... lively, succinct, altogether admirable ... [its] fair-mindedness never dims the pleasure of a speedy narrative ... Mr. Steinmetz reveals something surprising or shocking on nearly every page.
Concise ... Steinmetz overlooks this crucial point: the transition of corporations, in the popular imagination, from semi-public to private entities, from bodies sponsored by government to serve the people’s needs to concentrations of unaccountable power ... Steinmetz emphasizes Gould’s story, not...broader questions. In itself, that’s perfectly fine. Readers daunted by Klein’s volume may welcome his approach. But it’s neither an elegant work nor a scholarly one. Its sparse endnotes don’t inspire confidence ... Every biography must convince the reader of its truth, or it is another kind of writing entirely.
... smart ... Steinmetz devotes several gripping chapters to what happened when Gould applied his magician’s skills to gold, taking advantage of conflicting views within the Grant administration on the gold standard for U.S. currency. It’s a saga with multiple players and ups and downs galore.
Steinmetz writes in short chapters and with focused and clear prose, weaving in vital historical context. The result is like a chronological collection of news articles about particular episodes of Gould's life. It's an accessible and informative biography that communicates a clear message and major ramifications for today's different, but in some ways similar, rough-and-tumble business world.
Steinmetz briskly tells financier and railroad leader Gould's rags-to-riches story and gives a nuanced view of this man of contradictions and why he matters ... Steinmetz's fast-moving and eminently readable biography shows how Gould thrived within the context of his times but also that his greed led to necessary reforms for the health of the country's economy.
Vivid, witty, and well-researched ... Steinmetz chronicles his subject’s strengths and weaknesses within a rich historical context. He ably contrasts how Gould modernized financial markets and America’s economy and Gould’s willingness to try almost any ploy to get ahead. Readers will enjoy Steinmetz’s wonderful background sketches of the Gilded Age and appealing accounts of railroad history.
Steinmetz offers entertaining descriptions of Gould’s gutting of the Erie Railroad, the financial panic produced by his effort to control the gold market, and his failed attempt to combine American railroads into a single continental system ... Steinmetz explains in accessible language—though he seems to admire his subject more than he deserves ... A sturdy biography.
