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The History of the Standard Oil Company: Briefer Version
Muckrakers — a term coined in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt — referred to American journalists, novelists and critics who, in the early 20th century, attempted to expose corruption in politics and the abuses of big business. One publication spearheading these exposés was McClures Magazine, and Ida Tarbell was the writer whose dramatic revelations eventually lead to effective regulation of the Standard Oil Company. Her story, serialized by McClure's in 1902 and 1903, tells the history of John D. Rockefeller's company. The first major industrial monopoly in the U.S., Standard Oil, in 1901, was the largest corporation in the country, and at its peak, controlled as much as eighty-five percent of oil refining in America. But with all his wealth and power, Rockfeller could not protect himself from Tarbell. Her story of the company, which became a model for militant journalists in the future, managed to place the blame for increasingly commercialized American ideals and practical behavior at Rockefeller's doorstep. Combining descriptions of his business practices with his personal characteristics and even his physical appearance, Tarbell created an image of a cunning and ruthless person — a picture that not even decades of Rockefeller philanthropy were able to dispel. This edition (the "briefer version" of her book; the original was more than 800 pages.) makes a great muckraking classic much more accessible to readers. As such, it will be invaluable to students and teachers of American economic history and a fascinating read for anyone interested in the muckraking era and the days of unregulated big business.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2003
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468 people want to read
About the author
Ida Tarbell
132 books38 followersIda Minerva Tarbell was an American teacher, author and journalist. She was known as one of the leading "muckrakers" of the progressive era, work known in modern times as "investigative journalism". She wrote many notable magazine series and biographies. She is best-known for her 1904 book The History of the Standard Oil Company, which was listed as No. 5 in a 1999 list by the New York Times of the top 100 works of 20th-century American journalism.[1] She became the first person to take on Standard Oil. She began her work on The Standard after her editors at McClure's Magazine called for a story on one of the trusts.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 23, 2022
A few years ago, I read Ron Chernow’s excellent biography of John D. Rockefeller, a man who looms large over my little corner of New York. That summer, I took walks in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, went to Stone Barns, the Pocantico Hills Church, and Riverside Church (all Rockefeller creations), and even visited the Cloisters (a Rockefeller museum)—capping it all off with a trip to Kykuit, the house of John D. Rockefeller himself. In the gift shop of the old tycoon’s abode, this little book was on sale, written by the woman who did more than anyone else to blacken his reputation. It seemed like rubbing salt in an old wound—but I bought it, anyway.
Ida Tarbell was born in oil country, and witnessed the squalor, danger, and insecurity of the industry first hand. Her father was a moderately successful oil man before Standard took over. In short, this book was not written from mere journalistic curiosity. However, even this heavily abridged version is enough to convince anyone that Tarbell was a remarkable person. At the very vanguard of investigative journalism, Tarbell demonstrated that facts and words, when wielded skillfully, could be just as powerful as money. And she was certainly skillful. In sharp, snappy prose, she patiently lays out a case against Standard Oil, arguing that it owed its rise to unfair business practices, and that its existence was nefarious to society. It is masterful journalism.
However, it does make for somewhat odd reading nowadays. When a business is censured today, it is normally because of its effects on the environment or its mistreatment of workers. But whereas Tarbell knew from personal experience that the oil fields were filthy and noxious (or, in her words, “destructive of beauty”), this was many years before the environmental movement, and so this angle is mostly absent. And when the Standard’s treatment of its own workers is brought up, it is normally to point out how well-paid, well-treated, and consequently loyal they were. There is no mention of a strike or a union.
Rather, Tarbell takes Rockefeller to task for unfair business practices. A big component of this foul play consisted of railroad rebates, which were basically special discounts given to Standard Oil shipments. Another strategy would be to deliberately sell oil at a loss until a competitor folded under the pressure. And with so much of the industry under their control—refineries, railroads, pipelines—Standard could easily squeeze and threaten smaller producers until they sold their companies. In short, Tarbell faults Rockefeller for trying—successfully—to create an oil monopoly.
This is interesting, as it reveals, I think, some contradictions in the ways that we think about capitalism. On the one hand, competition is supposed to be the engine that drives innovation and keeps down prices. On the other hand, the goal of any ambitious entrepreneur is to put all of his rivals out of business. That is to say that capitalism requires competition to function properly, while there is a historical tendency for monopolies to form (which must then be broken up by the government). Rockefeller himself, though a businessman, was an inveterate enemy of competition, thinking it wasteful and disorganized. And he did have a point. By controlling the process from production to delivery, he was able to create a consistent product with consistent prices, which is no small thing. I am not, you understand, defending Standard Oil. I only want to point out that both competition and consolidation have potential benefits to consumers.
I also think there is a tension in the way that we think about people like John D. Rockefeller or, for example, Jeff Bezos. They epitomize the economic system we collectively create, and many of our livelihoods depend, directly or indirectly, on such highly successful businesses. And yet, so many of us cannot stomach their wealth, their power, or simply their naked display of avidity. And while the unfair practices of Standard Oil or Amazon may get us riled up, there is another part of us, I think, which admires the man (and it is usually a man) willing to get ahead by any means. What I am trying to say, I suppose, is that we can revile—or profess to revile—people like Rockefeller all we like, but this is the sort of person who will end up at the top if we do not make some big changes.
As this rambling review indicates, I found this book more impressive, enjoyable, and rewarding than I suspected when I bought it in the gift shop. Rockefeller’s story—and Tarbell’s telling of it—still has much to teach us.
Ida Tarbell was born in oil country, and witnessed the squalor, danger, and insecurity of the industry first hand. Her father was a moderately successful oil man before Standard took over. In short, this book was not written from mere journalistic curiosity. However, even this heavily abridged version is enough to convince anyone that Tarbell was a remarkable person. At the very vanguard of investigative journalism, Tarbell demonstrated that facts and words, when wielded skillfully, could be just as powerful as money. And she was certainly skillful. In sharp, snappy prose, she patiently lays out a case against Standard Oil, arguing that it owed its rise to unfair business practices, and that its existence was nefarious to society. It is masterful journalism.
However, it does make for somewhat odd reading nowadays. When a business is censured today, it is normally because of its effects on the environment or its mistreatment of workers. But whereas Tarbell knew from personal experience that the oil fields were filthy and noxious (or, in her words, “destructive of beauty”), this was many years before the environmental movement, and so this angle is mostly absent. And when the Standard’s treatment of its own workers is brought up, it is normally to point out how well-paid, well-treated, and consequently loyal they were. There is no mention of a strike or a union.
Rather, Tarbell takes Rockefeller to task for unfair business practices. A big component of this foul play consisted of railroad rebates, which were basically special discounts given to Standard Oil shipments. Another strategy would be to deliberately sell oil at a loss until a competitor folded under the pressure. And with so much of the industry under their control—refineries, railroads, pipelines—Standard could easily squeeze and threaten smaller producers until they sold their companies. In short, Tarbell faults Rockefeller for trying—successfully—to create an oil monopoly.
This is interesting, as it reveals, I think, some contradictions in the ways that we think about capitalism. On the one hand, competition is supposed to be the engine that drives innovation and keeps down prices. On the other hand, the goal of any ambitious entrepreneur is to put all of his rivals out of business. That is to say that capitalism requires competition to function properly, while there is a historical tendency for monopolies to form (which must then be broken up by the government). Rockefeller himself, though a businessman, was an inveterate enemy of competition, thinking it wasteful and disorganized. And he did have a point. By controlling the process from production to delivery, he was able to create a consistent product with consistent prices, which is no small thing. I am not, you understand, defending Standard Oil. I only want to point out that both competition and consolidation have potential benefits to consumers.
I also think there is a tension in the way that we think about people like John D. Rockefeller or, for example, Jeff Bezos. They epitomize the economic system we collectively create, and many of our livelihoods depend, directly or indirectly, on such highly successful businesses. And yet, so many of us cannot stomach their wealth, their power, or simply their naked display of avidity. And while the unfair practices of Standard Oil or Amazon may get us riled up, there is another part of us, I think, which admires the man (and it is usually a man) willing to get ahead by any means. What I am trying to say, I suppose, is that we can revile—or profess to revile—people like Rockefeller all we like, but this is the sort of person who will end up at the top if we do not make some big changes.
As this rambling review indicates, I found this book more impressive, enjoyable, and rewarding than I suspected when I bought it in the gift shop. Rockefeller’s story—and Tarbell’s telling of it—still has much to teach us.
June 3, 2011
I'm not reading this specific edition but this seems to be where the discussion is. I'm reading the free online version http://www.history.rochester.edu/fuels/tarbell/MAIN.HTM.
I'll wedge a few hopefully cogent points in here but please read my full and lengthy commentary at my WordPress site: The History of Standard Oil.
Ms. Tarbell's “History” mostly covers the period from 1872-1880 when John D. Rockefeller was consolidating oil refining and numerous other aspects of the business.
I found the book to be hugely less muckraking and hugely more detailed reporting of events than expected. (“The facts ma’am, just the facts.”-Joe Friday.) Any philosophizing sprinkled throughout the very thorough factual minutiae is considerably less than the highly opinionated so-called reporting you find today in the New York Times or Time Magazine.
What I really found thought-provoking about the entire book was observing free enterprise, competitive, capitalism at work on a grand scale in its most raw form. Many businesses were ‘forced’ to sell to Rockefeller or close. The force used was considerable economic pressure (incentives or disincentives) but I have not read the slightest implication that any physical coercion was used.
What is “fair” in capitalism? Should rules exist that allow some to continue in business for ‘love of work’ and in order to earn a living when someone else might run that business better, cheaper, more efficiently?
Standard Oil was accused of being a ‘combination’, or trust, word of the times for a near-monopoly. In the purist of economic terms, is this wrong? Prevailing opinion and subsequent legislation, regardless of theory, eventually conclude that it was, and anti-monopoly laws exist and are applied even today.
One other item of considerable note in the Standard’s early history and success is the railroad’s acquiescence to giving Rockefeller “drawbacks”. Not only did they give him a rebate for promising to ship large quantities of oil via their rails, but they also gave him a drawback, or rebate, on any other oil shipped also. As near as I can tell it was Rockefeller’s request, and the railroad’s choice, to do this, yet the railroads received considerably muted criticism for doing so. Again, it is economics and ‘free’ enterprise at work.
There are many other observations to be made, for which you’ll just have to read this intriguing work. I found it notable that when Rockefeller began to acquire refiners and thus start on the path to a ‘combination’ of sorts , one of the first things the petroleum producers did was band together and form an association. Was this not an attempt to be a combination in their own right? Not the slightest inference is made.
I’ve read it argued that Rockefeller’s ends justified his means because the eventual outcome was cheaper prices for consumers. I did not find that totally evident in this work. A topic for research and discussion at another time.
FYI he gave away some $550+ million dollars during his lifetime (he passed away in 1937), not an inconsiderable sum in today’s dollars.
I surprised myself and enjoyed this book very much. I recommend it and recommend reading ‘old’ non-fiction books such as this and God’s Gold that were researched and published closer to the actual events.
I'll wedge a few hopefully cogent points in here but please read my full and lengthy commentary at my WordPress site: The History of Standard Oil.
Ms. Tarbell's “History” mostly covers the period from 1872-1880 when John D. Rockefeller was consolidating oil refining and numerous other aspects of the business.
I found the book to be hugely less muckraking and hugely more detailed reporting of events than expected. (“The facts ma’am, just the facts.”-Joe Friday.) Any philosophizing sprinkled throughout the very thorough factual minutiae is considerably less than the highly opinionated so-called reporting you find today in the New York Times or Time Magazine.
What I really found thought-provoking about the entire book was observing free enterprise, competitive, capitalism at work on a grand scale in its most raw form. Many businesses were ‘forced’ to sell to Rockefeller or close. The force used was considerable economic pressure (incentives or disincentives) but I have not read the slightest implication that any physical coercion was used.
What is “fair” in capitalism? Should rules exist that allow some to continue in business for ‘love of work’ and in order to earn a living when someone else might run that business better, cheaper, more efficiently?
Standard Oil was accused of being a ‘combination’, or trust, word of the times for a near-monopoly. In the purist of economic terms, is this wrong? Prevailing opinion and subsequent legislation, regardless of theory, eventually conclude that it was, and anti-monopoly laws exist and are applied even today.
One other item of considerable note in the Standard’s early history and success is the railroad’s acquiescence to giving Rockefeller “drawbacks”. Not only did they give him a rebate for promising to ship large quantities of oil via their rails, but they also gave him a drawback, or rebate, on any other oil shipped also. As near as I can tell it was Rockefeller’s request, and the railroad’s choice, to do this, yet the railroads received considerably muted criticism for doing so. Again, it is economics and ‘free’ enterprise at work.
There are many other observations to be made, for which you’ll just have to read this intriguing work. I found it notable that when Rockefeller began to acquire refiners and thus start on the path to a ‘combination’ of sorts , one of the first things the petroleum producers did was band together and form an association. Was this not an attempt to be a combination in their own right? Not the slightest inference is made.
I’ve read it argued that Rockefeller’s ends justified his means because the eventual outcome was cheaper prices for consumers. I did not find that totally evident in this work. A topic for research and discussion at another time.
FYI he gave away some $550+ million dollars during his lifetime (he passed away in 1937), not an inconsiderable sum in today’s dollars.
I surprised myself and enjoyed this book very much. I recommend it and recommend reading ‘old’ non-fiction books such as this and God’s Gold that were researched and published closer to the actual events.
March 27, 2018
It's incredible that this book was written in 1904, both for the immense ambition and quality of its reporting, so similar to how much business reporting is done today, and for the similarities that the Standard Oil Trust displays to the effective monopolies of today, including Amazon, Google and Apple. Stoked my interest in competitiveness policy, the history of American free marketeerism and revived my interest in the logistical underpinnings of the old grease-and-smoke industries. Read if you liked, "There Will Be Blood."
October 22, 2011
"Miss Tarbarrel" exposes John D. Rockefeller for the ruthless brigand he was. Those two did not like each other! She raises many questions about the morality of unrestrained capitalism. A book that made a difference early in the twentieth century.
January 15, 2023
If you are a fan of superior nonfiction but want something a little more historical you should read Ida Tarbell. Tarbell was one of the original muckrakers and this book is her standard. The publication of the longer version of this which exposed shenanigans by John D. Rockefeller led to the busting up of the Standard Oil monopoly.
I've read a bit about the ways Tarbell did her research and it was meticulous, but this book is not boring at all. It is the story of the birth of industry--the oil and gas industry--which began in the fields of Pennsylvania and to this day impacts us with environmental and climate disasters.
It is the story of how billionaires can think of themselves as "good" people and yet want "all the things" which brings the good and bad to the American version of capitalism. Same old story--at the outset of any new industrial endeavor there are a lot of folks scrambling to be the winner which creates ton of industry, and then one person or company begins to consolidate for "efficiency" and "maximum" profit. There are some benefits to this, but also a lot of lives are ruined.
I especially appreciated the start of the book which gives that background. How the industry began with, "what do we do with this stuff that is clogging up our creeks? Oh, maybe I can bottle and sell it for something." How then uses were invented for oil. And then the storage--"let's make a bigger barrel and transport it with wagons...", "no, I know let's make a pipeline." "But that pipeline is going to put the waggoneers out of business." "Well, so what? Let's pipe it and then transport via rail." And then the shady deals are done by the railroads and Rockefeller. One scheme involved creating a shadow company that had access to all of the other railroad rates their competitors were receiving.
In typical American fashion, some people roll with the changes and others like some waggoneers try to burn the house down, literally, with gas.
There are many more outlined in the book as well as a breakdown of the character of Rockefeller. How can a man who goes to church every Sunday, gives away a lot of money to charity, and yet has absolutely no philosophy but winner take all as long as he is the winner? America, baby! Musk, Gates, Bezos... they are all Rockefelleresque. We keep churning these out. Which is fine--but it is time for a Teddy Roosevelt to come along and give them a kick in the seat of the pants. I'm a big believer in upending the game table occasionally. And don't cry for Standard Oil--those who invested before the breakup still made a ton of money after the breakup.
This book is both a good hard look at American capitalism and a masterclass on how to write a nonfiction book for impact. Tarbell grew up in the oilfields of Pennsylvania (which was gross) and her father was ruined by them so she did have a bone to pick with Rockefeller. That isn't in this book, for that read one of her biographies.
I've read a bit about the ways Tarbell did her research and it was meticulous, but this book is not boring at all. It is the story of the birth of industry--the oil and gas industry--which began in the fields of Pennsylvania and to this day impacts us with environmental and climate disasters.
It is the story of how billionaires can think of themselves as "good" people and yet want "all the things" which brings the good and bad to the American version of capitalism. Same old story--at the outset of any new industrial endeavor there are a lot of folks scrambling to be the winner which creates ton of industry, and then one person or company begins to consolidate for "efficiency" and "maximum" profit. There are some benefits to this, but also a lot of lives are ruined.
I especially appreciated the start of the book which gives that background. How the industry began with, "what do we do with this stuff that is clogging up our creeks? Oh, maybe I can bottle and sell it for something." How then uses were invented for oil. And then the storage--"let's make a bigger barrel and transport it with wagons...", "no, I know let's make a pipeline." "But that pipeline is going to put the waggoneers out of business." "Well, so what? Let's pipe it and then transport via rail." And then the shady deals are done by the railroads and Rockefeller. One scheme involved creating a shadow company that had access to all of the other railroad rates their competitors were receiving.
In typical American fashion, some people roll with the changes and others like some waggoneers try to burn the house down, literally, with gas.
There are many more outlined in the book as well as a breakdown of the character of Rockefeller. How can a man who goes to church every Sunday, gives away a lot of money to charity, and yet has absolutely no philosophy but winner take all as long as he is the winner? America, baby! Musk, Gates, Bezos... they are all Rockefelleresque. We keep churning these out. Which is fine--but it is time for a Teddy Roosevelt to come along and give them a kick in the seat of the pants. I'm a big believer in upending the game table occasionally. And don't cry for Standard Oil--those who invested before the breakup still made a ton of money after the breakup.
This book is both a good hard look at American capitalism and a masterclass on how to write a nonfiction book for impact. Tarbell grew up in the oilfields of Pennsylvania (which was gross) and her father was ruined by them so she did have a bone to pick with Rockefeller. That isn't in this book, for that read one of her biographies.
March 29, 2021
Ida Tarbell's classic muckraking collection of investigative journalism should be required reading in American history classes, at the high school or undergraduate level. Alas, it's not required reading at any level, in part, because Americans are not particularly keen on learning their own sordid history (or on reading, for that matter).
Today we are witnessing so many simultaneous creations of companies with billions of dollars in worth: Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, Tesla, SpaceX, etc. Reading this 1904 text brings you back to the company that created the blueprint for all these companies: Standard Oil (which is still with us today, under the names of ExxonMobil, BP, etc).
Companies that are the first in a new marketplace have the chance to build something wonderful: they don't have to sacrifice ethics and humanity in order to do so. Some companies these days have proven that you can build a lot of wealth and built it honestly and fairly. Tarbell's text shows Standard Oil's template on how to do it dishonestly and unethically.
While there is a certain marvel in a well-designed monopoly (even Tarbell dedicates an entire chapter to admiring what Standard Oil did, and how well it was run), we have to accept that any large multinational company is inherently an attack on human-scaled living. While I'm not free of this taint (I ordered this book on Amazon, for example), I am conscious of the fact that there's no such thing as "free shipping." We continue to pay the price for giving one corporation a lot of our dollars. That book has yet to be written.
In the meantime, learn from history via a story that was mostly completed in Tarbell's lifetime (before Rockefeller pivoted into "philanthropy," which allowed him to keep his wealth from being taxable, forever. Bill Gates certainly studied that move). This book is a fascinating look at a commodity that still influences so many parts of our world to this day, right down to the smartphones we all hold: oil. It's also a wonderful complement to Lincoln Steffens book on government corruption as it underlines the lie we the public tell ourselves about "bad things" that happen in business and government in a democracy: it's someone else's fault. No it isn't. It's ours.
This book will be enjoyable to those who have read Ashlee Vance's book on Musk, Walter Isaacson's book on Jobs, or even the fun jaunt that is Ben Mezrich's Accidental Billionaires.
(Tarbell on Rockefeller) "(he is) the victim of a money-passion which blinds him to every other consideration in life." (p. xv) & "an unparalleled genius for organization and a sincere desire to end the disorders and uncertainties which he believed that free competition caused." (p. xviii)
"[I]n spite of the fact that Mr. Rockefeller claimed that underselling to drive a rival from a market was one of the evils he was called to cure, he did not hesitate to employ it himself." (p. 76)
"It seemed to be an intellectual necessity for him to be able to direct the course of any particular gallon of oil from the moment it gushed from the earth until it went into the lamp of a housewife." (p. 110)
"It was a great thing to belong to an organization which always got what it wanted, and which was making money as no business in the country had ever made it." (p. 152)
"The lawyer who took the first appeal to the Commission...has been continually engaged in the case for sixteen years!" (p. 220)
"We are a commercial people. We cannot boast of our arts, our crafts, our cultivation; our boast is in the wealth we produce." (p. 221)
"Canonise 'business success' and men who make a success like that of the Standard Oil Trust become national heroes!" (p. 224)
"[B]lackmail and every other business vice is the natural result of the peculiar business practices of the Standard...If business is to be treated as warfare and not as a peaceful pursuit..." (p. 225)
Today we are witnessing so many simultaneous creations of companies with billions of dollars in worth: Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, Tesla, SpaceX, etc. Reading this 1904 text brings you back to the company that created the blueprint for all these companies: Standard Oil (which is still with us today, under the names of ExxonMobil, BP, etc).
Companies that are the first in a new marketplace have the chance to build something wonderful: they don't have to sacrifice ethics and humanity in order to do so. Some companies these days have proven that you can build a lot of wealth and built it honestly and fairly. Tarbell's text shows Standard Oil's template on how to do it dishonestly and unethically.
While there is a certain marvel in a well-designed monopoly (even Tarbell dedicates an entire chapter to admiring what Standard Oil did, and how well it was run), we have to accept that any large multinational company is inherently an attack on human-scaled living. While I'm not free of this taint (I ordered this book on Amazon, for example), I am conscious of the fact that there's no such thing as "free shipping." We continue to pay the price for giving one corporation a lot of our dollars. That book has yet to be written.
In the meantime, learn from history via a story that was mostly completed in Tarbell's lifetime (before Rockefeller pivoted into "philanthropy," which allowed him to keep his wealth from being taxable, forever. Bill Gates certainly studied that move). This book is a fascinating look at a commodity that still influences so many parts of our world to this day, right down to the smartphones we all hold: oil. It's also a wonderful complement to Lincoln Steffens book on government corruption as it underlines the lie we the public tell ourselves about "bad things" that happen in business and government in a democracy: it's someone else's fault. No it isn't. It's ours.
This book will be enjoyable to those who have read Ashlee Vance's book on Musk, Walter Isaacson's book on Jobs, or even the fun jaunt that is Ben Mezrich's Accidental Billionaires.
(Tarbell on Rockefeller) "(he is) the victim of a money-passion which blinds him to every other consideration in life." (p. xv) & "an unparalleled genius for organization and a sincere desire to end the disorders and uncertainties which he believed that free competition caused." (p. xviii)
"[I]n spite of the fact that Mr. Rockefeller claimed that underselling to drive a rival from a market was one of the evils he was called to cure, he did not hesitate to employ it himself." (p. 76)
"It seemed to be an intellectual necessity for him to be able to direct the course of any particular gallon of oil from the moment it gushed from the earth until it went into the lamp of a housewife." (p. 110)
"It was a great thing to belong to an organization which always got what it wanted, and which was making money as no business in the country had ever made it." (p. 152)
"The lawyer who took the first appeal to the Commission...has been continually engaged in the case for sixteen years!" (p. 220)
"We are a commercial people. We cannot boast of our arts, our crafts, our cultivation; our boast is in the wealth we produce." (p. 221)
"Canonise 'business success' and men who make a success like that of the Standard Oil Trust become national heroes!" (p. 224)
"[B]lackmail and every other business vice is the natural result of the peculiar business practices of the Standard...If business is to be treated as warfare and not as a peaceful pursuit..." (p. 225)
January 7, 2016
Fascinating true history of John D. Rockefeller and The Standard Oil Company, well researched and written by the fist Muckraker, investigative journalist Ida Tarbell. I have become enthralled with the Progressive Movement, which started in the 1890s, being illuminate largely by McClure's magazine and Tarbell. Her relentless efforts to expose "Trusts" and "Monopolies" caused Americans to take note of the activities of John D. Rockefeller, who called Tarbell "The Tar Barrell". It was largely by her efforts that president Teddy Roosevelt took up the cause, eventually enacting anti-trust laws which broke up Standard Oil.
I began reading a very good book on the subject of the epic quest for oil, money and power - "The Prize", by Daniel Yergin. Yergen's book so often referred to Ida Tarbell's work that after the first 80 pages, I had to take up a side-read in order to better understand Trusts and Combinations. "The History of the Standard Oil Company" gave me a strong foundation to then return to "The Prize". Tarbell was relentless in her research and determination to expose John D. Rockefeller . The wonder of the book is not in it's artistic literary style, but as an exposé. The book is poorly edited and many have found this distracting. I hardly noticed, as I was so intrigued with the machinations of Rockefeller. I promised myself not to put any 'spoilers' in this review, so suffice to say that I have wondered whether the philanthropic endeavors of Rockefeller and descendants have not been a mea culpa for egotistical unethical methods for obtaining money and power.
In my case, one good book leads to another. Ida Tarbell led an interesting life, never marrying and dedicated to investigative journalism as well as women's suffrage. Kathleen Brady has written a biography of Tarbell entitled "Ida Tarbell : Portrait of a Muckraker". It is now on my 'to read' list.
I began reading a very good book on the subject of the epic quest for oil, money and power - "The Prize", by Daniel Yergin. Yergen's book so often referred to Ida Tarbell's work that after the first 80 pages, I had to take up a side-read in order to better understand Trusts and Combinations. "The History of the Standard Oil Company" gave me a strong foundation to then return to "The Prize". Tarbell was relentless in her research and determination to expose John D. Rockefeller . The wonder of the book is not in it's artistic literary style, but as an exposé. The book is poorly edited and many have found this distracting. I hardly noticed, as I was so intrigued with the machinations of Rockefeller. I promised myself not to put any 'spoilers' in this review, so suffice to say that I have wondered whether the philanthropic endeavors of Rockefeller and descendants have not been a mea culpa for egotistical unethical methods for obtaining money and power.
In my case, one good book leads to another. Ida Tarbell led an interesting life, never marrying and dedicated to investigative journalism as well as women's suffrage. Kathleen Brady has written a biography of Tarbell entitled "Ida Tarbell : Portrait of a Muckraker". It is now on my 'to read' list.
April 3, 2024
Ida Tarbell slowly and deliberately tears Rockefeller and his buds new ones with this extremely careful study of exactly what was done by Standard Oil and what that meant for everyone else. This blow-by-blow gives in painful detail (and this is the abridged version!) the machinations of those smart, greedy, Gilded Age capitalists with their screw-the-little-guy approach and their bland “was that wrong?” born-again innocence.
The lesson for the present day is, for ostrich like US consumers, stop reading books, because what you don’t know won’t hurt you . . . until, of course, you lose your pension, your health care, your job and your peace of mind.
The lesson for the present day is, for ostrich like US consumers, stop reading books, because what you don’t know won’t hurt you . . . until, of course, you lose your pension, your health care, your job and your peace of mind.
September 2, 2014
Journalistic writing style has changed in 100 years. The writing style of Ida Tarbell's time made it tough to read, but the information was incredible.
December 30, 2022
Interesting look at Rockefeller and the development of Standard Oil and the creation of a monoply.
The early history of the oil industry and those that took great risks, many of them illegal, to make a lot of money and to have power over an industry.
The conflict between the producers, the shippers, the refiners and the customers to maintain price and market share.
The early history of the oil industry and those that took great risks, many of them illegal, to make a lot of money and to have power over an industry.
The conflict between the producers, the shippers, the refiners and the customers to maintain price and market share.
January 18, 2023
This was a hard read. After a while I felt the author kept repeating herself. It was sad to see how JD Rockefeller took advantage of other oil producers and refiners to create his monopoly of the oil trade.
October 5, 2023
romanesque
April 29, 2025
I do not know much about businesses and business law today but the mentality of no “morals in business” and business being like “war” which Ida M. Tarbell talks about has carried on to the present.
August 12, 2015
This is not the edition I bought for .99. I bought the Halcyon Classics book from Amazon for my Kindle. It is only the first volume of the book with no appendices. The many typos are very annoying.
As to these first eight chapters, the information is interesting and it should not detract from the value of the book that it is presented in a very straightforward way with no attempt at literary value. As one reviewer stated, it is "just the facts."
Finally the law did catch up to Standard Oil and the monopoly was broken. It took a really long time and many individuals were crushed by the power Rockefeller set against them.
The lesson I took from this history is discouraging. In the capitalist system when people cheat they can crush their competitors. It is very difficult to prevent this because as the predators become successful they can use their wealth to keep the legal system on their side.
As to these first eight chapters, the information is interesting and it should not detract from the value of the book that it is presented in a very straightforward way with no attempt at literary value. As one reviewer stated, it is "just the facts."
Finally the law did catch up to Standard Oil and the monopoly was broken. It took a really long time and many individuals were crushed by the power Rockefeller set against them.
The lesson I took from this history is discouraging. In the capitalist system when people cheat they can crush their competitors. It is very difficult to prevent this because as the predators become successful they can use their wealth to keep the legal system on their side.
July 18, 2013
I enjoyed The History of the Standard Oil very much. Although I began reading it for my Junior Paper I like the book so much that I decided to finish it for my historical genre novel in PSAE. The book chronicles the rise of the Standard Oil from a tiny company in Ohio to the largest petroleum empire in the world at its time. Unfortunately many corrupt devices such as rebates from the railroads, kickbacks from other oil shipments, intimidation etc were key elements in the development of the company. At the end of the book we learn how historic trust busting legislature from washington broke the companies monopoly on oil. Overall the book was enjoyable to me because I am interested in the subject but I would not recommend it to anyone who isn't.
January 17, 2016
interesting read...I am thinking about what Chinese companies may be like Standard Oil.. Companies like Baidu and Tencent certainly control the industry by monopoly and acquisitions of smaller companies. Under the Chinese gov's censorship and these companies' strong PR departments, would publishing such a book even be allowed? I doubt it.
January 16, 2016
The best book on the history of oil and the prolific rise of Standard Oil. Regarded as the first activist/crusading piece of journalism.
300-399-social-science
April 12, 2019338.76655
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