Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Economic Dominance, 1860-1900

Amazon.com

The epicenter of the American economy since the Civil War and the birthplace of modern capitalism, New York City played a significant role in transforming "a small nation of scattered farms into the world's leading economic power," writes Thomas Kessner. Focusing on the four decades between 1860 and 1900, Kessner engagingly illustrates how Gotham City, in addition to funding the Union victory and financing the railroads heading west, also became the nation's busiest port and the center of banking, information, and manufacturing by attracting the most driven, energetic, competitive, and innovative people in the world. Woven into his narrative are detailed portraits of legendary individuals such as John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, Cornelius Vanderbuilt, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan, all of whom defined the Gilded Age and ushered in the American century. Possessing the right stuff at precisely the right moment in history, these men took full advantage of the permissive, even chaotic, business climate of New York to create colossal wealth for themselves as well as the nation, rewriting the rules of commerce and investing the process: "No succeeding generation enjoyed the economic power, the open political atmosphere, and the shaping influence available to this group of capitalists," Kessner writes. This remarkable boom (and occasional bust) period also triggered an ethical shift in which "business decisions came to turn less on what was right or good, than on what was strictly legal." Greed and corruption were rampant during this time as many unscrupulous speculators hurried to cash in before regulations closed loopholes and laws imposed rigid rules of conduct.

Kessner does an excellent job of capturing the excitement of this era in which the American economy was transformed from a vast network of many small businesses to a relatively few number of large corporations. In presenting this rich story, the author makes clear that the city's greatest asset was the equal opportunity it offered—a claim that still holds true today, making the allure of New York as strong as ever. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

We take it for granted today that New York City is the nation's financial capital. But why New York? Why not Boston or Philadelphia, Baltimore or Charleston -- or any of the other East Coast cities? In Capital City Thomas Kessner tells the story of how an undistinguished port city rose to become the center of finance in the United States -- and the world.

With the opening of the Erie Canal and access to the Great Lakes and the Midwest, New York became the principal port and chief trading center of a growing nation. Some of New York's merchants -- most notably the all-but-forgotten Moses Taylor -- discovered that lending money to shippers was more profitable than shipping itself. As shipping prospered and money accumulated in New York, a growing banking center emerged. By the time of the Civil War, New York was the chief financier of the Union cause.

From across the land, New York attracted the driven, ambitious men who would direct the post?Civil War expansion of the nation, underwriting the development of the West and the building of the world's largest railroad network. Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller were drawn to New York's business culture of daring capital, bold investment, and economic venture. New York banks set the interest rates for the nation. New York's stock exchange fixed the price of securities. New York investors financed and dominated the large new corporations, and Wall Street became synonymous with the power of money. Despite panics and depressions, labor movements and populist crusades, Wall Street converted American industry from family-owned businesses to integrated corporations that drew on banking, accounting, and legal services all located in new office buildings in a booming downtown business district. New York was literally reconstructed by business interests that determined the location of parks, transportation, and museums. A new upper-class culture developed and influenced other leading cities.

When John Pierpont Morgan first arrived on Wall Street, not a single industrial concern was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. By the time he completed the U.S. Steel consolidation, the NYSE listed more than 1,000 companies, including the foundation businesses of the twentieth-century economy.

Capital City is the story of how Morgan, Carnegie, Rockefeller, and colleagues no less colorful helped transform New York and change the nation in the process.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2005-08-29

I thought this book would have a lot more to offer. Is not at all interesting, but rather wordy and heavy to follow.

a brilliant history of the origins of modern capitalism.......2004-07-27

This book is highly readable, although written by a history professor, and reads like almost like a novel, with plots, sub-plots and a great story.
The book describes the psychogeography of New York City in the last half of the 19th century and the brilliant, eccentric and many times shady: businessmen, politicians, civic reformers, professionals, labor leaders and others who formed the character of the great city while working out the structure and basic methods of corporate capitalism. The author explains why new york was aptly disposed for this formative role, versus other potential suitors such as Boston or Philadelphia. It also gives some insights into the urban development of new york, which, in spite of sincere efforts and unique achievements (e.g. Central Park) by many of its more inspired civic doyens, seems to reflect the requirements of business and the vestiges of political corruption: vertical growth and size were the main criteria, versus the more human dimensions dictated by a residentially-focussed city such as Paris. Indeed, as an Irishman, I was somewhat dismayed to read about the misdeeds of the Tammany Hall clique. Alas, the truth hurts, and professor Kesson deals with the

The World's Business is New York's Business.......2004-04-12

In his book, "Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Economic Dominance, 1860-1900", Thomas Kessner has taken what might be considered a dry subject and made it a swift-moving narrative of power, ego, and intrigue, on the one hand, and another narrative of civic pride, fiscal genius, and apparent historic inevitability.

What becomes clear in this epic story is that everything we associate with New York can be seen as deriving from its economic power. Certainly, the immense financial institutions, the extravagant city lifestyle, and the old shipping and railroad dominance of the city come to mind when we think of New York City's amazing economic influence. But Professor Kessner also makes it clear that other New York trademarks would have been impossible without it: the parks and the Brooklyn Bridge; the philanthropic endeavors and museums (sparked by such men as John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan); even its consolidation of all five boroughs into Greater New York in 1898 is seen as a reflection of the corporate consolidations going on in the business community. This is a fascinating thesis that is easily proved by Professor Kessner's impressive research.

What holds the book together and keeps the reader's attention (well, this reader at least), is the cast of irascible characters and their single-minded purpose to make lots of money. Not surprisingly these men progress from the merely greedy to the mercenary and cold-blooded. Compared to Carnegie, Gould, Morgan, and Vanderbilt, men like John J. Astor, A.T. Stewart and Moses Taylor come off looking like Cub Scouts. Carnegie's vicious anti-labor practices, Morgan's tyrannic disposition, Gould's unabashed attempts to own everything, and Vanderbilt's contempt for charity, are brilliantly captured, warts and all, by Professor Kessner. Of course, not everything these men did can be viewed as self-serving greed. Gould did what he did because they system as it existed allowed him to. And had not Morgan reined in the wild and wooly railroad industry, the larger economy would suffer. And his creation of US Steel--which greatly profitted Andrew Carnegie--set the standards for 20th century corporate culture in America and the world.

Cementing these tales of unchecked love for Mammon are the stories of labor's attempts to share in the profits or, at the very least, earn a fair wage. The selfless quests of remarkable men like Andrew Green, Samuel Gompers and Henry George make the picture whole. "Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Economic Dominance, 1860-1900" is a brilliant study, and a testimony to Professor Kessner's dedication and research. I recommend it highly.

The World's Business is New York's Business.......2004-04-12

Well written Economic History.......2003-11-20

Capital City is a scholarly examination of the development of New York City in the age of unfettered Capitalism when great fortunes were made overnight. The book explains in great detail how characters such as Moses Taylor, Cornelieus Vanderbilt and Jay Gould contributed in ways both beneficial and harmful to the growing American economy as well as to the economic and civic life of New York itself. The sense of a wide open country with all economic activity being governed out of the growing financial community gathering strenghth in lower Manhattan at the end of the Civil War is clearly conveyed.
This is a very entertaining and enlightening book. If you have an interest in History, Economics or Finance then I would highly recommend this.

Capital City New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Economic Dominance, 1860-1900

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Capital City New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Economic Dominance, 1860-1900
Kessner Thomas
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDX5RW

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Great for First Timers

What fun!

Not the best reference you can buy

Meant for new or occasional trainers only

Blank paper would be worth more

101 Stupid Things Trainers Do To Sabotage Success
Nancy B. Stern , and Maggi Payment
Manufacturer: Richard Chang Assoc Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Have you ever noticed that some trainers put a great deal of time and effort into their training programs, only to end up unintentionally sabotaging their success with one little slip-up? As experienced trainers, presenters, and speakers know, an audience can be very unforgiving. Great program delivery takes practice as well as learning how to cover all your bases well. This creative and entertaining book captures the experience of dozens of professionals and shows you how to avoid common mistakes and turn potential bombshells into strategies for success.

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Great for First Timers.......2003-09-21

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What fun!.......2003-05-23

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Not the best reference you can buy.......2002-02-10

Good presentation, interesting ideas, but some of these `things' are downright ridiculous - probably put there to complete the count for the title. For example, 'forgetting your glasses' and `too tight shoes' are aptly put under a special section for `Other Stupid Stuff' and the book would probably have been better off without that section altogether.

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Blank paper would be worth more.......2001-07-10

This is THE WORST book I have ever bought. Wonder if the two 5-star reviewers know the writers? One of them say the book is easy to comprehend - yes - there is nothing to comprehend. And easy to apply - yes - theres nothing to apply either. A few stupid things:

#17 Being clumsy: Basicly their adwise is - Don't be ;-)

#100 Forgetting Your Glasses: One of their adwises - Have corrective eye surgery...

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Do not waste the money........1999-04-16

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Paenibacillus campinasensis BL11: A wood material-utilizing bacterial strain isolated from black liquor [An article from: Bioresource Technology]
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Binding: Digital
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This digital document is a journal article from Bioresource Technology, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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In order to search for new thermophilic microorganisms and their enzymes, bacterial strains from black liquor of brownstock at washing stage of kraft pulping process were screened. Therein a multiple glycosyl hydrolase-producing strain, BL11, was isolated as a dominant species in the xylan-degrading bacterial population and identified as Paenibacillus campinasensis. The bacterial strain used all kinds of saccharides and polysaccharides, except lignin as carbon source and produced multiple extracellular polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, including one xylanase (41kDa), three cellulases (42, 57 and 86kDa), one pectinase (28kDa) and one cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (38kDa). P. campinasensis BL11 lacked lipase and protease activities and was able to grow over a wide range of pH, but it particularly grew well around neutral pH at 55^oC. Based on its physiological characteristics, it has strong potential for industrial application and bioresource utilization.

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In his articles and in best-selling books such as The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern man's place in the natural world. A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere. Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the seventy-five greatest books ever written about gardening, Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.

Customer Reviews:

More about Michael Pollan than gardens.......2007-05-15

That's not entirely fair, but...this is a book of essays, not a natural history or gardening book. It is about Pollan's perceptions of nature and landscape, through the gateway of his garden. He does only enough research to flesh out his musings with historical fact and literary reference - and he is very selective. He leans heavily on Thoreau, and neglects wider scholarship. His essays bog down in pedantic and turgid language (he abuses at least one 5-syllable word per essay). The writing is much like Bill Bryson's, about whom, I'm also kinda lukewarm. I didn't love it, although there are good bits - the story of his first rose plantings was interesting, and inspired me to drop a few snobby old roses in the sod.

Delightful reading.......2007-03-09

Michael Pollan's writing is full of metaphors. This book about nature as a human construct was enjoyable to read. I found some parts frustrating because I like the romantic idea of nature even if it is just a human construct. But overall I would recommend this book for a quick read.

philosopher of gardening.......2007-02-08

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However if reader looks for practical advises, he or she will not find it here. It is a wonderfull read for all the nature lovers.

Lawn Mowing et al.......2006-07-22

Pollans description of what is a green thumb and the sysiphean art of mowing reminded me how therapeutic gardening can be and why it cures depression. Thank you Michael for making me look at my roses in a totally different way. You will love this book if you tend to think in pictures and love the art and hard work of gardening.

For the virtual gardener.......2006-06-27

I picked up this book when I didn't have my own dirt to get my hands into, and I was hoping to garden vicariously through Pollan's essays.

There are a lot of lessons to be found. For instance, the chapter on roses explains how human intervention and selective breeding brought about a huge difference between the technicolor tear-dropped buds we see for sale at the grocery store and the rounder and simpler flowers that Shakespeare and his contemporaries wrote about.

Throughout the book Pollan makes the case for uniting culture and nature in the garden rather than pitting them against each other as Thoreau (the naturist) did in his writings or suburban landscaping (very culture-centered) implies today. It is an interesting argument worth considering, but by the fourth part when I found it repeated for the umpteenth time without anything new to add I quit reading the book.

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In Situ Hybridization: Principles and Practice
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Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
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Here is Jake LaMotta discussing his career as a hoodlum; Floyd Patterson on growing up in the ghetto; Gunboat Smith on the Jack Johnson era; Jack Dempsey on the Willard fight and the Tunney "long count"; Rocky Graziano on showbiz; and dozens of others-including Sugar Ray Robinson, Willie Pastrano, José Torres, Carmen Basilio, Joe Louis, Willie Pep, and Archie Moore-on boxers, racketeers, drugs, payoffs, managers. Including two never-before-published interviews with Roberto Durán and Alexis Argüello, this newly expanded and updated edition of In This Corner. . . ! is undoubtedly the best one-volume history of boxing ever written.

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite Boxing books.......2006-10-04

More than 40 world boxing champions tell their stories in this book, and some of them are fascinating. I especially enjoyed the defiant discourse of Roberto Duran, the colorful stories of Archie Moore (especially his conversation about his rivalry with Jimmy Bivins, who hit him so hard with a late punch that his mouth was numb for months), and Carmen Basilio, who steadfastly maintains that Sugar Ray Robinson was overrated.

I liked Emile Griffith's poignant retelling of what transpired before and after his fateful third meeting with Benny "Kid" Paret. It was interesting to listen to James J Braddock talk about his fights with Max Baer and Joe Louis and what his life was like after retirement.

This is a knockout of a book, and all boxing fans should read it at least once.

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One of the best boxing history documents ever put in print.......2004-02-15

One of my favorite boxing books ever. Put out in the 1970's, In This Corner is a collection of interviews done by Peter Heller with retired former world champion prizefighters who were champions anywhere from the 1910's to the 1960's. I count a lot of the old time prize fighters among my heroes.

4 stars for the research employed in the book.......2003-09-29

i gave this 4 stars for the hard work on the road the author put to gather these interviews from boser--a lot of whom probably we never would not have heard from again if he did not compile these interviews
my criticisms of the book are that a lot of the writing from both the author and subjects are too many run on sentences flowing endlessly making it hard to stay interested

helloloverhowhaveyoubeen.......2000-01-27

This is a fast reading book, the author knows what he is talking about - thank goodness If you are a boxing fan I truly recommend this.....

A real insight into 'the hardest game in the world'!.......1999-06-21

Although the edition I have is pretty old and the most recent interviews were taken in the 1970s this book is still a fantastic look at the lifes of many of the 20th centuries top boxers. Each boxers story is told in a single chapter and in their OWN words. Its brilliant reading about how these champions grew up, what led them to boxing and how they have survived. As well as the Jack Dempsey's, Jake LaMotta's many other 'lesser known' boxers are featured but their stories are just, if not more interesting. A great insight into 20th century american life from those whose lifes have often been the hardest.

Great reading!!!

Book Description

Do you "know" that posh comes from an acronym meaning "port out, starboard home"? That "the whole nine yards" comes from (pick one) the length of a WWII gunner's belt; the amount of fabric needed to make a kilt; a sarcastic football expression? That Chicago is called "The Windy City" because of the bloviating habits of its politicians, and not the breeze off the lake? If so, you need this book. David Wilton debunks the most persistently wrong word histories, and gives, to the best of our actual knowledge, the real stories behind these perennially mis-etymologized words. In addition, he explains why these wrong stories are created, disseminated, and persist, even after being corrected time and time again. What makes us cling to these stories, when the truth behind these words and phrases is available, for the most part, at any library or on the Internet? Arranged by chapters, this book avoids a dry A-Z format. Chapters separate misetymologies by kind, including The Perils of Political Correctness (picnics have nothing to do with lynchings), Posh, Phat Pommies (the problems of bacronyming--the desire to make every word into an acronym), and CANOE (which stands for the Conspiracy to Attribute Nautical Origins to Everything). Word Myths corrects long-held and far-flung examples of wrong etymologies, without taking the fun out of etymology itself. It's the best of both worlds: not only do you learn the many wrong stories behind these words, you also learn why and how they are created--and what the real story is.

Customer Reviews:

word myths david wilton.......2007-05-11

very hard reading!!!! could not separate myth from truth.......

Linguistic Urban Legends Debunked.......2007-04-05

Have you heard that Eskimos have 500 words for "snow"? What does the international distress signal "SOS" mean? Do you know what an "aptronym" is? Have you noticed that some nautical enthusiasts attribute a maritime origin to nearly every word or phrase? This observation prompted one participant of an online discussion group to use the acronym "CANOE" to mean the "Conspiracy to Attribute Nautical Origins to Everything"! You'll discover that many etymologies you thought you "knew," you really didn't know at all. This little 200-page book was just great fun and most enlightening to read. I've referred to it often in my university communication classes -- a great resource for anyone interested in the origins and use of English words and phrases -- well researched and well written. Kudos to author David Wilton!

Awful book- don't waste your time........2007-02-26

I'm pursuing a Master's degree in Language and Literature. One of our assignments was to find an unusual linguistic book. I found this book at Borders and thought it would be great.... I was wrong.

This book, at first glance, looks to be a fun little trivia book on language myths. I studied urban legends for my undergrad in cultural studies; this book should have been right up my alley. Instead, I found myself laughing out loud at the poor rationalizations for debunking myths. I was actually offended by the poor sentence structure, unfortunate grammar usage, and sloppy research. Note to David Wilton: a dictionary and a Google search do NOT equal extensive or scholarly research! And fire your editor.

Wilton's analytical skills leave a lot to be desired, and it is obvious that he has not taken many writing classes. This book can BY NO MEANS be used as a scholarly source. If you have 2 minutes to kill, maybe this book is worth glancing at, but avoid it for anything more substantial. And don't believe what you read; the research is even sloppier than the writing.

A lively read.......2007-01-23

Wilton has a lively writing style, his research is impeccable, and his choice of topics is interesting. I particularly liked the article on which the clever cover is based. He is the author also of A Way With Words, an electronic newsletter that presents linguistic facts and debunks factoids, a word probably related to truthiness, a recent entry.

Interesting and funny.......2006-11-09

It is rare for a book about language to be both informative and entertaining. This is a light read, with content broken up into easily-digested bites, yet it manages to be smart and instructive. Some of the myths in the book are ones I've heard debunked before, but it was still worthwhile to read about them because Wilton provided details and documentation...and best of all, he takes a subject that many people find stuffy and dry, and makes it fun.
Some readers may be irritated by the dead-end etymologies. Personally, I appreciate honest scholars. Wilton acknowledges that it is sometimes impossible to be certain of a word's etymology, and refuses to state "likely" or "probable" origins of words or phrases as fact.

Word Myths, Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends

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Word Myths, Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739455931

Product Description

"Most everything you know about word and phrase origins is likely to be wrong, and David Wilton proves it with a light touch and a wealth of fascinating case histories."

Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends.: An article from: Verbatim

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Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends.: An article from: Verbatim
Ron Kaplan
Manufacturer: VERBATIM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Verbatim, published by VERBATIM on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 1257 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends.
Author: Ron Kaplan
Publication: Verbatim (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: VERBATIM
Volume: 29 Issue: 3 Page: 26(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends
Ivan Brunetti David Wilton
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKAIT4

Book Description

Part carousel, part shadow box, this elegant, stand-alone Nativity book, designed by a master paper engineer, reflects all the wonder of Christmas and will be treasured for seasons to come.

Part carousel, part shadow box, this elegant stand-alone Nativity book designed by a master paper engineer reflects all the wonder of Christmas and will be treasured for seasons to come.

Customer Reviews:

The First Noel.......2006-11-07

I love this book! It beautifully conveys the Christmas story. I have given it as a gift many times over recent years.

Amazing.......2006-02-25

This is an absolutely incredible book. My parents gave me this book and I loved it. Then one Sunday I used it for the Children's Sermon at church. My phone absolutely rang off the hook with people asking me where they could purchase this book. It is a treasure for adults and children alike!

Absolutely beautiful book..........2004-12-01

I loved this book so much I ordered 15 copies to send to my closest family as my Christmas Card. The book opens to reveal 5 lovely silhouette cutouts of the nativity. It opens so completely so that the front and back cover meet together and tie to form a 5 sided star shaped hanging sculpture. Very beautiful! I highly recommend this book. It would make a great table centerpiece as well as hanging decoration. My children were thrilled with our copy.

A UNIQUE RETELLING OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY.......2004-10-19

Warsaw born Jan Pienkowski grew up in a family of architects and artists. Fortunately for us, especially the younger readers, he inherited their gifts in good measure.

His latest is a Christmas carousel book illustrating the story of the first Christmas with three dimensional cut-out silhouettes. The cheery book, which measures 5 3/4" by 10", utilizes holiday colors of green, red, and white. The silhouettes are white showcased against a bright shiny red background, and finely edged in gold.

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Youngsters will enjoy having their own telling of the Christmas story, in this unique, eye catching form.

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