ANDREW CARNEGIE BY DAVID NASAW

"Live the American dream" is a sentence that is widely used by many people in the world. There is no more suitable person that is fitted for this title than Andrew Carnegie. Known by many as steel business magnate the richest man in the world in that period. Andrew Carnegie together with John D Rockefeller were considered agents in the triumph of America industrial capitalism.

Carnegie remain in history records as person who was involved in many philanthropic activities, creating the biggest philanthropic organization in the world.  Actual Giving Pledge Non Profit Organization founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet imported some ideas of Andrew Carnegie.

As businessman Carnegie was ruthless capitalist who was guided after the principle "The more you earn the more you have to give it away"
Thanks to David Nasaw who wrote this book, I have discovered important aspects related for his activity and life. Andrew Carnegie was born in 1835 Dunfermline Scotland .  Like many other european people he saw the potential of new world country and the decline of United Kingdom and other european countries that were drived by colonial expansion. He started his career in the new world as telegraph operator at Pennsylvania Railroad.  At age 30 he resigned to start his own first business with Tom Scott and J Edgar Thomson and culminating with the sale of " Carnegie Steel" to J P Morgan in the early march of 1901 and the formation of US Steel Corporation. US Steel become the first company with over 1 billion $ capitalization.  At that time Andrew Carnegie net worth was 226 millions $, merely 120 billion $ today.

One of his biggest regrets in his life was that he has not given away as he wanted. According with his treasurer Robert Franks at the time of his death he had given away more than 350 millions $ !!.
Like I said at the beginning of this article he was not only a ruthless capitalist but also a person who militate for slavery abolish. Was one the vehement critique at colonial expansion, one of the reasons of the start of first world war. He openly has critiqued United State military interventions in Venezuela and Philippines.  Despite his business has flourished from the building on naval battleships , he was strong critique to military buildup spending. During his entirely life he tried to promote peace and stability among countries. All his efforts were in vain , he could not prevent the start of the WWI.

What I did not like to Andrew Carnegie?

Andrew Carnegie achievements in life are amazing, great business leader, great philanthropist a person who has contributed to the building a society that no other.  Achieving this, he become an important person with great  power to influence people. Former US presidents like: Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were influenced by Carnegie marked the beginning of a period where Rockefeller and Carnegie influence started to become part of United States policy.
In the end I firmly recommend David Nasaw book to discover the life of one of the most important person in our modern society.