Coming from the Christian faith and a mind toward Biblical stewardship myself, I honestly believe Rockefeller felt he did God’s work here on earth.

Despite numerous quotes showing Rockefeller’s disbelief and frustration that so many vilified him, Chernow still approaches the subject as if Rockefeller surely must have known better. While Chernow devoted much of the book to Rockefeller’s strong Christian (Baptist) faith, he did so with a tone of skepticism, as if it was just a coping mechanism for all the other evil deeds he committed while growing his company. I had heard Rockefeller’s quote “I believe it is a religious duty to get all the money you can, fairly and honestly to keep all you can, and to give away all you can.”, which inspired me to know more of his thoughts on financial stewardship.

I approached this book with a desire to understand the mind of a man who accomplished so much. The lives of his children is also chronicled to an extent, with specific focus given to John Jr., who inherited the vast majority of his father’s wealth and became the face of much of what we now know of as Rockefeller philanthropy and projects. Chernow obviously did his research and touches on every significant aspect of the titan’s life, including his family and business associates. Most of this is due to the incredible depth of his fascinating subject. Titan, by Ron Chernow, is certainly not a light read but it is engaging enough to keep the reader enthralled throughout the entirety of the book. Studying the life of such a man well worth one’s time, even when it involves reading a biography of over 800 pages….

came from simple means and rose to the highest echelons of power and riches in his long life.

The titan rockefeller