In his book The Myth of the Robber Barons, Folsom distinguishes between political entrepreneurs who ran inefficient businesses supported by government favors, and market entrepreneurs who succeeded by providing better and lower-cost products or services, usually while facing vigorous competition.

Includes material on John D. Rockefeller, J. Pierpoint Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, William H. Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, E.H. Harriman, Jay Gould, Jim Fisk, Jay Cooke, Daniel Drew, Henry C. Frick, James J. Hill, Charles M. Schwab, Henry Villard, Standard Oil Company, trusts.

[T]he great service rendered by Ludwick to the cause of his adopted country was in supplying her soldiers with good bread. In 1777, Congress gave him a regular commission as "Superintendent of Bakers and Director of Baking in the Army of the United States," at seventy-five dollars a month and two rations a day...-from "Christopher Ludwick, Baker-General of the Revolutionary Army"A primer for children on the "sterling qualities" that drive the American industrialist, this charming 1884 volume introduces us to a gallery of upstanding characters. Some you've heard of (Horace Greeley, Journalist; Peter Cooper, Philanthropist), but most you haven't (Elihu Burritt, The Learned Blacksmith; Michael Reynolds, Engine-Driver; Alvan Clarke, Telescope Maker). Parton's biographical sketches are delightful encapsulations of Yankee cleverness, enterprise, and the Can-do! spirit that will enchant readers young and old.American writer, educator, and lecturer JAMES PARTON (1822-1891) was born in England and emigrated to New York as a small child. He wrote prodigiously on a wide variety of subjects; his books include Life of Horace Greeley (1855), Humorous Poetry of the English Language from Chaucer to Saxe (1856), and Manual for the Instruction of Rings, Railroad and Political, and How New York is Governed (1866).

Captains of Consciousness offers a historical look at the origins of the advertising industry and consumer society at the turn of the twentieth century. For this new edition Stuart Ewen, one of our foremost interpreters of popular culture, has written a new preface that considers the continuing influence of advertising and commercialism in contemporary life. Not limiting his critique strictly to consumers and the advertising culture that serves them, he provides a fascinating history of the ways in which business has refined its search for new consumers by ingratiating itself into Americans' everyday lives. A timely and still-fascinating critique of life in a consumer culture.

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.

In Superyacht Captain, a professional at the zenith of one of the world's most lavish and exclusive industries gives a rare insight into a career that makes for eyebrow-raising reading, as entertaining as it is instructive. The tale of an ordinary boy whose career takes him on a most extraordinary journey, this book begins with Brendan messing about in boats in a sleepy coastal Australian town, and ends with him becoming one of the most successful and respected superyacht captains in the industry – the consummate 'Billionaire's Captain'. Spanning two decades and circling the globe, his story draws readers into the real world of superyachts, their crew and their owners, in the most intimate of ways. Brendan weaves in the lessons he's learned as he's progressed from deck hand to captain, and these insights are valuable for anyone leading teams with demanding objectives. As captain, Brendan was expected to achieve excellence every single time, and here he reveals how he learnt to deal with the 'everyday' demands of the job as well as emergency situations. Surprisingly humble and self aware, in a world of glitter and extravagance you can see why he's trusted. All of this is told against a backdrop of seemingly impossible glamour at the most extravagant edge of the boating spectrum, with plenty of entertaining stories of the superyacht lifestyle. A brilliant read for all sailors and motorboaters, for the many superyacht fans out there, as well as anyone interested in leadership and management techniques from someone at the top of their game, working for those who define the rules of the game.

Before the 99% occupied Wall Street... Before the concept of social justice had impinged on the social conscience... Before the social safety net had even been conceived... By the turn of the 20th Century, the era of the robber barons, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) had already accumulated a staggeringly large fortune; he was one of the wealthiest people on the globe. He guaranteed his position as one of the wealthiest men ever when he sold his steel business to create the United States Steel Corporation. Following that sale, he spent his last 18 years, he gave away nearly 90% of his fortune to charities, foundations, and universities. His charitable efforts actually started far earlier. At the age of 33, he wrote a memo to himself, noting ..".The amassing of wealth is one of the worse species of idolatry. No idol more debasing than the worship of money." In 1881, he gave a library to his hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland. In 1889, he spelled out his belief that the rich should use their wealth to help enrich society, in an article called "The Gospel of Wealth" this book. Carnegie writes that the best way of dealing with wealth inequality is for the wealthy to redistribute their surplus means in a responsible and thoughtful manner, arguing that surplus wealth produces the greatest net benefit to society when it is administered carefully by the wealthy. He also argues against extravagance, irresponsible spending, or self-indulgence, instead promoting the administration of capital during one's lifetime toward the cause of reducing the stratification between the rich and poor. Though written more than a century ago, Carnegie's words still ring true today, urging a better, more equitable world through greater social consciousness.