Resumen
Resumen de Random Reminiscences of Men and Events
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You will love this book if you enjoy first-person business stories, early American industry, portraits of partners, or the question of how wealth can give with purpose.
De qué trata este libro
Picture an old man, known around the world for oil and money, pushing small stakes into a hillside at dusk to mark where a road should curve. John D. Rockefeller does exactly this at Pocantico Hills, and he is proud of it.
He wrote Reminiscences in 1909, after he had left active business. Many of his capable partners had been painted as wrongdoers, and he decided to speak while he could still testify.
En este resumen
- 1A boy learns thrift from ledgers and turkeysFree
- 2Friends and partners are the real capital
- 3Borrow carefully and keep to sound principles
- 4Standard Oil grew by scale, quality and low cost
- 5He answers critics on rebates and Backus
- 6Corporations and combination are here to stay
- 7Hard times are met by facing the facts
- 8Giving wisely means organizing it like business
Idea clave 1 de 8
A boy learns thrift from ledgers and turkeys
Rockefeller says he owes his father a great deal, because his father taught him the principles and methods of business. From early childhood the boy kept a small account book he calls Ledger A. It records his income, his spending, and the small sums he was taught to give away.
His first real business is turkeys. At seven or eight he raises them with curds his mother gives him from the milk, and he sells them all. Because he pays no costs, everything he takes in is profit, and he keeps his records carefully. His mother is strict and uses a birch switch to hold the family standard.
At sixteen he studies bookkeeping in Cleveland, then walks the streets for weeks asking for work. On September 26, 1855, a man on the docks tells him to come back after the noon meal, and he is hired by Hewitt & Tuttle. There he checks every plumber's bill item by item, because his approval releases his employer's money. Small figures deserve respect, and careful checking is a form of loyalty.
Early practice with honest records and small duties is the best schooling for large ones.
That’s 1 of 8 key points.
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About 2 h 20 min to read.Empieza 90 días gratisPaperback, hardcover and large print, printed for you at cost, are on their way.Email me when it is printed
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 33,300 words
- Reading timeAbout 2 h 20 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary; paperback, hardcover and large print at cost
- LanguagesEnglish and 14 other languages
Questions about Random Reminiscences of Men and Events
What is Random Reminiscences of Men and Events about?
It is John D. Rockefeller's informal memoir, written in 1909. He recalls his boyhood, early jobs, partners, the growth of Standard Oil, his ore business, and his ideas on giving money away.
Who are Flagler, Archbold and Gates in the book?
Henry M. Flagler was an early partner who later built a railroad down Florida's east coast. John D. Archbold was a Standard Oil leader, and Frederick T. Gates ran Rockefeller's ore business and later his philanthropy.
What was the Backus case Rockefeller writes about?
Mrs. Backus sold selected assets of her late husband's lubricating oil company to Standard Oil in 1878 and later felt cheated. Rockefeller prints letters and sworn statements from people on her side of the sale to show it was fair.
Is Random Reminiscences easy to read?
It reads like a friendly conversation. The chapters are short, the language is plain, and the stories are anecdotes about people, trees, boats and banks, so you can pick it up anywhere.
What is the main message of the book?
Rockefeller argues that success rests on honest books, fair dealing and cooperation, and that wealth is best used when it is organized and studied to help people help themselves.
Cite this edition
Rockefeller, John D. Random Reminiscences of Men and Events. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/random-reminiscences-of-men-and-events.
Rockefeller, J. D. (2026). Random reminiscences of men and events. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/random-reminiscences-of-men-and-events (Original work published 1909)
Rockefeller, John D. Random Reminiscences of Men and Events. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/random-reminiscences-of-men-and-events.
@book{rockefeller2026random,
author = {Rockefeller, John D.},
title = {Random Reminiscences of Men and Events},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/random-reminiscences-of-men-and-events},
note = {First published 1909}
}
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