Customer Reviews

The Gospel of Wealth

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This book is about 1/4" thick and is an essay written by Andrew Carnegie in June 1889. It's an interesting perpective on what very wealthy people should do with their money to improve society. He doesn't believe in handing over the cash when you die to your children but rather spending it before you die on free libraries, parks, etc. to improve life for the common man. It was recommended reading from a book on History of Wall Street.

As a financial and estate planner this essay will redefine my practice. Common people today have accumulated far more wealth than they imagined. There is a struggle to determine the right course. Carnegie, about 100 years ago, had the insight to challange those of means to become trustees of our society. I am motivated and you will be as well. I read this is material that has made a large impact on Bill Gates. For those of you with excess assets PLEASE READ

John D. Rockefeller said this book inspired him. A previous reviewer said he read that it inspired Bill Gates too. It is no coincidence that Rockefeller, Gates, and Carnegie were the three greatest philanthropists in American history. These men have contributed more to America than 10,000 average people could. The following are just some of the contributions of the above three men: Carnegie Mellon, U of Chicago, Spellman College, Rockefeller University, medical advancements, public libraries, medical aid, art donations to museums, etc. They could have been like J. Paul Getty and hoarded the money, but they chose (or choose) to be great men.

The book talks about the responsibilities of wealthy people. Wealthy people have the opportunity to help people who don't have much opportunity and Carnegie writes about the responsibility wealthy people have to them.

Just a quick note, the essay is interesting, but it is in the public domain, and a complete text of the essay can be found with a quick google search. Don't waste your money.

For those seeking an inspired depiction of the merits of capitalism shared with the philanthropic views of one of the most chartable men in history, the Gospel of Wealth will garner your interest. It is not often the thoughts of great titans in history are readily available to the public. Whether you agree with Carnegie's views or oppose his very existence, you cannot argue the manner in which he articulates his views is both moving and rational.

The Gospel of Wealth is both brief and available free of charge on the internet; however I reject the notion that Carnegie's work is diminished as a result. This book is a short essay that will take less than thirty minutes to read, but the content is lasting. My review measures the content of the book and accordingly I recommend reading the Gospel of Wealth.

Considering that Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) was among the richest men in American history, his unabashed support for the capitalist system is easy to understand. A Scottish immigrant to the US, Carnegie amassed his vast fortune primarily in the steel industry in the late 1800s. By the time he sold the Carnegie Steel Company in 1901, it was worth more than $400 million in today's dollars, according to the Carnegie Foundation. He dedicated the rest of his life to philanthropic causes. In 1889, the North American Review published Carnegie's treatise on the moral obligation of the rich to use their money to benefit society. Though brief, this essay is brimful of Carnegie's wisdom, instinct and foresight. Carnegie believed that the law of competition is the foundation of a capitalist society. Consequently, he said only a select few top competitors could - and should - control the largest proportions of wealth. Needless to say, this is not necessarily a politically correct viewpoint in all corners of today's world, but Carnegie implored the super-rich of his era to recognize and embrace their inherent obligation to use their wealth for philanthropy. He practiced what he preached: During his lifetime he donated more than $350 million to a variety of causes, including the establishment of numerous libraries and Carnegie Mellon University. Though applying the ideas of this wealthy, charitable son of the 19th century to society in the 21st century is challenging, getAbstract recommends Carnegie's historic perspective. His views of capitalism, philanthropy, and human nature remain rooted in sincerity and in an understanding of the value of a dollar, particularly a dollar put to a good cause.

Note: Amazon has grouped together reviews of several different editions of this book; this review is for The Gospel of Wealth (Little Books of Wisdom).

Andrew Carnegie's call upon the excessively wealthy to make a point of truly doing good with their excess wealth is as timely today as when it was first published in the North American Review in June 1889. Besides the obvious of condemning both spending ostentatiously upon oneself or turning one's children into the idle rich, Mr. Carnegie also contrasts unfavorably both the giving of bequests after death and mindlessly donating wealth to charity with his preferred method:

using the skills and wisdom that acquired such vast wealth in the first place in order to wisely donate wealth in ways carefully calculated to do the most good while the donor is still alive to guide things.

Note: Some reviewers have complained that this book is available online for free. Well, yes, what part of in the public domain do you not understand? However, trying to get away with giving someone a printout as a gift will earn you the nickname of cheapskate. If all you want to do is read it yourself, then by all means stick to the free sites. However, if you are looking for a way to get through to someone else, you are better off buying a copy, and a solitary sawbuck for this sturdy pocket-sized reprint is going to be tough to beat. The chief virtue of it being online is your ability to read it first and make sure that this is the book you want to give before ordering it.

Note: Applewood Books has produced a nice looking inexpensive series of sturdy pocket-sized reprints of important American books, documents, speeches, pamphlets, and poems, the Little Books of Wisdom, uniform with this volume, that are ideal for gifting to doctors, lawyers, teachers, business professionals, and students of same: The Way to Wealth, George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, The Constitution of the United States of America, On the Art of Teaching, The Strenuous Life, The Bill of Rights with Writings That Formed Its Foundation, The Path of the Law, The Constitution of the Confederate States of America, The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, A Message to Garcia, A Declaration of Sentiments, Robert's Rules of Order, Good Citizenship, On Being Human, A Discourse Upon the Duties of a Physician, The Declaration of Independence with Short Biographies of Its Signers, Teamwork, Stick-To-Itiveness, Opportunity, & You, The Wants of Man, George Washington's Farewell Address, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Speech of Chief Seattle, Common Sense, The Articles of Confederation, and The Emancipation Proclamation.

Some selected volumes are also available in boxed sets: Books of American Wisdom Boxed Set, CEO's Gift Box of Wisdom, Doctor's Gift Box of Wisdom, Lawyer's Gift Box of Wisdom, New Citizen's Gift Box of Wisdom, and Teacher's Gift Box of Wisdom.

And some have been published in Spanish: Un Mensaje a Garcia and Constitucion de Los Estados Unidos.

Andrew Carnegie was a saint; he made a lot of money legitimately and even more legitimately decided it was his (Christian) obligation to distribute his wealth to have-nots-- conspicuously in the bequeathal to libraries which dot the American continent (including this Louisville from which I write.)

I read this book from the perspective of a pauper; while I do not have a great material wealth to distribute to a world, I have my poverty for its reasons. The take home message for me was: IF CARNEGIE CAN ASSUME THAT HIS RICHES ARE A GIFT, AND GIVE BACK, THEN I CAN GIVE THE GIFTS OF MY SITUATION TO A WORLD ALSO. What 'I have a lot of' is no-money and schizophrenia (the bane of my family); I can turn around this abundance in a responsible way and through responsible husbanding write my testament-in-blood to a perhaps less than loving world.

So I thank Mr. Carnegie, and take home my message about how I must give back my gift (poverty and psychosis-management) as my GOSPEL, by the changes of change.

--Vernon Lynn Stephens

"the gospel of wealth, by Andrew Carnegie" - sounds interesting, but it wasn't. This is the text of a magazine article he wrote. The theme is transfering wealth to future generations by inheritance, foundations, or spending it yourself before you die.

If you buy this book, you will get a razor thin book that is just a few thousand words.

Carnegie gained his wealth by ruthlessly crushing the working man--crushing trade unions, cutting wages in the interest of profit. Yes, he built many libraries, etc. but he still died wealthy, with wealth obtained at the cost of the lives and health of tens of thousands of his employees. This is what American capitalism is built on, and we accept it as gospel truth now, without ever taking a real look at this man!