"Andrew Carnegie's rise from poor Scottish immigrant boy to 'the richest man in the world' seemed to his contemporaries and to succeeding generations irrefutable evidence of the dream's validity. For this reason alone his career deserves examinations, but there are even more compelling grounds for investigating his life in detail." Chapter 1, p. 3.

"Faced with such mixed reports, the Carnegies clung to Scotland as long as they could despite their dwindling fortunes. They finally left because conditions at home became intolerable, not because opportunities abroad were irresistible." Chapter 1, p. 6 .

"Because his father failed to recognize the impending revolution and could not deal with it when it came, Carnegie's mother, 'that power which never failed in any emergency.' stepped forward 'to repair the family fortunes.' Even before leaving Scotland, Margaret has replaced Will as principal wage earner and decision maker." Chapter 2, p. 17.

"His most spectacular achievement—building...