Awards

• Winner of New York Times Notable Book.

Overview

In this hugely appealing book, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, acclaimed author and journalist Daniel Okrent weaves together themes of money, politics, art, architecture, business, and society to tell the story of the majestic suite of buildings that came to dominate the heart of midtown Manhattan and with it, for a time, the heart of the world. At the center of Okrent's riveting story are four remarkable individuals- tycoon John D. Rockefeller, his ambitious son Nelson Rockefeller, real estate genius John R. Todd, and visionary skyscraper architect Raymond Hood. In the tradition of David McCullough's The Great Bridge, Ron Chernow's Titan, and Robert Caro's The Power Broker, Great Fortune is a stunning tribute to an American landmark that captures the heart and spirit of New York at its apotheosis.

Full Product Details

Author:   Daniel Okrent
Publisher:   Penguin Putnam Inc
Imprint:   Penguin USA
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 3.00cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.618kg
ISBN:  

9780142001776

ISBN 10:   0142001775
Pages:   560
Publication Date:   30 November 2004
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Inactive
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

A Note to the ReaderPrologue: May 21, 1928 and September 30, 1939 The Heart of This Great City A Commonplace Person These Properties Will Be Greatly Increased in Value I Chose the Latter Course Architecture Never Lies Tears of Joy to a Small Business Man I Like Having a Lot of People Against Me A Genius A Hundred Lawsuits Let Owen Young Do It Who Designed Rockefeller Center? Wondering Where I'm Going to Get the Money Our Architects Deserve to Remain in Chains Desperate for Business Give 'Em Something Better Ruthlessness Was Just Another Word for Good Business All the Finns in Helsingfors What Do You Paint, When You Paint on a Wall? I Was Not Interested in Sitting and Listening Visitors Give Him Dollars The Snake Changing Its Skin The Kingdom of the World The Demand is Almost Unbelievable Epilogue: 1948-2003 Notes Bibliography Acknowledgements Illustration Credits Index

Reviews

Delightful and exhaustive (but never exhausting)a] the dazzling, complex story of how New Yorkas acropolis came to be. (The Smithsonian)

A great book. Nuanced, clever and rollicking, itAEs nonfiction as a work of art. ( The New York Observer ) Altogether stirring and vivid and enjoyable. ( The New Yorker ) Puckish good humor and elegant prose. ( The Wall Street Journal ) Delightful and exhaustive (but never exhausting)a the dazzling, complex story of how New YorkAEs acropolis came to be. (The Smithsonian)

Delightful and exhaustive (but never exhausting)... the dazzling, complex story of how New York's acropolis came to be. (The Smithsonian)

Author Information

Daniel Okrent is a prizewinning journalist, author, and television commentator. For many years he was a senior editorial executive at Time Inc. In 2003 he was appointed the first Public Editor of the New York Times.

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