The good rich and what they cost us
By: Robert F. Dalzell, Jr
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: New Haven, Conn
Language: eng
Number of pages: 199
ISBN-13: 9780300175592
Subjects: Rich people; Wealth; History
Description: To understand the problems that vast individual fortunes pose for democratic values, Robert Dalzell presents an intriguing cast of wealthy individuals from colonial times to the present, including George Washington, one of the richest Americans of his day, the "robber baron" John D. Rockefeller, and Oprah Winfrey, for all of whom extreme wealth is inextricably tied to social concerns. In the process Dalzell uncovers the sources of our contradictory feelings toward the very rich, how they have sought to be perceived as "the good rich," and the reality behind the widespread notion that wealth and generosity go hand in hand in America. Finally, in a thoughtful and balanced conclusion, the author explores the cost of our long-standing attitudes toward the rich."--Publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Paradox; title: Robert Keayne's contract with Boston; title: George Washington, revolutionary; title: The brothers Lawrence; title: Rich as Rockefeller legacies; title: Heirs; title: Successors; title: Wealth and American democracy; title: Acknowledgments; title: Notes and sources; title: Index.