There is a beautiful romance in this book, a romance with achievement in an age when achievement was valued. It can happen again, and a good first step is to study the lives and values of the greats of the last century to learn how and why.

The Gilded Age produced not only some of the richest men and women of all time; its freedom and opportunities built a nation of people of superlative character. This fantastic book from 1901 provides an in-depth look at the lives and choices of some of the most famous among them. The idea is to document the traits that make for great entrepreneurs.

Here it is presented with beautiful personal profiles. From the interviews and reporting, certain common features of success emerge: the need for a work ethic, the necessity of sacrifice, the role of being alert, the centrality of passion to success, the urge to serve others, the desire to break the mold, the willingness to adapt to change, profound attentiveness to real conditions, and also the biographical details of how a person goes from rags to riches.

Capitalistic success is heralded in these pages. But it’s not only about money. It’s about success in every field, so poets, dancers, composers, philanthropists, and journalists are in here. But the common thread here is entrepreneurship, which is that special capacity for acting on good judgments about an uncertain future. This quality is the driving force of the market and civilization.

You will find out more about these people through these bite-size reports by top-flight journalists than from full biographies. You get to hear their own words about how they evaluate their success. It’s a great book for kids too, offering unforgettable life stories and lessons.