Rockefeller's Memoirs

Author: David Rockefeller
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: In this memoir, David Rockefeller uses candid, perceptive, and moving prose to depict his life. Whether describing his extraordinary family, outstanding career, or his significant role in international affairs, he provides us with a unique and invaluable perspective on our time. Few authors can write about themselves openly, but David Rockefeller succeeds in doing so. His account of his upbringing and the responsibilities imposed by his immense wealth is engaging. Equally compelling is his portrayal of four generations of the Rockefeller family. The book clearly and unconsciously reveals David Rockefeller's integrity, honesty, and kindness. Long before "globalization" became a household term, David Rockefeller recognized the importance of fostering strong and mutual trust with leaders from around the world. We are deeply honored to benefit from his lifelong pursuit of world peace and to read his descriptions of these experiences in this memoir. This is a unique family history. David Rockefeller defied his grandfather's that "Rockefeller family members should not write autobiographies," writing the first and only autobiography of the Rockefeller family. This family history is deeply connected to the modern economic and diplomatic history of the United States. As a descendant of one of America's most influential families, David had opportunities that others did not to meet influential economists from around the world, powerful families, politicians who shaped the political landscape of Europe and America, and every U.S. president. He participated in many visits that significantly altered the global landscape. During the Cold War, he visited the Soviet Union and had direct, sharp face-to-face exchanges with Khrushchev and Gorbachev. He was among the first capitalists to visit China in 1973, when U.S.-China relations began to thaw, and he closely engaged with China during its early days of reform and opening up, successfully conducting business activities as an international financier. His interactions with Chinese leaders such as Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping, as well as his deep friendship with Rong Yiren, the then Vice President of China, deeply fostered his affection for this land. As a student of Hayek and Schumpeter, and a classmate of the renowned economist Paul Samuelson, he had profound insights into economics, business operations, and government influence, which broadly influenced the direction of the U.S. economy and policy-making. He inherited immense wealth and successfully linked the cultivation of wealth to the trajectory of the global political landscape,ing influence into every aspect of social life. He redefined the identity of an entrepreneur: "The entrepreneur's identity represents an opportunity to satisfy human instincts for innovation, power, and gambling. In fact, the pursuit of achievement itself is a goal for many, and for those who see profit only as a byproduct of hard work." This perhaps better explains all he did in the use and creation of wealth.