summary ~ why should I read this? ~ who is john d. rockefeller ~ book style ~ what I thought of it
Summary
Extremely detailed, superbly researched biography of one of the most famous of the “Robber Barons” from the late 19th century American business magnates.
Titan by Ron Chernow, will give you an in depth understanding of how one of the richest men in the world came to be, what drove him, how he achieved such riches and what he did with his money and power. You can buy the book on Amazon here
Why should I read this?
Titan will give you an intricate knowledge of how one man came to dominate the global oil business. If you want to know how he did it, who he worked with and what drove him, this is the book for you. Will be of interest to anyone who wants to know about how the business kings in 19th century America acquired their wealth.
Who is JD Rockefeller
John Davison (J.D) Rockefeller is the creator of the Standard Oil company which was at one time the largest oil company in the world. The company which was so big, the US Government decided to break it up into smaller companies,
Book Style
Whilst containing a huge amount of information about the period, style, thoughts and press communications of the time, it is explained in a story like format, which makes this book very easy to read and get lost in. There are patches where there is a lot of detail provide to certain economic times, what things meant at that period, etc.. but these are easily negotiated and soon back to familiar style. All in all this is a very detailed book but written in a style which is engaging without slowing down the read.
What I thought of it
Having had a cursory knowledge of John D Rockefeller from the famous “Robber Barons” of the gilded age, I had no real understanding of how he got to be the richest man in the world.
This book was the perfect way to really get a vivid picture of how he was born and raised in poverty, to become the Titan of industry and dominate business and politics for 100 years even after his death.
While the tactics he employed were extremely harsh on competitors, no doubt would be prevented today, the level of accomplishment is astonishing. This book really set out the vastness of the success of his business, which i had no real grasp of.
This was a great read and I have now read it a couple of times, and I would definitely recommend it to get a glimpse into how one of the world’s most powerful and rich men, came to be.
You can buy the book on Amazon here
If you have read this book, what did you think?
