Chernow, Ron. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. New York: Random House, 1998.

Date: 2 January 2003

This book adds an entirely new dimension to my knowledge of John D. Rockefeller, whom I recollected from my American History classes to be a greedy power-monger. It provides a rags-to-riches story… a sort of American Dream story gone too far. Chernow does not provide excessive commentary, nor does he seek to re-write history's account of Rockefeller as a trust builder. He does, however, describe the childhood, events, and relationships of Rockefeller's life so as to provide insight into the factors that drove Rockefeller.

Rockefeller was raised by his devout Baptist mother is a poor household. He learned responsibility and drive from his mother and (as the eldest child) compensated for his largely absentee father. We learn that he was not only obsessive-compulsive and self-righteous, but also moralistic and compassionate (if not ethical by today's standards of business). Ultimately, the reader learns of Rockefeller's desire to protect his children from the trapping of wealth and to give his excess to those in need.

There is a Star Trek Next Generation episode in which the crew discovers a vessel of three individuals from 20^th century Earth who had been frozen in cryogenic suspension. Once awakened, we learn that one of the individuals was a stereotypical wealthy businessman seeking to reclaim his fortune. After some discussion, Captain Picard explains that society has overcome scarce resources (the basic assumption of economics), and that there is no longer a need for the accumulation of wealth. The businessman replied that it is not about wealth, it is about power. In Rockefeller's case, it does not seem to be about the wealth either. However, I do not believe it was so much about the power as it was about his desire for successful.

I was intrigued to learned that Rockefeller was the primary contributor for the creation of the University of Chicago, and that Chicago was originally founded as a Baptist school to provide Baptists a good alternative to schools of alternate denominations. I have long been fascinated at the rapid acceleration in man's knowledge and wealth over the past century. As a Baptist and student of economics, my fascination was fueled when I learned that the large, prestigious, and competitive institution (which has become a Mecca for modern economics) was founded by a dirt farmer who left school at age 16 to become the richest man in the world.

J. Sprigg