13A - Reading Reflection 1

1. The sheer quantity of money that Carnegie gave away during his life time, mostly his later years, surprised me the most. I admire his wits, his perseverance and his will to move up the social latter. I aspire to have the courage and the gumption to charm those above me and make friends with those who can propel me forward. Not everybody has this ability and it is something I do admire very much. I also admire his love of books and the fact that he funded the building of so many libraries across the North Eastern United States. Andrew Carnegie had humble beginnings. He was an Irish immigrant born into a working class family. Much of his young life he struggled in hard working jobs with long hours. Something I don’t admire about Carnegie is that he worked his workers so hard. This led to the Homestead Strike in 1892. Carnegie had left the United States during this conflict.

2. Carnegie was good at saving and investing. Albeit not always legal, Carnegie’s continuous investments led to his success down the line. The way he had with speaking to people is also a competency to be acknowledged. The ability to make connections and use those connections to an advantage is something all entrepreneurs should know how to do.

3. This book was so thorough however I only found it confusing on why Carnegie gave away so much money. I understand why, but most all Americans do not behave this way. He is an immigrant after all and he vowed to himself that he would share his wealth if he ever accumulated but I find it surprising and confusing that most of the 1% today do not think this way.

4. I would first ask for a recommended reading list. The fact the one of the all-time richest men of the United States (after inflation of course) was an autodidact makes me curious of which books he was reading. I would then ask what advice he would have for keeping a company growing. Of course we live in a more competitive market these days, however I believe his advice would be something to pay attention to.

5. I believe Carnegie’s definition of hard work would mean to make sure one is being productive, and hardworking, not just hardworking. Carnegie thought ahead a lot and he secured his future moves in some cases even before the opportunities were presented to him. I also think he would say hard work is not all for the money but it is for the betterment of society. I share these opinions. I work out in the sun most days taking care of all aspects of property and I know sometimes the hard work does not feel productive.