The Rockefellers: An American Dynasty

Summary

Peter Collier and David Horowitz trace several generations of the Rockefeller family. The account begins with John D. Rockefeller, who built the fortune, then follows his son’s effort to change the family’s reputation. It also examines later brothers and cousins as they make their own choices about the wealth and name they inherit. The family’s story links the creation of a fortune with the responsibilities and tensions it leaves behind.

• SourceHolt publisher description via Google Books — The Rockefellers · Description; Contents, The Father / The Son / The Brothers; Bibliographic information, 1976Checked 2026-10-05

Why read it Our view

Read it to think about what a founder leaves for later generations to manage. The family history distinguishes creating wealth from living with it and carrying its reputation. It can help a founder consider how ownership, public identity and family expectations might change after control passes to other people, without assuming that a later generation will want the same role.