An Empire of Wealth
The Epic History of American Economic Power

Overly generous, or naïve, about the exploitative elements of the economic ascendancy, but a good and relatively easy introduction to the field. Particularly strong in descriptions of the role of banks and money in creating economic growth in early American period.......more

I understand this is an economic and not a social history, but it is strange to read the story of American economic power without even the faintest nod toward inequality (not just today - Gordon is silent on the gilded age of the “roaring 20s” as well). Two other complaints. First, Gordon seems unwi......more

A sweeping account of America’s economic ascent captures the drama and ingenuity that built a financial superpower. I was taking aback by Gordon’s narrative ability, as early banking struggles come alive through figures like Alexander Hamilton, who imposed order on a chaotic system, and later titans......more

I found this book to be very informative. I'm really not good with the whole 'What percentage of what equals what' stuff on the stock market. But this book really didn't go into that - it was very conceptual. As such I feel as though I understand the general ideas behind what goes on much more than......more

From the perspective of the early 21st century, the rise of the United States to global economic prominence seems almost inevitable. The founding mythology of this country attributes its inexorable expansion and growth to the unfolding of a manifest destiny, evidenced at the very moment of conceptio......more