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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Aside from the very creepy cover that makes John Rockefeller look like a serial killer (seriously, compare the cover of Titan to the first edition cover of [b: The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story|15654|The Stranger Beside Me Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story|Ann Rule|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330072383l/15654._SY75_.jpg|1353958] and tell me that isn't basically the same cover), this is a very solid biography of John D. Rockefeller. I came away from the reading experience learning quite a lot about the life and times of John D. Rockefeller. I found the early portions of the book far more interesting as Rockefeller's father is quite the character. The portions of the book discussing Rockefeller's later years and his children I found could be a bit repetitive and boring at times.
I do like the formal style Chernow writes in, along with his asides contextualizing the era for the readers. His biographies are always long and detailed but are quite the accomplishment once finished.
I do like the formal style Chernow writes in, along with his asides contextualizing the era for the readers. His biographies are always long and detailed but are quite the accomplishment once finished.
A bit wordier than it might have been, but still an interesting listen.
This is by far the worst Chernow biography.
After finishing Hamilton, Grant, and Washington I was expecting something more than this.
Here are my main nitpicks.
- The last 1/3 of the book is just about Rockefeller's family and how they fared in their marriages, colleges, and philanthropic endeavors. It's not about Rockefeller at all.
- Chernow glosses over the the formation and domination of standard oil! I almost didn't believe it. He barely goes into any detail about the unfair or unscrupulous business practices. I think Chernow wanted to keep things high-level but he only goes as far as to say, "Standard Oil undercut competitors" or "SO used it's railway connections to extort cheaper fares...". I want the details! I want chapters like "One Mile" from the Power Broker. In-depth, detail oriented features that give a better demonstration of the business practices.
- He also glosses over the trust lawsuit. I think it's resolved in a chapter or two then he jumps right back into "The Life and Times of the Rockefeller Children".
- It's far less historical and far more...People Magazine than Chernow's other biographies. Maybe the Rockefeller's are just much less interesting than Hamilton, Grant, and Washington. Maybe.
- Chernow loves the word "spendthrift". He uses it too much in every book and I HATE THIS WORD! It's so antiquated and, if you try and parse it, it means the opposite of what you'd think. I notice it every time. Gah.
Overall, hard pass from me.
After finishing Hamilton, Grant, and Washington I was expecting something more than this.
Here are my main nitpicks.
- The last 1/3 of the book is just about Rockefeller's family and how they fared in their marriages, colleges, and philanthropic endeavors. It's not about Rockefeller at all.
- Chernow glosses over the the formation and domination of standard oil! I almost didn't believe it. He barely goes into any detail about the unfair or unscrupulous business practices. I think Chernow wanted to keep things high-level but he only goes as far as to say, "Standard Oil undercut competitors" or "SO used it's railway connections to extort cheaper fares...". I want the details! I want chapters like "One Mile" from the Power Broker. In-depth, detail oriented features that give a better demonstration of the business practices.
- He also glosses over the trust lawsuit. I think it's resolved in a chapter or two then he jumps right back into "The Life and Times of the Rockefeller Children".
- It's far less historical and far more...People Magazine than Chernow's other biographies. Maybe the Rockefeller's are just much less interesting than Hamilton, Grant, and Washington. Maybe.
- Chernow loves the word "spendthrift". He uses it too much in every book and I HATE THIS WORD! It's so antiquated and, if you try and parse it, it means the opposite of what you'd think. I notice it every time. Gah.
Overall, hard pass from me.
The best historical figure biography I have ever read. Fascinating person and so well layed out and written.
I’m through and have no energy for hypocritical capitalists who use religion to get away with their shitty behavior.
A great biography that falls short of Chernow’s best work because he gets too focused on minute details (I really didn’t need to know much about Rockefeller’s golf game). I think part of this is Rockefeller’s private life wasn’t that interesting; he’d have be a run-of-the-mill middle class hump save for his ability to create, build and expand Standard into an oil colossus. Readable if you’re curious about the subject.
"As he accumulated more land, Rockefeller was also increasingly bothered by the Putnam division of the New York Central Railroad, which cut a swath across the middle of his estate. He hated the hoboes and hunters drawn by the right-of-way, not to mention the ash that fluttered down on his golf course from the coal-burning locomotives. In 1929, Rockefeller decided to have the train rerouted and paid an estimated $700,000 to buy the entire village of East View..."
This book feels as long as it is. The later chapters are a little quicker since they focus on the children and thus different story lines but yeah woof I guess that is what happens when the person being written about lives till 98.