Dynasties
Fortunes and Misfortunes of the World's Great Family Businesses
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Narrated by:
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Alan Sklar
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By:
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David S. Landes
About this listen
In Dynasties, best-selling author and historian David S. Landes scrutinizes the powerful family businesses that rule both the financial and industrial sectors across Europe, Japan, and America to determine what factors can cause a dynasty to flourish or fail. Focusing on three areas - banking, automobiles, and raw materials - his cast of characters speaks to the power of the family enterprise. The Fords, Rothschilds, Morgans, Guggenheims, Rockefellers, and Toyodas (who founded Toyota) are but a few families whose histories contain all the drama and passion to be expected when vast wealth, power, and kinship intersect. Drawing on his immense knowledge of economic history, Landes offers a new reading of the dynastic business plan of the 19th and 20th centuries, with surprising recommendations for the 21st.
©2006 David S. Landes (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Landes tells us, 'These tales trace the tangled histories of legendary lineages....We can learn a great deal about business from these dynasties; moreover, these are extraordinary men and women, full of eccentricities and genius, and they provide a wealth of entertaining tales.' Indeed. This is an excellent book." (Booklist)
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- Narrated by: Michael Anthony
- Length: 30 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Against a richly detailed backdrop of history, the story of this unique American family unfolds. It begins with John D. Rockefeller Sr., who amassed a fortune amid the muck and disorder of the Pennsylvania oil fields and left his son to deal with the public outcry.
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Too Long
- By Rohit on 05-25-07
By: Peter Collier, and others
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From Silk to Silicon
- The Story of Globalization Through Ten Extraordinary Lives
- By: Jeffrey E. Garten
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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From Silk to Silicon tells the story of who these men and women were, what they did, how they did it, and how their achievements continue to shape our world today.
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Fantastic Journey
- By Michael on 06-06-16
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Americana
- A 400-Year History of American Capitalism
- By: Bhu Srinivasan
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Bhu Srinivasan
- Length: 21 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
From the days of the Mayflower and the Virginia Company, America has been a place for people to dream, invent, build, tinker, and bet the farm in pursuit of a better life. Americana takes us on a 400-year journey of this spirit of innovation and ambition through a series of Next Big Things - the inventions, techniques, and industries that drove American history forward: from the telegraph, the railroad, guns, radio, and banking, to flight, suburbia, and sneakers, culminating with the Internet and mobile technology at the turn of the 21st century.
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Excellent history!
- By L. Maranto on 10-14-17
By: Bhu Srinivasan
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Grand Pursuit
- The Story of Economic Genius
- By: Sylvia Nasar
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd, Anne Twomey
- Length: 20 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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In a sweeping narrative, the author of the mega-bestseller A Beautiful Mind takes us on a journey through modern history with the men and women who changed the lives of every single person on the planet. It’s the epic story of the making of modern economics, and of how it rescued mankind from squalor and deprivation by placing its material fate in its own hands rather than in Fate. Nasar’s account begins with Charles Dickens and Henry Mayhew observing and publishing the condition of the poor majority in mid nineteenth-century London, the richest and most glittering place in the world.
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A Beautiful Grand Pursuit
- By Joshua Kim on 05-06-12
By: Sylvia Nasar
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The House of Rothschild, Volume 1
- Money's Prophets: 1798-1848
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 28 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In his rich and nuanced portrait of the remarkable, elusive Rothschild family, Niall Ferguson uncovers the secrets behind the family's phenomenal economic success. He reveals for the first time the details of the family's vast political network, which gave it access to and influence over many of the greatest statesmen of the age. And he tells a family saga, tracing the importance of unity and the profound role of Judaism in the lives of a dynasty that rose from the confines of the Frankfurt ghetto and later used its influence to assist oppressed Jews throughout Europe.
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Great research, poor narrative
- By Amaze on 04-30-19
By: Niall Ferguson
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The Miracle
- The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth
- By: Michael Schuman
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Spanning nine countries, filled with heroic tales of bold decisions and self-sacrifice, and probing vast historical undercurrents, "The Miracle" takes readers inside private boardroom meetings, heated business negotiations, factory floors, and presidential cabinet sessions for a behind-the-scenes look at the events that shaped Asia's economic ascent - and will shape the world in the century to come.
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Packed with stories of both bussinesses and gov
- By Roman on 11-21-12
By: Michael Schuman
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Black Titan
- A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire
- By: Carol Jenkins
- Narrated by: Susan Spain
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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A.G. Gaston, the poor grandson of slaves, was born in the Deep South in 1892. Over the course of his extraordinary life, he amassed a fortune of over $130 million and a vast business empire. The story of his remarkable life is written with eloquence and grace by his niece, an Emmy¿ Award-winning journalist and her daughter, who holds degrees from Yale and Harvard.
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Black Gold = Standing Ovation
- By 2Fresh on 01-20-16
By: Carol Jenkins
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The House of Morgan
- An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
- By: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 34 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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A gripping history of banking and the booms and busts that shaped the world on both sides of the Atlantic, The House of Morgan traces the trajectory of the J. P.Morgan empire from its obscure beginnings in Victorian London to the crash of 1987. Ron Chernow paints a fascinating portrait of the private saga of the Morgans and the rarefied world of the American and British elite in which they moved. Based on extensive interviews and access to the family and business archives, The House of Morgan is an investigative masterpiece.
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The construction of the House of Morgan
- By Darwin8u on 10-22-18
By: Ron Chernow
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Plutocrats
- The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else
- By: Chrystia Freeland
- Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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There has always been some gap between rich and poor in this country, but in the last few decades what it means to be rich has changed dramatically. Alarmingly, the greatest income gap is not between the 1 percent and the 99 percent, but within the wealthiest 1 percent of our nation-as the merely wealthy are left behind by the rapidly expanding fortunes of the new global super-rich. Forget the 1 percent; Plutocrats proves that it is the wealthiest 0.1 percent who are outpacing the rest of us at break-neck speed.
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Good Storytelling but ... analysis is "eh'
- By Susan on 11-04-12
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Rainbow's End: The Crash of 1929
- Oxford University Press: Pivotal Moments in US History
- By: Maury Klein
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The first major history of the Crash in over a decade, Rainbow's End tells the story of the stock market collapse in a colorful, swift-moving narrative that blends a vivid portrait of the 1920s with an intensely gripping account of Wall Street's greatest catastrophe. The book offers a vibrant picture of a world full of plungers, powerful bankers, corporate titans, millionaire brokers, and buoyantly optimistic stock market bulls.
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Plenty of fine detail, especially of the 1920s
- By Philo on 04-18-13
By: Maury Klein
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Railroaded
- The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America
- By: Richard White
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 23 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
The transcontinental railroads of the late 19th century were the first corporate behemoths. Their attempts to generate profits from proliferating debt sparked devastating panics in the US economy. Their dependence on public largess drew them into the corridors of power, initiating new forms of corruption. Their operations rearranged space and time, and remade the landscape of the West. As wheel and rail, car and coal, they opened new worlds of work and ways of life.
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Correcting the Myth of the Transcontinentals
- By Keith on 06-23-18
By: Richard White
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Hershey
- Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams
- By: Michael D'Antonio
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In this compelling biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio gives us the real-life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day.
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The Benchmark for Chartiable, Rich Men
- By Boyd Tschaggeny on 01-30-19
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What listeners say about Dynasties
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- James M. Rachor
- 07-12-24
very helpful for the family office
such a great book very Timely and educational for those creating a family office or in their case a family firm which has within it a nursery of knowledge and skill
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- Darren
- 03-17-13
Great Book!
Seems the best business books are the based on the trials and tribulations of businesses built long ago. Morgans, DuPonts and Rothschilds are steeped in history on how to grow a business. Compared to today's startups who have wild valuations and no profits, reading a book based on actual hard work was refreshing.
The book covers your obvious families, but also covers some not so famous. Absolutely worth the read and you can learn something too.
Most notable point for me...
The Rothschild dynasty started out in a German-Jewish ghetto living with his wife and 10 kids in a 2 bedroom walkup apartment. That, is a humble beginning.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- MARK TWAIN
- 07-21-08
follow the money !
I really enjoyed this book , if you like history and human drama ...well this book is for you . The book travels all around the world Bankers, Auto tycoons, mostly are featured in the book.see how the human condition is always the same ....follow the money & watch the fur fly !
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Just me
- 12-09-07
Dry
I didn't finish this book but it seemed like a lot of detail with no real direction.
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- Tom Parsley
- 04-23-13
I couldn't take it anymore
What would have made Dynasties better?
I am very interested in business biographies, and I am a huge fan of the TV series "The Men Who Built America." (If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend that you treat yourself to the 4-part series. It is extremely interesting, and very well-done)
So I purchased this book with high hopes and great anticipation. I couldn't wait to dive in and start listening. After enduring a very slow and rambling first chapter, I was a bit turned off but wanted to give it a fair shake.
So I started listening to chapter 2 with renewed hope. My hopes were quickly dashed and the book got even WORSE than it was in chapter 1. This was quite a feat because I was certain the book had no place to go but up.
The author rambles all over the place and simply states some facts and his long-winded opinion. The book reads like a college thesis and has very little character or personality. What makes matters even worse is the book is strewn with the author's opinions that come out of left field.
Halfway through chapter 2 I finally resorted to listening to the first 15 minutes of a chapter and if it didn't hook me then I moved onto the next chapter. I figured at least ONE of the chapters had to be well-written. I was sadly mistaken and this was one of the most disappointing books I've ever read or listened to.
My advice is to stay FAR away from this book...it is a complete nightmare.
What could David S. Landes have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Become a true author instead of just dryly regurgitating facts. Weave a story into the facts and make it interesting to read.
What didn’t you like about Alan Sklar’s performance?
He did a decent job with what he had to work with. I can't really give an impartial opinion thought because I was so turned off by the book.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Surprisingly...none. And I'm usually very generous with reviews. This is new territory for me.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Living in Truth.
- 03-25-23
I was thinking this book was about dynasties.
This book was really about automotive history. I only learned a little about dynasties. I have also already read some of the source material books which were cited. I wouldn't recommend this one.
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- chris
- 02-07-13
Family Bios at 40,000 feet; brief generalizations
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Can't think of anyone who cares for tidbits of bios
What was most disappointing about David S. Landes’s story?
Not enough bio information on the subjects
What three words best describe Alan Sklar’s voice?
Easy listening
What character would you cut from Dynasties?
Rothschilds
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