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Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Ron Chernow

4.13 · Rating details · 23,445 ratings · 1,171 reviews

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 . . . a 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. ...more

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Published March 30th 2004 by Vintage (first published May 5th 1998)

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Feb 22, 2014 Chrissie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, favorites, leaders, bio, history, usa, 2016-read

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 t 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! ...more

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Apr 29, 2016 Gwern rated it really liked it

Review moved to gwern.net. ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Darwin8u rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017

"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

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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 ofte ...more

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Aug 14, 2018 Roy Lotz rated it really liked it

Shelves: americana, biography-memoir-travel, new-yawk

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 Rockefel

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.) ...more

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Aug 08, 2008 Arminius rated it it was amazing

Shelves: business

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. H ...more

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Jan 14, 2017 ·Karen· added it

Recommended to ·Karen· by: Tony

Shelves: one-book-leads-to-another, biography-memoir, best-of-2017, non-fiction, 19th-century, usa

Truly 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 ta Truly 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). ...more

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Nov 03, 2020 Steve rated it it was amazing

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, approp 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 ...more

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Mar 08, 2014 11811 (Eleven) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

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 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. ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Sharon Barrow Wilfong rated it liked it

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, ...more

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Jul 10, 2019 aPriL does feral sometimes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biography, academic-notations, non-fiction, illuminating

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 Bap ...more

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Oct 16, 2008 Mahlon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015

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.

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Aug 06, 2011 Amanda rated it it was ok

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 infla ...more

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Aug 12, 2019 Alex rated it liked it

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 boo ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Elyse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, 5-star, history, male-author, us-history, biography, business, gilded-age, wealth

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 evil 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 ...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Christine rated it it was amazing

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. ...more

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Oct 18, 2008 Kelley rated it liked it

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 mo ...more

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Sep 26, 2020 Brian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history, nonfiction, biography, kindle

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 derive 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. ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 John Elliott rated it really liked it

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 (m ...more

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Oct 10, 2015 Clif rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biography

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 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. ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Aaron Million rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biography

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 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. ...more

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Mar 30, 2010 Lucky rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. Such a fascinating person. John D. was the richest man in the world of his time and the world's first billionaire. And one only reaches such heights through dubious means; including extortion, bribes, back door deals, payroll politicians, and general cruelty to all the little fish below.
There are many reasons to demonize someone such as him, but what surprised me, was how I often found myself liking him. He was excessively frugal, never ostentatious, and extremely ...more

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Nov 17, 2013 Max Nova rated it it was amazing

Shelves: business, history

“Titan” by Chernow is one of the most surprising books I’ve read in a long time. From Rockefeller’s personal life (he was super religious and his dad was a bigamist?!) to Standard Oil business practices (the board made decisions only by consensus?!) and Rockefeller’s far-reaching impact on philanthropy (he pioneered rigorous philanthropy and created UChicago, Rockefeller University, Spelman, AND ELIMINATED HOOKWORM IN THE US SOUTH?!), Titan was a revelation.

Chernow does a fantastic job of tracin ...more

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Oct 22, 2015 Matt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook

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 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/ ...more

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Jan 20, 2021 Jay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: business, audiobook

I listened to this audiobook in part to check off the longest audio in my TBR list on Hoopla. At 35 hours, I found that I was kept entertained by the author, so in that respect, this was a job well done. How did he do that? For one thing, he doesn’t answer the toughest question of whether Rockefeller was a bad guy or a good guy. He provides stories to illustrate both, but on the whole I’d say Rockefeller comes across quite well. A second way that the author made this more engaging for the length I listened to this audiobook in part to check off the longest audio in my TBR list on Hoopla. At 35 hours, I found that I was kept entertained by the author, so in that respect, this was a job well done. How did he do that? For one thing, he doesn’t answer the toughest question of whether Rockefeller was a bad guy or a good guy. He provides stories to illustrate both, but on the whole I’d say Rockefeller comes across quite well. A second way that the author made this more engaging for the length is that some of the story delved into the biography of others. I’d say that the story of Rockefeller’s father, his son, and Ida Tarbell could have been cleaved off as separate books had the author wanted a collection. The father was a character. Ida Tarbell was a trailblazer. And Rockefeller Jr’s story shows the moral growth of an executive through adversity. All very distinct stories. The author weaved these together as needed to make the overall book more appealing. Another way that the book remained interesting was that the author did not focus on Rockefeller’s day-to-day business dealings. I was expecting more about the day-to-day office intrigue, the politics, the strategy. I’d consider this less of a “business biography” and more of a “personal biography” of a business executive as written. Again, to make the book more readable, I believe this was the correct strategy.

Favorite anecdote: Rockefeller would carry pockets full of dimes and nickels. He’d give dimes to adults and nickels to kids that he met during his day, instead of autographing things. When he gave these out, he’d also provide a little sermon on the value of work and investing. Imagine Mark Zuckerberg doing this nowadays and how that would go over.

Now that I’ve finished the longest audiobook on my Hoopla list, it’s time to start thinking about listening to the new longest book. Appropriately, it’s a Charles Dickens story about businesspeople. I’m expecting some similarities.
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Apr 27, 2020 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It’s a commitment, but pretty fascinating. I straight up LOL’d at Chernow describing JDR Sr’s diminutive, elderly frame as looking like he’d been shrunk by a witch doctor.

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Dec 07, 2017 Owen Tuleja rated it liked it

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; th ...more

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Oct 25, 2014 Linda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Linda by: Bill

Shelves: biography, audio, ohio-e-book-project

Long, but really interesting book about the head of the Rockefeller family who earned enough money to boggle the richest person's mind. He earned billions of dollars at a time when one million would set one for life.
Ably narrated by one of my favorites, Grover Gardner, this book was especially interesting to me for its venues including Ohio (Toledo and Cleveland) and New York City that I am very familiar with.
The book is primarily about John D., but, as it should, gives background of his parents ...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Jig rated it really liked it

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 i ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Samcwright rated it it was amazing

I don’t know that most people would love this book, but I’m definitely the target audience. It’s a combination of intense focus, economics, and the unique period of U.S. history that allowed Rockerfeller to build Standard Oil. It’s a long book (#ronchernow), but worth it for me. Rockerfeller’s ability to build Standard Oil required collusion with banks, railroads, steel producers, and other oil producers and refiners. But it also required his unique personality shaped by his youth, religious bac ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 Siim rated it really liked it

This is what I took away from John D. Rockefeller, once the richest man in America and the largest benefactor of his time.

Rockefeller was an avid saver. "Save when you can, not when you have to."
He donated even when he himself did not have much. But he always calculated the amount of money he could donate and gave not a penny more or less.

Rockefeller was an avid lender. He always kept vast cash reserves. "The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let the money be my ...more

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About Ron Chernow

Ron Chernow

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Ron 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 Ron 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.
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The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

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“Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed” and “A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.” — 21 likes

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