Frank Cowperwood begins his career in mid-nineteenth century Philadelphia by observing a lobster devour a squid, a spectacle that forms his belief in natural law and the survival of the strong. He enters the world of finance by trading notes and government bonds, eventually manipulating municipal funds and forming alliances with corrupt local politicians. The narrative tracks his rise through the stock market, his construction of a mansion, and his extramarital affair with Aileen Butler. When the Great Chicago Fire triggers a financial panic, Cowperwood’s illegal use of city money leads to a public trial and a prison sentence.
Business historians and readers interested in the mechanics of the Gilded Age read this book to understand the specific operations of nineteenth-century credit and speculation. It provides a detailed look at how political graft influences private markets and how industrial titans justify their behavior through social Darwinism. The reader walks away with a technical understanding of high-stakes arbitrage and a portrait of a protagonist who treats ethics as secondary to the pursuit of capital and influence.
Outward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Systems Thinker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1912
- Language
- EN
