by Ron Chernow
First published 1998
Rockefeller, born to a bigamous snake-oil salesman, claws his way from rustic origins to become the world's richest man. He builds a feared monopoly in Standard Oil, dominating 90% of America's oil through unscrupulous tactics like price-fixing and bribery. But as Teddy Roosevelt's trustbusters close in, the titan must confront the human cost of his empire.
Genres: biography, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, business, american, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, rise-and-fall
Setting: United States
774 pages · Paperback · Vintage