Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams (2006)

by Michael D'Antonio

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268	4	99,582	(3.68)	16
The name means chocolate to America and the world, but as author D'Antonio reveals, it also stands for an inspiring man and a uniquely successful experiment in community and capitalism that produced a business empire devoted to a higher purpose. Milton S. Hershey brought affordable milk chocolate to America, creating and then satisfying the chocoholic urges of millions, and pioneering techniques of branding, mass production, and marketing. But as he developed massive factories, Cuban sugar plantations, and a vacation wonderland called Hershey Park, M.S. never lost sight of a grander goal. Determined that his wealth produce a lasting legacy, he tried to create perfect places where his workers could live, perfect schools for their children, and a perfect charity to salvage the lives of needy children in perpetuity. Along the way, he overcame his personal childhood traumas, as well as the death, after a short and intensely romantic marriage, of the one woman he ever loved.--From publisher description.… (more)

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Fascinating life (

)

KathyC200 | Mar 22, 2020 |

Extraordinary life is right. Hershey was present at the Columbian Expedition in Chicago and the Centennial in Philadelphia. He worked in Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City, failing at every turn, before moving back to the Lancaster area where he was born to open his caramel factory. Fortunately he moved on to chocolate and a fortune and juggernaut was born.
Unfortunately he died and the juggernaut cracked at the seams. The Orphans School was the sole owner of the Hershey stock and as such reaped much more money than they could ever spend. The board wanted to break the trust and sell the stock which tore the town apart. Not a fitting ending, which could have been prevented by some smarter planning on M.S. Hershey's part. Stay tuned.
I learned so much and found the book to read like a novel. Dense with facts, it never bogged down or became overwhelming. I thoroughly enjoyed it and now want to visit to see for myself what so many others have enjoyed. (

)

book58lover | May 20, 2014 |

An interesting book, which often focuses more on Hershey's accomplishments as a town-builder and patron of orphans than on the building of the chocolate business. I would have liked for some of the people to come alive more (Hershey does, and his wife, but rarely others). But they don't seem to have left behind much personal information, whereas the town of Hershey is well-documented. (

)

teaperson | May 27, 2009 |

http://blog.libdrone.org/2007/10/biography-sweet-spicy-and-saucy.html

outofit | Oct 31, 2007 |

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Canonical title

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Original publication date

2006

People/Characters

Milton S. Hershey

Important places

Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

For Toni, who makes my life sweeter than chocolate.

First words

Tourists who travel by car -- and more than four million come every year -- often start at the landmark Hotel Hershey, which occupies a ridge that rises more than a hundred feet above the Lebanon Valley in central Pennsylvania.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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Wikipedia in English (1)

Hershey Creamery Company

▾Book descriptions

The name means chocolate to America and the world, but as author D'Antonio reveals, it also stands for an inspiring man and a uniquely successful experiment in community and capitalism that produced a business empire devoted to a higher purpose. Milton S. Hershey brought affordable milk chocolate to America, creating and then satisfying the chocoholic urges of millions, and pioneering techniques of branding, mass production, and marketing. But as he developed massive factories, Cuban sugar plantations, and a vacation wonderland called Hershey Park, M.S. never lost sight of a grander goal. Determined that his wealth produce a lasting legacy, he tried to create perfect places where his workers could live, perfect schools for their children, and a perfect charity to salvage the lives of needy children in perpetuity. Along the way, he overcame his personal childhood traumas, as well as the death, after a short and intensely romantic marriage, of the one woman he ever loved.--From publisher description.

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