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bergeronj 's review for:
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
by Ron Chernow
Always been fascinated by Rockefeller, heard good things about this book so decided to give it a try. Fantastic insight into how exactly Rockefeller consolidated and ultimately monopolized the oil industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I personally found the beginning of his career the most interesting. Did a pretty deep dive into the system of rebates, buyouts, shutdowns, price cutting, intimidation, and distribution which Rockefeller used to ultimately monopolize the oil industry.
The book also spent a fair amount of time addressing the lawsuits, muckrakers, and other companies against him. I enjoyed the last portion of the book which focused on Rockefeller Jr, his descendants, and the family legacy. I didn’t realize how much the Rockefeller family had done philanthropically, including massive founding donations to Spelman College and the University of Chicago. His contributions to medicine were also quite impressive.
Overall, great boon to read even if not interested strictly in Rockefeller because the word “monopoly” is tossed around a lot, especially today with Amazon and Facebook, but I never really realized what exactly companies were doing to achieve their goals. A good read! (ha..ha...)
The book also spent a fair amount of time addressing the lawsuits, muckrakers, and other companies against him. I enjoyed the last portion of the book which focused on Rockefeller Jr, his descendants, and the family legacy. I didn’t realize how much the Rockefeller family had done philanthropically, including massive founding donations to Spelman College and the University of Chicago. His contributions to medicine were also quite impressive.
Overall, great boon to read even if not interested strictly in Rockefeller because the word “monopoly” is tossed around a lot, especially today with Amazon and Facebook, but I never really realized what exactly companies were doing to achieve their goals. A good read! (ha..ha...)