The Gospel of Wealth
Andrew Carnegie
Read by Michele Fry
What is the proper mode of administering great wealth? It is to address this question that steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie's famous essay "Wealth", or more commonly known as "The Gospel of Wealth" was written (in 1889). His answer – Philanthropy. Not just any philanthropy, but specifically, projects funded and overseen during the life of the magnate, for things that benefit the community and engage the public in maintaining long after the magnate is gone -- libraries, parks, universities, hospitals, medical labs, observatories, entertainment halls, swimming pools, etc. Carnegie deemed it the responsibility of every self-respecting self-made rich person in America and the world, to help the poorer classes to rise. Before he died he had built over 3,000 public libraries throughout the world, and to this day various Carnegie foundations continue his work in support of various social causes. (Summary by Michele Fry) (1 hr 16 min)
Chapters
| Part 1, The Problem of the Administration of Wealth | 32:48 | Read by Michele Fry |
| Part 2, The Best Fields for Philanthropy | 43:20 | Read by Michele Fry |
Reviews
Impact of this book
As I listen to this book it reminds me of a 1900 benefactor of our town who set up the first public library out of her own home and after the books became too heavy for her home she made her will states that her home would be an art gallery. This makes me want to research this benefactor of our town of Troy Ohio. Her former home is called the Hayner culture center.