A lively survey of the families at the head of major companies from the past two centuries focuses on three areas, including banking, automobiles, and raw materials, in a historical account that includes coverage of the Ford, Guggenheim, and Rockefeller dynasties. Historian Landes profiles business dynasties from the seventeenth century to the present. Defining a dynasty as three successive generations of family control and success, he focuses on banking, automobiles, and raw-materials industries, with fascinating stories of families, including the Barings, Morgans, Fords, Toyodas, Rockefellers, Guggenheims, and Schlumbergers. The varied histories of these families from different eras highlight the combination of money, power, and kinship that inevitably gives rise to drama and passion with the passage of generations. We learn the important influence that culture in the surrounding societies plays in the development of these dynasties and the author's conclusion that contrary to conventional wisdom, the family firm today is not obsolete or inconsequential. Landes tells us, "These tales trace the tangled histories of legendary lineages. . . . We can learn a great deal about business from these dynasties; moreover, these are extraordinary men and women, full of eccentricities and genius, and they provide a wealth of entertaining tales." Indeed. This is an excellent book. Mary Whaley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved David S. Landes is professor emeritus of history and economics at Harvard and author of the bestseller The Wealth and Poverty of Nations . His other books include Bankers and Pashas, The Unbound Prometheus , and Revolution in Time. Used Book in Good Condition