune can be exemplified. From his childhood understanding of resale value (by purchasing a pound of candy, dividing it, and selling it to siblings for a substantial mark-up) through to his capitalization of new and emerging markets in oil refineries, Rockefeller carved a niche out for himself in order to amass substantial wealth in a shorter period of time. Rockefeller used his gut intuition and significant risk-based trust in the market to forge into unchartered territory. This trust reaped many rewards, both by cementing the Rockefeller name in the business world and with copious amounts of money, on which Rockefeller could continue to build his empire. At the centre of this empire was Standard Oil, whose importance pulses through Chernow's book, both the increase in its prominence in America and the monopoly that it became, which turned the federal government against him. Rockefeller's shrewd business sense, based not on an educational background in the area, helped vilify him in the eyes of many, but did not impede him from seeking more with significant financial investment in a market rife for expansion. Beginning his business life in Cleveland of all places, Rockefeller went to where the commodity could be found, rather than sitting in an ivory tower on Wall Street and pulling strings in his three-piece suit. Chernow does explore in a thorough manner the business sense that Rockefeller undertook, as well as the hunger for an increased footprint in the economic and business worlds of a burgeoning America, at times to the point of excess. When the courts began dismantling his empire, through poignant rulings based on Congress's numerous bills limiting monopolies and putting the millionaire in the crosshairs of anti-trust legislation, Rockefeller remained calm, choosing to focus on his success rather than those who sought to dismantle him. Even when his competitors and the US Government sought to break him, Rockefeller did not act with malice, taking things in stride and forging on. With a passion for business and the nuances of industrial development in America, John D. Rockefeller sought to become a business tycoon, but never forgot those who needed assistance.
Rockefeller's philanthropic gestures are scattered throughout the biography, showing that the man had little interest in amassing wealth and sitting on it. While Rockefeller did want to give back, never forgetting the degree of poverty from which he came, he could be quite selective in his charitable ventures. Rockefeller valued the importance of a dollar and use of one's mind to advance in life. His endowments to such places as the founding of the University of Chicago and other post-secondary institutions fuelled the belief that Rockefeller sought the betterment of man (and woman) through learning. Growing up and coming to maturity during the Civil War, he saw the importance of removing the barriers between the races, as well as the sexes, and would actively promote the idea of women and minorities in the colleges he supported. Additional philanthropic ventures included support for the Protestant churches throughout America, tapping into the memory of his Baptist upbringing. Rockefeller sought not only to donate money into projects, but use his investments to churn out results that could benefit the largest segment of the population. As Chernow explores in some detail, Rockefeller's underlying charitable focus was not only the advancement of the person, but their health and well-being. Medical advancements and monies to promote medical research began a lifelong interest in helping those who looked to help others. However, one caveat that Rockefeller appeared to instil in his acts was to offer foundational support rather than continuous or 'expected' funding, whereby the organisation would lean on Rockefeller's kindness and become a 'tin cup beggar'. By the time he retired, he had taught his children, specifically John D. Rockefeller Jr. the importance of divesting himself of the money he had in his business operations to help those in need.
In an era when business in America was growing and those with money saw their fortunes flourish exponentially, Rockefeller was not the miser that many may presume he must have been. Compared to the likes of Andrew Mellon, JP Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie, Rockefeller may have seemed happy to amass outrageous sums of money, in the upwards of billions in today's dollar. However, he never lost touch with the humble beginnings from which he came, while always wanting to offer new and innovative ideas for America to explore, keeping it on pace with worldwide industrial innovation. Chernow offers a biography that is both easy to read and thorough in its presentation of the man, which offers modern readers a better understanding of a time when a true philanthropic nature was not only recognised but somewhat expected. While the name of Gates, Buffett and even Bono are bandied about, without the limelight or 24-hour news cycle, it is hard to believe that these men would understand the true meaning of amassing wealth and sharing their profits with those who need it. Be he a villain, lifesaver, or somewhere in between, Chernow pulls no punches as he leaves a well-crafted biography in the hands of readers to make the final decision for themselves.
Kudos, Mr. Chernow for providing me with this comprehensive piece on which I can base my own opinions. I knew so little about the man, the family, or the mark left on early American business life, but feel so enriched with what you had to offer. As always a stellar biographical piece.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Chernow masterfully offers up a perspective of Rockefeller that includes a deeply-rooted family life. Spanning back to early childhood, Chernow weaves a tale of Rockefeller's upbringing, with a doting mother and an absent father. The latter parent is presented throughout as one who chose the bottle, live for over five decades as a polygamist, and presented himself as two personas, one of which was a snake oil salesman of sorts. This left Rockefeller without the quintessential role model that any young man needs in his formative years. However, with this familial impediment, Rockefeller did not repeat the faults he witnessed, choosing a life of independent motivation that created a passion for self-improvement, both in business and as a man. In adulthood, he learned the keen trait of loving others, growing to cherish the love he had to offer, marrying Laura Spelman "Cettie" Rockefeller and beginning a family. While he was without paternal guidance in his own youth, Rockefeller fostered a wonderful ability to parent and his children grew to respect him, as the elder Rockefeller instilled virtues in them, while respecting their independent ideas. Chernow shows how Rockefeller used his amassed wealth to offer his children a better life, but did not let them ride on his coat tails and live off his blood and sweat, keeping them on financial leashes while supporting their life choices. That is not to say that Rockefeller did not seek to steer his children along the path he thought best, weeding out those from his children's (and grandchildren's) lives who might not be best suited for them. Chernow offers vignettes of Rockefeller's compassionate side, while contrasting this with a determined push to ensure future Rockefellers made their mark on history and kept the family name from any taint. Unfortunately, Rockefeller's hands-off approach to his children in their adulthood left at least one daughter, Edith, whose lavish lifestyle clashed with that of her wealthy father, to falter repeatedly and with some significance. That John D. Rockefeller was a family man cannot be disputed throughout this book, though Chernow does not shy away from showing a man who expected much from his offspring.
Rockefeller's business acumen is likely what has made him and his subsequent generations well-known to the general public. Chernow does not shy away from promoting this throughout, but through his paced narrative, the slow and continual rise of Rockefeller's fortune can be exemplified. From his childhood understanding of resale value (by purchasing a pound of candy, dividing it, and selling it to siblings for a substantial mark-up) through to his capitalization of new and emerging markets in oil refineries, Rockefeller carved a niche out for himself in order to amass substantial wealth in a shorter period of time. Rockefeller used his gut intuition and significant risk-based trust in the market to forge into unchartered territory. This trust reaped many rewards, both by cementing the Rockefeller name in the business world and with copious amounts of money, on which Rockefeller could continue to build his empire. At the centre of this empire was Standard Oil, whose importance pulses through Chernow's book, both the increase in its prominence in America and the monopoly that it became, which turned the federal government against him. Rockefeller's shrewd business sense, based not on an educational background in the area, helped vilify him in the eyes of many, but did not impede him from seeking more with significant financial investment in a market rife for expansion. Beginning his business life in Cleveland of all places, Rockefeller went to where the commodity could be found, rather than sitting in an ivory tower on Wall Street and pulling strings in his three-piece suit. Chernow does explore in a thorough manner the business sense that Rockefeller undertook, as well as the hunger for an increased footprint in the economic and business worlds of a burgeoning America, at times to the point of excess. When the courts began dismantling his empire, through poignant rulings based on Congress's numerous bills limiting monopolies and putting the millionaire in the crosshairs of anti-trust legislation, Rockefeller remained calm, choosing to focus on his success rather than those who sought to dismantle him. Even when his competitors and the US Government sought to break him, Rockefeller did not act with malice, taking things in stride and forging on. With a passion for business and the nuances of industrial development in America, John D. Rockefeller sought to become a business tycoon, but never forgot those who needed assistance.
Rockefeller's philanthropic gestures are scattered throughout the biography, showing that the man had little interest in amassing wealth and sitting on it. While Rockefeller did want to give back, never forgetting the degree of poverty from which he came, he could be quite selective in his charitable ventures. Rockefeller valued the importance of a dollar and use of one's mind to advance in life. His endowments to such places as the founding of the University of Chicago and other post-secondary institutions fuelled the belief that Rockefeller sought the betterment of man (and woman) through learning. Growing up and coming to maturity during the Civil War, he saw the importance of removing the barriers between the races, as well as the sexes, and would actively promote the idea of women and minorities in the colleges he supported. Additional philanthropic ventures included support for the Protestant churches throughout America, tapping into the memory of his Baptist upbringing. Rockefeller sought not only to donate money into projects, but use his investments to churn out results that could benefit the largest segment of the population. As Chernow explores in some detail, Rockefeller's underlying charitable focus was not only the advancement of the person, but their health and well-being. Medical advancements and monies to promote medical research began a lifelong interest in helping those who looked to help others. However, one caveat that Rockefeller appeared to instil in his acts was to offer foundational support rather than continuous or 'expected' funding, whereby the organisation would lean on Rockefeller's kindness and become a 'tin cup beggar'. By the time he retired, he had taught his children, specifically John D. Rockefeller Jr. the importance of divesting himself of the money he had in his business operations to help those in need.
In an era when business in America was growing and those with money saw their fortunes flourish exponentially, Rockefeller was not the miser that many may presume he must have been. Compared to the likes of Andrew Mellon, JP Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie, Rockefeller may have seemed happy to amass outrageous sums of money, in the upwards of billions in today's dollar. However, he never lost touch with the humble beginnings from which he came, while always wanting to offer new and innovative ideas for America to explore, keeping it on pace with worldwide industrial innovation. Chernow offers a biography that is both easy to read and thorough in its presentation of the man, which offers modern readers a better understanding of a time when a true philanthropic nature was not only recognised but somewhat expected. While the name of Gates, Buffett and even Bono are bandied about, without the limelight or 24-hour news cycle, it is hard to believe that these men would understand the true meaning of amassing wealth and sharing their profits with those who need it. Be he a villain, lifesaver, or somewhere in between, Chernow pulls no punches as he leaves a well-crafted biography in the hands of readers to make the final decision for themselves.
Kudos, Mr. Chernow for providing me with this comprehensive piece on which I can base my own opinions. I knew so little about the man, the family, or the mark left on early American business life, but feel so enriched with what you had to offer. As always a stellar biographical piece.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 8, 2018
Wow, this one took a lot of effort. If there's one thing this book is, it's well-researched and comprehensive. Chernow clearly spent years pouring through primary sources, conducting his own interviews, and reading the biographical attempts of other authors. You'll finish this book feeling an expert on Rockefeller, the principles that guided him, and context in which he operated.
This book is not easy to get through: it's 700 pages about one person's life... I don't care how important you are; there are going to be slow points. For Chernow, it's not enough to say that Rockefeller was influenced by such-and-such from his elementary school teacher. We need to be told about his teacher's upbringing and family, their religious beliefs, and why those religious beliefs saw a revival in 1840s northern Ohio. I found myself frequently interrupting by reading to fall down wikipedia holes, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. At times, it felt as though Chernow was including information for the sake of not wasting research.
I did find Rockefeller to be an interesting figure and enjoyed following his development from ruthless businessman and idealogican puritan to a softer, more jovial philanthropist. Prior to reading the book, I had no idea the impact that Rockefeller and his descendents have had on medicine, education, and art, not to mention three of the largest oil companies in the world today (Chevron, and ExxonMobil, which I count as two because each of its constituents were children of the Standard Oil breakup). That said, I would've appreciated tighter editing, particularly in describing the personal lives of his many siblings, children, and grandchildren.
This book is not easy to get through: it's 700 pages about one person's life... I don't care how important you are; there are going to be slow points. For Chernow, it's not enough to say that Rockefeller was influenced by such-and-such from his elementary school teacher. We need to be told about his teacher's upbringing and family, their religious beliefs, and why those religious beliefs saw a revival in 1840s northern Ohio. I found myself frequently interrupting by reading to fall down wikipedia holes, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. At times, it felt as though Chernow was including information for the sake of not wasting research.
I did find Rockefeller to be an interesting figure and enjoyed following his development from ruthless businessman and idealogican puritan to a softer, more jovial philanthropist. Prior to reading the book, I had no idea the impact that Rockefeller and his descendents have had on medicine, education, and art, not to mention three of the largest oil companies in the world today (Chevron, and ExxonMobil, which I count as two because each of its constituents were children of the Standard Oil breakup). That said, I would've appreciated tighter editing, particularly in describing the personal lives of his many siblings, children, and grandchildren.
August 12, 2019
Chernow starts with a bang. Rockefeller's childhood was quite unusual and I found myself reading his story with a mix of intrigue and heartbreak. The crucible would forge the man, and a titan he became indeed. His business tactics elicit either ire or awe, but observed neutrally, the rise of his empire is a brilliant case study in strategy.
Rockefeller retired at a relatively young age and became a reclusive philanthropist. He was frankly a bit uninteresting in his later years. For that, the book became a bit of a slog. But overall it's a well-done portrait of a man comprised of seemingly irreconcilable complexities. To cite Chernow, "[Rockefeller was] an amalgam of godliness and greed, compassion and fiendish cunning."
Rockefeller retired at a relatively young age and became a reclusive philanthropist. He was frankly a bit uninteresting in his later years. For that, the book became a bit of a slog. But overall it's a well-done portrait of a man comprised of seemingly irreconcilable complexities. To cite Chernow, "[Rockefeller was] an amalgam of godliness and greed, compassion and fiendish cunning."
October 15, 2020
In this excellent biography of John D. Rockefeller, Chernow presents a fascinating portrait of a legendary and fabulously wealthy self-made businessman who was a much more complex man than most people probably assume.
In business, Rockefeller ruthlessly dominated and eliminated competitors as he built Standard Oil into an unparalleled monopoly and accumulated great wealth. He was an exceptionally hard worker and a very astute business strategist. He was single-minded about his business and derived great pleasure from it. Yet he retired from Standard Oil at a relatively young age and devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy. In this endeavor, too, his impact was virtually unparalleled.
To a casual observer, it might appear that these two aspects of Rockefeller’s life were contradictory, or that his philanthropy represented penance for his business excesses. But Rockefeller didn’t see it that way. He never apologized for his business methods or for his single-minded accumulation of wealth. In fact, he felt that it was God’s will that he become wealthy. As Rockefeller explained, “I have always regarded it as a religious duty to get all I could honorably and to give all I could.” Although many people, notably including muckraker Ida Tarbell, took issue with the “honorably” description, Rockefeller was not self-critical in that regard.
Rockefeller’s strong religious faith is the key to understanding the connection between business and philanthropy in his life. Raised as a fundamentalist Baptist and remaining devout throughout his life, he looked to religion as a guide for all aspects of life, both large and small. He believed that God gave him a talent for making money, that he was obligated to use that talent, and that his wealth was a reward from God. As Chernow puts it, Rockefeller “regarded God as an ally, a sort of honorary shareholder of Standard Oil who had richly blessed his fortunes.”
Rockefeller saw himself as a steward of the wealth God gave him. “It has seemed to me as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew that I was going to turn around and give it back.” Indeed, he and his family did give much of it back, and the Rockefellers became one of the leading philanthropic families in the United States. According to Chernow, when Rockefeller died, obituaries focused more on his philanthropy than on his Standard Oil career.
So what was Rockefeller’s legacy? Chernow describes it as contradictory: “An amalgam of godliness and greed, compassion and fiendish cunning, he personified the ambiguous heritage of America’s Puritan ancestors, who had encouraged thrift and enterprise but had also spurred overly acquisitive instincts. He had extracted mixed messages from his religious training as well as from his incongruously matched parents. Not surprisingly, he had served as an emblem of both corporate greed and philanthropic enlightenment.”
Chernow does justice to Rockefeller’s extraordinary life in this thoroughly researched and detailed biography. It’s a vivid portrait not only of John D. Rockefeller himself but also of many of his family members and business associates. I heartily recommend the book.
In business, Rockefeller ruthlessly dominated and eliminated competitors as he built Standard Oil into an unparalleled monopoly and accumulated great wealth. He was an exceptionally hard worker and a very astute business strategist. He was single-minded about his business and derived great pleasure from it. Yet he retired from Standard Oil at a relatively young age and devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy. In this endeavor, too, his impact was virtually unparalleled.
To a casual observer, it might appear that these two aspects of Rockefeller’s life were contradictory, or that his philanthropy represented penance for his business excesses. But Rockefeller didn’t see it that way. He never apologized for his business methods or for his single-minded accumulation of wealth. In fact, he felt that it was God’s will that he become wealthy. As Rockefeller explained, “I have always regarded it as a religious duty to get all I could honorably and to give all I could.” Although many people, notably including muckraker Ida Tarbell, took issue with the “honorably” description, Rockefeller was not self-critical in that regard.
Rockefeller’s strong religious faith is the key to understanding the connection between business and philanthropy in his life. Raised as a fundamentalist Baptist and remaining devout throughout his life, he looked to religion as a guide for all aspects of life, both large and small. He believed that God gave him a talent for making money, that he was obligated to use that talent, and that his wealth was a reward from God. As Chernow puts it, Rockefeller “regarded God as an ally, a sort of honorary shareholder of Standard Oil who had richly blessed his fortunes.”
Rockefeller saw himself as a steward of the wealth God gave him. “It has seemed to me as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew that I was going to turn around and give it back.” Indeed, he and his family did give much of it back, and the Rockefellers became one of the leading philanthropic families in the United States. According to Chernow, when Rockefeller died, obituaries focused more on his philanthropy than on his Standard Oil career.
So what was Rockefeller’s legacy? Chernow describes it as contradictory: “An amalgam of godliness and greed, compassion and fiendish cunning, he personified the ambiguous heritage of America’s Puritan ancestors, who had encouraged thrift and enterprise but had also spurred overly acquisitive instincts. He had extracted mixed messages from his religious training as well as from his incongruously matched parents. Not surprisingly, he had served as an emblem of both corporate greed and philanthropic enlightenment.”
Chernow does justice to Rockefeller’s extraordinary life in this thoroughly researched and detailed biography. It’s a vivid portrait not only of John D. Rockefeller himself but also of many of his family members and business associates. I heartily recommend the book.
May 25, 2010
An exceptional biography of John D. Rockefeller. This story follows the arc of his life nicely. Great detail (no surprise to those who have read other of this author's works). If interested in Rockefeller's life, this is a terrific book to read.
September 24, 2022
I structure this review into two main sections: my opinion on the book and my thoughts about its content.
The book is exceptionally well researched and written - not surprising, considering Ron Chernow is the author. It offers insights into Rockefeller’s personality, beliefs, business dealings, and family life. However, as someone interested in learning how to use competence and power to climb and bend hierarchies, I found only the first two-thirds of the book engaging. The last third deals in large parts with his family squabbles and philanthropies. However, it might still be interesting for someone passionate about American history as it tells the story of Standard Oil’s break-up and how the Rockefellers continued to influence the U.S.
Rockefeller’s most striking personality characteristic is the dichotomy of his religious beliefs and ruthless business tactics. He managed to convince himself that he was doing God’s deed while engaging in predatory pricing, secret rebates, and monopolizing large industries. On top of that, he brings together several characteristics that most successful, powerful people seem to unite: conscientiousness, a remarkable ability to strategize, resilience, and ruthlessness.
Rockefeller worked day and night - to the point where he got Alopecia (lost all of his hair, including his eyebrows) and other autoimmune-related ailments.
His exceptional strategizing ability is showcased by his consolidation efforts and pact forging with the railroads. By consolidating, he stabilized notoriously unstable oil prices and introduced massive economies of scale in an industry embroiled in suicidal price wars and fractured into hundreds of individual oil refineries.
His resilience is also noteworthy - Chernow describes him being “cool as a cucumber” while under public scrutiny 24/7 and being the main target of slandering news articles and general public animosity during the Industrialization. One could say that almost everyone was trying to assail his position as the most powerful industrialist, including Andrew Carnegie and Theodore Roosevelt.
Another noteworthy trait is his ruthlessness. To develop Standard Oil, he employed every foul play imaginable - from destroying to blackmailing competitors, he did it all. Today’s U.S. antitrust laws read like Rockefeller’s playbook. On top of that, he directly bribed politicians, giving them large sums of money, and indirectly bribed them by financing their campaigns.
Rockefeller took advantage of the circumstances he was born in - during the early Industrialization, his family moved to Cleveland, the early center of the oil industry. He then proceeded to take enormous risks by betting all of his capital on the oil industry - which turned out to be a major driving force of Industrialization. All in all, his journey is insightful but nevertheless unique to his time.
The book is exceptionally well researched and written - not surprising, considering Ron Chernow is the author. It offers insights into Rockefeller’s personality, beliefs, business dealings, and family life. However, as someone interested in learning how to use competence and power to climb and bend hierarchies, I found only the first two-thirds of the book engaging. The last third deals in large parts with his family squabbles and philanthropies. However, it might still be interesting for someone passionate about American history as it tells the story of Standard Oil’s break-up and how the Rockefellers continued to influence the U.S.
Rockefeller’s most striking personality characteristic is the dichotomy of his religious beliefs and ruthless business tactics. He managed to convince himself that he was doing God’s deed while engaging in predatory pricing, secret rebates, and monopolizing large industries. On top of that, he brings together several characteristics that most successful, powerful people seem to unite: conscientiousness, a remarkable ability to strategize, resilience, and ruthlessness.
Rockefeller worked day and night - to the point where he got Alopecia (lost all of his hair, including his eyebrows) and other autoimmune-related ailments.
His exceptional strategizing ability is showcased by his consolidation efforts and pact forging with the railroads. By consolidating, he stabilized notoriously unstable oil prices and introduced massive economies of scale in an industry embroiled in suicidal price wars and fractured into hundreds of individual oil refineries.
His resilience is also noteworthy - Chernow describes him being “cool as a cucumber” while under public scrutiny 24/7 and being the main target of slandering news articles and general public animosity during the Industrialization. One could say that almost everyone was trying to assail his position as the most powerful industrialist, including Andrew Carnegie and Theodore Roosevelt.
Another noteworthy trait is his ruthlessness. To develop Standard Oil, he employed every foul play imaginable - from destroying to blackmailing competitors, he did it all. Today’s U.S. antitrust laws read like Rockefeller’s playbook. On top of that, he directly bribed politicians, giving them large sums of money, and indirectly bribed them by financing their campaigns.
Rockefeller took advantage of the circumstances he was born in - during the early Industrialization, his family moved to Cleveland, the early center of the oil industry. He then proceeded to take enormous risks by betting all of his capital on the oil industry - which turned out to be a major driving force of Industrialization. All in all, his journey is insightful but nevertheless unique to his time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2019
The story of John D. Rockefeller raises some important questions about economic policy, financial stewardship, and business leadership. He took a lot of public heat for the way he built Standard Oil, some of which was warranted. But in my opinion, much of it was not. He paid his employees fairly, gave away nearly all of his fortune to worthwhile causes, and stayed true to his principles until the day he died, just days shy of his 98th birthday. What I expected to be a cautionary tale ended up (mostly) serving as an encouragement to work hard, stay disciplined, and steward wisely.
February 11, 2011
Amazing biography/history lesson. This man was born to make money, obviously was good at it, but married a discrete religious woman and raised his children to be humble. 'I am so happy little John has told me what he wants for Christmas, so that I may deny him it.' Sounds harsh in our over-indulgent days, but when you see they likes of Paris Hilton and other horrifying progeny of the wealthy in the 'news', it makes you long for the days of hard work, discretion, and modesty.
April 26, 2018
Titan is a titanic book about a man perfectly suited for the time at which he came to young adulthood. The discovery of oil in western Pennsylvania would have led to riches if John D. Rockefeller had not been born, but his combination of personal frugality, keen competitiveness, self-control and business acumen created a monopoly and personal wealth not matched until Bill Gates used some of the same techniques with the advent of personal computers.
Rockefeller is an interesting character and his personal development over almost a century is enough to keep the pages turning, but there is a host of relatives and associates that make Chernow's account even more delightful.
Rockefeller Jr. takes up a good part of the book and rightfully so. Starting out as a diffident boy deep in his father's shadow, he takes the stern upbringing he received to a greater extreme than dad, yet finally comes into his own with the development of Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller's father, "Bill" is the antitheses of John D. leading a wandering life as a patent medicine salesman. Never around for long, he pops in and out of John D.'s life unexpectedly and marries a second wife without her suspecting he is already married.
I can't forget John D.'s daughter Edith who has a fabulous mansion, Villa Turicum, built on Lake Michigan on 300 acres in 1912, furnished but left vacant. Ultimately all the lavish furnishings are auctioned off and the house itself decays into a ruin. Meanwhile, Edith is an analysand for Carl Jung in Europe and then becomes an analyst herself, but never gets over her phobia of train travel. Chernow's intriguing description of Jung made me search out a biography of him.
John D. spends half his life building his fortune then the second half distributing it to worthy causes. I marveled at the many projects Roosevelt supported from Spelman College and the University of Chicago, to medical research at Johns Hopkins, and the preservation of the Grand Teton area. I wonder - is it a better use of money to have it concentrated by one person who decides how to spend it for projects that the public might never support, or is it better to more fairly distribute it for a very large number of people to use as they see fit?
The combination of human foibles with great wealth is what makes the rich so fascinating to us. What does a person do when cost is no object and everything desired can be indulged? Does the wealthy person leave a trail of broken lives or inspired admirers? Whether a person thrives or is destroyed by money, controlling it or being controlled by it lifts personal life to an epic level.
John D. is a paradox. Though he is driven by the desire to amass wealth, he shuns ostentation, eats and dresses modestly and never allows his young children to have expensive things. He keeps detailed account of every penny spent, but in later life he pays to have a small village of houses moved, then a railroad rerouted to keep coal ash from falling on his personal golf course.
Behind the personal stories Chernow also gives us just the right amount of information on oil extraction and transport, business deals and the anti-competitive practices that made John D. loathed by any who tried to operate a company not owned or controlled by Standard Oil. There is a full account of Ida Tarbell's journalistic attack on John D. and of the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado. From the years of no regulation and no taxes through the muckraking/progressive/trust busting times right on into the Great Depression, providing a look at the development of modern America.
Rockefeller is an interesting character and his personal development over almost a century is enough to keep the pages turning, but there is a host of relatives and associates that make Chernow's account even more delightful.
Rockefeller Jr. takes up a good part of the book and rightfully so. Starting out as a diffident boy deep in his father's shadow, he takes the stern upbringing he received to a greater extreme than dad, yet finally comes into his own with the development of Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller's father, "Bill" is the antitheses of John D. leading a wandering life as a patent medicine salesman. Never around for long, he pops in and out of John D.'s life unexpectedly and marries a second wife without her suspecting he is already married.
I can't forget John D.'s daughter Edith who has a fabulous mansion, Villa Turicum, built on Lake Michigan on 300 acres in 1912, furnished but left vacant. Ultimately all the lavish furnishings are auctioned off and the house itself decays into a ruin. Meanwhile, Edith is an analysand for Carl Jung in Europe and then becomes an analyst herself, but never gets over her phobia of train travel. Chernow's intriguing description of Jung made me search out a biography of him.
John D. spends half his life building his fortune then the second half distributing it to worthy causes. I marveled at the many projects Roosevelt supported from Spelman College and the University of Chicago, to medical research at Johns Hopkins, and the preservation of the Grand Teton area. I wonder - is it a better use of money to have it concentrated by one person who decides how to spend it for projects that the public might never support, or is it better to more fairly distribute it for a very large number of people to use as they see fit?
The combination of human foibles with great wealth is what makes the rich so fascinating to us. What does a person do when cost is no object and everything desired can be indulged? Does the wealthy person leave a trail of broken lives or inspired admirers? Whether a person thrives or is destroyed by money, controlling it or being controlled by it lifts personal life to an epic level.
John D. is a paradox. Though he is driven by the desire to amass wealth, he shuns ostentation, eats and dresses modestly and never allows his young children to have expensive things. He keeps detailed account of every penny spent, but in later life he pays to have a small village of houses moved, then a railroad rerouted to keep coal ash from falling on his personal golf course.
Behind the personal stories Chernow also gives us just the right amount of information on oil extraction and transport, business deals and the anti-competitive practices that made John D. loathed by any who tried to operate a company not owned or controlled by Standard Oil. There is a full account of Ida Tarbell's journalistic attack on John D. and of the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado. From the years of no regulation and no taxes through the muckraking/progressive/trust busting times right on into the Great Depression, providing a look at the development of modern America.
January 23, 2018
Having read this, I can only assume that if Chernow lives long enough he'll write some kind of "aw shucks" bio about President Trump. I even saw parallels to modern characterizations of the Trump children as "young men" in his framing of Junior. Sure, the aspirational autocrat doesn't have the whole church fixation, but I'm sure Chernow will find some kind of "gee whiz" about him eventually. This gets 2 stars because it's quite a useful overview of how they shaped the modern world. But it lacks any sort of conscience when treating its subject. Rockefeller's letter congratulating a man who ordered Pinkertons to fire on strikers is just a throwaway. It does a thoroughly insufficient job of handling the Rockefeller faults, which makes its portrayal of the virtues truly galling.
November 17, 2019
his rise to power as an entrepreneur and his ability to convert every crisis into opportunity until the age of 98 is a must read for enterprising individuals.
i would definately want to reread his first 15 yrs as an entrepreneur -- the energy, creativity, and audacity of his decision making and maneuvering should be studied over and over again. His biography is magnitudes more critical than any textbook on business.
like gates, dont conflate the philantrophist with the industrialist. read thru it all, it's worth it!
i would definately want to reread his first 15 yrs as an entrepreneur -- the energy, creativity, and audacity of his decision making and maneuvering should be studied over and over again. His biography is magnitudes more critical than any textbook on business.
like gates, dont conflate the philantrophist with the industrialist. read thru it all, it's worth it!
December 15, 2017
Very well done history of a man as well as an era. It was nice to be reminded that capitalism without government regulation leads naturally to monopoly. It does come across in the book that he was probably overly maligned by his detractors, but he was always represented more than just a person. Fascinating biography
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,701 reviews