October 26, 2006 | Read Time: 1 minute
NEW BOOKS
The “Gospel of Wealth” Essays and Other Writings, edited by David Nasaw, is a collection of Carnegie’s writings, selected by his biographer, David Nasaw, on capitalism, philanthropy, and money. In “The Gospel of Wealth II,” Carnegie explains his conviction that the rich man has a responsibility to give back the money he has accrued: “We have seen that enormous fortunes are dependent upon the community; without great and increasing population, there could be no great wealth.” In “The Advantages of Poverty,” a response to a somewhat critical review of his first “Gospel of Wealth” essay, Carnegie offers a defense of aggressive business practices like cutting wages and extending work days. Another essay, “The Best Fields for Philanthropy,” praises free libraries, parks, and swimming pools, and warns would-be philanthropists not to give foolishly, “under the cover of the mantle of sacred charity.”
Publisher: Penguin Press, 375 Hudson Street, New York, N.Y. 10014; (212) 366-2272; fax (212) 366-2952; http://www.penguinputnam.com; 109 pages; $10; ISBN 0-14-303989-X.
