Titan
by Ron Chernow · first published 1998
73% recommend27% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Detailed, well-researched, even-handed Rockefeller biography that corrects one-sided Standard Oil narratives and vividly portrays Industrial Revolution America; suits readers wanting business history beyond soundbites.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A biography of America's first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., drawing from Rockefeller's personal papers to provide information about his rustic origins, his creation of Standard Oil, his often controversial business tactics, and his personal relationships and attributes. 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. Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller's exceptionally rich trove of papers. Born the son
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> horrific business practices I recommend that you read "Titan" by Chernow. Rockefeller is mostly guilty simply of being very rich. During his career, he caused the price of kerosene to drop 70%, and stay down. This was good for the expanding country. During the…
on “The Epic Rise of John D. Rockefeller” ↗…I invented the Modern Age (Richard Snow) Inside the tornado (Geoffrey Moore) Jony Ive (Leander Kahney) Sprint (Jake Knapp) The lean startup (Eric Ries) The selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins) Titan (Ron Chernow) The inevitable (Kevin Kelly) The Innovators (Walter Isaacson) Scrum (Jeff Sutherland) !Most if not all have an audio-book version! If you are in a startup or plan to start one…
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗…to be the wealthiest person in the world ... We have checks in place to curb the anti-competitive forces of certain companies. If anyone is curious about John Rockefeller, I'd very strongly recommend "Titan" by Ron Chernow, which is a very detailed and fair biography of Rockefeller. It's one of the more important biographies I've read for my own development as a person. After reading it, I'm thoroughly…
on “World's Richest Man: 'Charity Doesn't Solve Anything'” ↗The market for oil was competitive. You should read the book Titan by Ron Chernow. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XUDGHG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?... At no point was Standard Oil the only purveyor of oil products in the world. They enjoyed a dominant position akin to…
on ““Free” shipping is not actually free” ↗Have you ever read Ron Chernow bios? I've read Titan (Rockefeller): https://www.amazon.ca/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400... and Alexander Hamilton: https://www.amazon.ca/Alexander-Hamilton-Ron-Chernow/dp/0143... Both incredible. I admit I've…
on “The Scotsmen Who Invented Modernity” ↗Then you gotta read this: https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/140...
on “Criticizing Google got me fired” ↗Titan, a Rockefeller Sr. biography by Ron Chernow, is great book. http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400...
on “Great Self Made Men” ↗…nothing are usually very good. I look for common themes and key points in their lives. A few of my favorites: Carnegie by Peter Krass, http://www.amazon.com/Carnegie-Peter-Krass/dp/0471468835/ref... "Titan, The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr." by Ron Chernow, http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400... "iWoz", by Steve Wozniak, http://www.amazon.com/iWoz-Computer-Invented-Personal-Co-Fou...
on “Ask HN: Books on getting rich?” ↗…approach to business. By creating standards (Windows as the go to OS for PCs) he would be able to get consumers to use MSFT's related products - Office, Internet Explorer, etc. There is a great book called Titan by Ron Chernow where you can read an excellent account of how Rockefeller rose from being a lowly accountant to founding and operating Standard Oil.
on “Ask HN: Business Model Hall of Fame” ↗I can't comment on the other three, but Standard Oil was fantastically good for the United States and the world. I'd really recommend the biography "Titan" by Ron Chernow about John Rockefeller's life. Tons of advances in efficiency, chemistry, operations, logistics. Oil prices fell dramatically, consistency and quality went up, supply went up through…
on “Why is European broadband faster and cheaper? Blame the government” ↗…enough from the books where the difference comes from. If you raise your kids right, inheritance is not a bad thing. http://www.amazon.com/Fortunes-Children-Fall-House-Vanderbil... http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1470...
on “The Poorest Rich Kids in the World” ↗A great read is Titan, which follows his rise to the "Titan" he was. He was a genius with engineering (re-designing physical oil barrels), operations, finance, scale, industrialization, almost everything. He is credited with…
on “SolarCity has signed an agreement to acquire Silevo” ↗…Obviously she was heavily biased, this being instilled in her early on. For a less biased look at the history of the American oil industry by way of Rockefeller and Standard Oil, I strongly recommend Titan by Ron Chernow - author of Hamilton - which is an excellent account of Rockefeller and Standard Oil, both the good and the bad.
on “US oil prices turn negative as demand dries up” ↗Oh what the heck. I have a book for you, "Titan" by Chernow. You'll like it because Chernow tries to paint all the left wing tropes on Rockefeller. Unfortunately, his narrative facts contradict his conclusions. After you've read it, come back and…
on “We need a new economics of water as a common good” ↗…learn a lot by reading about the people who built the industries too. Here are a few I've been reading about recently that I recommend: - Edison by Edmund Morris (Just read it backwards, you'll see.) - Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow - The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century by Steven Watts - Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler…
on “Ask HN: Good Books on the History of Technology?” ↗