Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely fascinating multi-faceted account of a true TITAN
Review: I loved this book, which captures the essence of Rockefeller, his genious and his warts, stripping away the stereotypes and caricatures, and sympathetically balancing his rogue villainry with his own high moral standards, in the context of the times in which he lived
Rating:
Summary: A truly outstanding biography
Review: My interest in John D. Rockefeller was spawned by an interest in the theory and policy underlying antitrust law in the United States. Having read fairly extensively in the realm of academic texts on the subject, I was interested in acquiring a somewhat more human insight into an individual such as John D. Rockefeller who is often held up as an icon of the unrestrained capitalism of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.Ren Chernow's book is outstanding and provides an exhaustive description of Rockefeller's background, business and philosophy to life. Having already formed my own personal opinions about monopolies, I felt Chernow provided a well-balanced assessment of Rockefeller's behaviour and avoided the pitfalls of adoration or vilification. The book is immensely readable and you need not be a lawyer, economist or business historian to make it through any section of the work. His research is exhaustive and leaves the reader feeling that they have truly been provided with insights into what made Rockefeller tick. I highly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in commerce or in the history of the United States in this period. As we enter a period in which a new multi-billionaire becomes the subject of intense debate over his business practices, it is most interesting to look back on the life of John D. Rockefeller and determine the extent to which history is actually repeating itself. 5 stars - without any hesitation whatsoever.
Rating:
Summary: Serious history that is fun to read.
Review: This book is fantastic. It reads like a compelling novel, though Chernow has once again gone to great lengths to accurately portray an individual who profoundly affected American history. Whether you love or hate Rockefeller (or capitalism), you'll find lots of compelling information to support your world view. Rockefeller clearly had some shortcomings, but was very good at business. I'm afraid our society will never again allow such brilliance to triumph and revolutionize the world.
Rating:
Summary: Deep, impartial, intelligent and thorough.
Review: As a frequent visitor to New York, I'd often wondered who the "Rockefeller" of the Rockefeller Plaza was, and how he made his fortune. I bought this book with an air of caution, as biographies of highly successfull people can be biased either towards patronising hero-worship, or venomous character assasination. I needn't have worried, as Ron Chernow's extensive, thorough and even-handed book portrays not only JDR's progress through and beyond his 98 years, but also America's consequent development. The personal conflict between hard-edged business practices and religious ethics are deftly portrayed, and left for the reader to decide wether or not Rockefeller was trying to bring stability and structure to a highly unpredictable market place, or being an un-controllable corporate steam-roller. The book is not just a study of the incredible business career of John D Rockefeller. To take us some of the way towards understanding the individual, Ron Chernow allows time to give a fascinating look at the early days of not only the parents and grandparents, but also the life styles and factors from before his birth that would so influence the life of JDR. The book covers the years of philanthropy showing how a vast fortune in the right hands can be used effectively. It's an excellent book, well researched and well written. I learned a great deal from it, and have a tremendous respect for not only the subject of the book, but also the author. I'd recommend "TITAN" to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and revealing
Review: I was impressed by Chernow's research and found the details regarding John D's legacy fascinating. A wonderful biography.
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Summary: Chernow is a master.
Review: As a non-professional who reads a great deal of history, I always look for the historian who is also a great writer. Ron Chernow is both a master historian and a terrific story teller. His books refect an astonishing amount of research and yet they read like great novels. I can't imagine the amount of work they entail. Titan is his third masterpiece, and I can't wait for his next epic.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, delightful.
Review: Read it! It's a masterpiece of a biography
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book, the tape is too abridged
Review: This 1000 page book is reduced to 4 tapes. It misses much of JDR's life and leaves more questions than it answers. Just a brief look at the book shows that Rockefeller donated money to fight infectious diseases in response to the death of his infant grandson from scarlett fever. This is not mentioned at all on the tape. The mechanics of standard oil, its challenges and rise seem incredibly simplified. It can't have been that easy or we'd all be billionaires. I'm going to read the book now to get more of the story. But, the similarities between Rockefeller and Bill Gates are amazing as one compares their common vision for a nascant industry and their drive to control its key leverage points. This confirms the best way to become rich is to build a monopoly. At the end of the last 2 centuries, this has been legal and the entrepenuer's arguments defending their business have been the same. Its fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Outstanding and very fair biography of one of the most powerful minds of the turn of the century. Excellently and exhaustively researched as well if not better than any biography I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A better than average biography of the oil king...
Review: Chernow offers insight and interesting tidbits throughout the first third to first half of the book. However, the book seems to bog down after describing Rockefeller's retirement, and doesn't fully recover. Given the consensus of most reviews, the book proved somewhat disappointing. After reading this biography the reader can draw some intriguing comparisons to the current titan of industry, Bill Gates.
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