The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century by Steven Watts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It seems a large and forebidding task to try and paint a balanced picture of such a complex and even contradictory man. His huge effect on industry and the nation included social activism in anti-war and education areas, museum building and this was colored by bigotry, moralistic paternalism belied by his actions, and poor labor relations.
I had previously an overly simplistic view of Ford's inventive prowess: He invented the assembly line and not the car, right? It is more interesting than that. In this well-researched and documented book, we are reminded of Ford's invented quadracycle and other internal combustion automobile advances as well as engineering accomplishments while working for Edison's electric power company, etc.
Particularly interesting was Ford's respect for George Washington Carver (and Ford's dietary pecularities) and the Four Vagabonds of Edison, Ford, Burroughs, and Firestone tramp-camping. Also interesting was Ford-worship in Communist Russia/Soviet Union, Fordson tractors on this collective farms and more including Ford's worship of all things agricultural including "chemurgy" such as soy plastics and soy anything, Ford's flirtation with the Nazi government, and culture-changing innovation of the Model T, an invention he could not let go.
Overall there seems to be a moral here: the serendipity of immense wealth and power may greatly magnify character aspects; both flaws and the most admirable traits
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