Social sciences

摘要

Albert M. Greenfield (1887-1967) rose from a modest immigrant childhood to become one of the most successful businessmen jn Philadelphia. He was instrumental in shaping the growth of the city in the early 20th century and was a dominant figure in local business and politics for decades. In this mainly laudatory biography, Rottenberg (The Man Who Made Wall Street: Anthony J. Drexel and the Rise of Modem Finance) traces Greenfield's unlikely story, beginning as a Russian Jewish son of a textile worker through his rapid rise to fortune as a real estate broker, developer, and banker. Though the book deals primarily with Greenfield's business activities, Rottenberg pays close attention to his subject's struggles as a Jew in a world dominated by the entrenched Protestant establishment. VERDICT Despite its focus on a single person, this work is really a story about Philadelphia. Readers interested in the history of Philadelphia will enjoy the detailed accounts of Greenfield's role in the development of some of the city's most prominent buildings and businesses, and his relationships with generations of business, religious, and civic leaders.