Steve Weinberg

Tariffs, corruption, environmental destruction, overzealous oligarchs who hoard and build their power by squeezing from others and then scattering the crumbs down to us through public works. It might sound like the 21st century United States, but this story is about the late nineteenth and early 20th century. I've been reading and researching Ida Tarbell and this book is not only an invaluable resource but also an interesting read. I like the author's use of a "dual" biography. The show more juxtaposition sets the stage for Tarbell's takedown of Standard Oil by telling both her life story as well as John D. Rockefeller--who was where doing what and when. It gives a bigger picture of America in the late nineteenth, early twentieth centuries.

Oh, where is our Teddy Roosevelt? Ida once described Roosevelt as a "boy on skates." He gave her the term, "muckraker." show less

This was a really captivating book detailing Ida Tarbell's life, her journalism career and her exposé on Standard Oil and John D. Rockefeller. It also contains a lot of interesting biographical details on Rockefeller as well.

I wasn't really sure what I was getting into exactly when I got this book, but I was really pleased with the book. I expected a bit more about the aftermath of the exposé and supreme court rulings on Standard Oil and how that (briefly) changed American capitalism, but show more it was really more focused on Ida Tarbell, and I found her life to be very fascinating. The chapter on the exposé is almost anti-climatic, but I didn't mind.

Ida Tarbell comes across as an amazing woman, and I was rooting for her throughout the whole book. I've never read about such a fiercely independent woman living in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and I really liked how she was determined to live her life and do her own thing without getting married or having children, a pretty radical thing to do in those days. show less

5799. Armand Hammer The Untold Story, by Steve Weinberg (read 23 Aug 2022) This book was published in 1989. Hammer died in 1990, so it covers nearly all of his amazing life. He was born in New York City on 21 May 1898 to Russia-born parents, and lived for a time in Russia where he came to know Lenin. He founded a pencil factory in Russia. but in time became the president of Occidental Petroleum company and played a major role in its development until he died. The book appears to have been show more well researched and sometimes seems seems almost unbelievable. Hammer became very wealthy and always played a role in the affairs of Russia, and was deemed as too friendly with Soviet leaders. He was eager to be friends with the people in power. and even managed to become close to Republicans like Reagan and Bush. But he was not an admirable person when dealing with his own family, and while he donated millions to causes was niggardly toward his own relatives. show less

Looking at the Table of Contents this looks like it was invaluable and thorough--in 1983 when it first came out. But what's happened in terms of research since 1983? Right. The internet. I'm sure one could still glean a lot from this, but a handbook isn't supposed to make you work, it's supposed to be a reference where you can turn to a chapter and start working. I'd love to get my hands on a revised, up-to-date revision of this, but alas... (If this were still 1983, this would get four or show more five stars.) show less