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Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty
Like the Rockefellers and the Kennedys, the Kochs are one of the most influential dynasties of the modern age, but they have never been the subject of a major biography -- until now. Not long after the death of his father, Charles Koch, then in his early 30s, discovered a letter the family patriarch had written to his sons. "You will receive what now seems to be a large sum of money," Fred Koch cautioned. "It may either be a blessing or a curse." Fred's legacy would become a blessing and a curse to his four sons-Frederick, Charles, and fraternal twins David and Bill-who in the ensuing decades fought bitterly over their birthright, the oil and cattle-ranching empire their father left behind in 1967. Against a backdrop of scorched-earth legal skirmishes, Charles and David built Koch Industries into one of the largest private corporations in the world-bigger than Boeing and Disney-and they rose to become two of the wealthiest men on the planet. Influenced by the sentiments of their father, who was present at the birth of the John Birch Society, Charles and David have spent decades trying to remake the American political landscape and mainline their libertarian views into the national bloodstream. They now control a machine that is a center of gravity within the Republican Party. To their supporters, they are liberating America from the scourge of Big Government. To their detractors, they are political "contract killers," as David Axelrod, President Barack Obama's chief strategist, put it during the 2012 campaign. Bill, meanwhile, built a multi-billion dollar energy empire all his own, and earned notoriety as an America's Cup-winning yachtsman, a flamboyant playboy, and as a litigious collector of fine wine and Western memorabilia. Frederick lived an intensely private life as an arts patron, refurbishing a series of historic homes and estates. Sons of Witchita traces the complicated lives and legacies of these four tycoons, as well as their business, social, and political ambitions. No matter where you fall on the ideological spectrum, the Kochs are one of the most influential dynasties of our era, but so little is publicly known about this family, their origins, how they make their money, and how they live their lives. Based on hundreds of interviews with friends, relatives, business associates, and many others, Sons of Witchita is the first major biography about this wealthy and powerful family-warts and all.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2014
239 people are currently reading
3058 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Schulman
2 books29 followersDaniel Schulman is the New York Times best-selling author of Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty (2014) and The Money Kings: The Epic Story of the Jewish Immigrants Who Transformed Wall Street and Shaped Modern America (2023). His work has appeared in publications including the Atlantic, the Boston Globe Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, Vanity Fair, the Washington Post, and Mother Jones, where he is the magazine's deputy editor (news and politics). He lives outside of Boston with his wife and sons.
Dan enjoys talking with readers—for book clubs and 1:1s, find him on Skolay.
Dan enjoys talking with readers—for book clubs and 1:1s, find him on Skolay.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
June 10, 2014
A very interesting book with some serious flaws.
During the early chapters, I was convinced that the Koch brothers had paid the author (who works at Mother Jones) to write the family story their way, to acknowledge the warts in the family history while attempting to make the individuals more human-friendly.
The middle - which focused on the internecine struggles between the 4 brothers - was the most illuminating and interesting. So much drama and wasted energy, but fascinating in a perverse sort of way.
The last third could have done us a great service by going deeply into the efforts by Charles and David Koch to take control of the US Government, but avoided this. Instead the book focuses on how these 2 brothers are just trying to implement their vision of what America should be - the standard Libertarian paradise in which only people like them prosper. All that von Mises/Hayek stuff.
Unfortunately, this effort to humanize the Koch brothers, particularly Charles and David, ignores the larger scope of the effect that they are having on America today, which is largely disastrous and dishonest. So this effort to create a paean to hard-working wealthy businessmen falls flat in the face of the terrible reality.
Still, the intent of the book was to disclose family history, and it does this fairly well. You will need to look to Chris Hedges and the like for a more penetrating analysis of the challenges the Koch brothers represent to the future of the United States and the world.
During the early chapters, I was convinced that the Koch brothers had paid the author (who works at Mother Jones) to write the family story their way, to acknowledge the warts in the family history while attempting to make the individuals more human-friendly.
The middle - which focused on the internecine struggles between the 4 brothers - was the most illuminating and interesting. So much drama and wasted energy, but fascinating in a perverse sort of way.
The last third could have done us a great service by going deeply into the efforts by Charles and David Koch to take control of the US Government, but avoided this. Instead the book focuses on how these 2 brothers are just trying to implement their vision of what America should be - the standard Libertarian paradise in which only people like them prosper. All that von Mises/Hayek stuff.
Unfortunately, this effort to humanize the Koch brothers, particularly Charles and David, ignores the larger scope of the effect that they are having on America today, which is largely disastrous and dishonest. So this effort to create a paean to hard-working wealthy businessmen falls flat in the face of the terrible reality.
Still, the intent of the book was to disclose family history, and it does this fairly well. You will need to look to Chris Hedges and the like for a more penetrating analysis of the challenges the Koch brothers represent to the future of the United States and the world.
July 11, 2014
In the fall of 1999 I was recruited to come to Tulsa, OK and work for the John Zink Company. While I was there, I was invited into David Koch's office (who was the acting president of this company he owned) to talk about combustion technology. An hour later I was convinced I wanted to work for David and the John Zink company because of David's vision and commitment to research and development. In his words, "we want to leave our competition so far behind in the dust that they won't even see the dust!" I knew this would be my next job so I left the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana and moved my family to Tulsa. For three years I got to meet quarterly with David Koch to give him detailed progress reports of our research and development activities related to flare technology and computational fluid dynamics. David taught me many things about focus and commitment to new technology and building business by providing outstanding value to my customers. Working at John Zink (Koch Industries) I also learned about Market Based Management (MBM) and was inspired to look at my job as my own business. This vision led me to start my own company in 2003 as a joint venture with Steve MacDonald at CDadapco. When I told David I was leaving his initial support evolved into his deciding I was betraying him. During my last phone call with David he told me he had lots of lawyers and would do all he could to keep me from succeeding. I knew he was serious and I knew I'd hear from his lawyers as I tried to grow my new business. Several months later after five warning letters from Koch's lawyers and no new business opportunities I understood what he had meant. Our new company survived by finding new business from companies who had nothing to do with Koch Industries. As we grew I often wondered why all the previous customers with whom I'd done business with would not even return my phone calls and my best client was one of John Zink's main competitors. Having read this book I now have a better understanding of what happened. I still have great respect for David and Charles Koch and believe they are the best businessmen with which I've ever worked. I count my time working with David and listening to his stories about developing new technology among my most exciting and influential experiences. I gained greater insight into David Koch and why he did what he did because of reading this book. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in learning about MBM, about conservative America, and about the challenges of being left lots of money by your father and being in business with your family. One of David's first bosses who I knew told me that Fred Koch wouldn't hire David right out of school but wanted him to work for someone else. He also said that when David finally went to work for the family business he started at the bottom and had to work his way up. Clearly Fred Koch wanted his sons to learn the value of hard work which they did and I believe this helped them become some of the most successful businessmen in the world. But, I'm also sure Fred Koch did not want his sons to fight with each other for years and years and spend millions and millions of dollars on legal fees trying to hurt each other. It's amazing to me that this book was ever written because I learned first hand how adverse to open discussion about their business success and how private their personal lives were. It's amazing to me that they were willing to provide the background necessary to write this book. Reading it clearly outlines the issues that led to their success in the business world and their challenges in their private lives.
May 11, 2016
This is a very disturbing book. The Brothers Koch are true fanatics and are willing to spend their billions to foist their maniacal political views on all of us. This is a warning that we ignore at our nation's--and the world's--peril.
September 6, 2014
This is not a business but a gossip book.
Even though the author made me think the book was going to be very critical of the Kochs, I still expected to learn a little bit about how Koch Industries were built and became successful. I didn't.
The book is not your typical, hysterical leftist reaction to the Koch brothers, the kind that is not based on reason but on hatred of the successful businessmen. But it is based on nothing more than material to be used in gossip tabloids.
We "learn" about competition and fights between the four brothers (as if most families did not have this kind of issues) with the kind of drama used in cheap fiction. We "learn" that Charles K.'s blood tension rose when he opened a certain letter (WOW!) or that Charles K.'s wife and mother are both Libras (now that's information one can really use).
Then there is the description of Market-Based Management. The author seems astonished that the management model is implemented at all levels of the company, making it sound like some kind of a cult. Any basic research into management models would have shown the author that this is the way all companies work to build a culture and implement their management model. In fact, many use team buildings and recreational activities to implement management models, sometimes from top to bottom with every single employee.
This is a real pity that the story of successful businessmen, who have helped create enormous wealth is summed up (although in +400 pages) with the kind of story you expect to see on the magazines in your supermarket while waiting in line to pay, only to make a case against the Libertarian brothers. No intellectual or technical case is made here: only dirty laundry the author has gathered.
This is not worth the time of anyone who is serious about learning more about the Koch Industries or the Koch brothers.
I'm glad I borrowed this one at the library.
Even though the author made me think the book was going to be very critical of the Kochs, I still expected to learn a little bit about how Koch Industries were built and became successful. I didn't.
The book is not your typical, hysterical leftist reaction to the Koch brothers, the kind that is not based on reason but on hatred of the successful businessmen. But it is based on nothing more than material to be used in gossip tabloids.
We "learn" about competition and fights between the four brothers (as if most families did not have this kind of issues) with the kind of drama used in cheap fiction. We "learn" that Charles K.'s blood tension rose when he opened a certain letter (WOW!) or that Charles K.'s wife and mother are both Libras (now that's information one can really use).
Then there is the description of Market-Based Management. The author seems astonished that the management model is implemented at all levels of the company, making it sound like some kind of a cult. Any basic research into management models would have shown the author that this is the way all companies work to build a culture and implement their management model. In fact, many use team buildings and recreational activities to implement management models, sometimes from top to bottom with every single employee.
This is a real pity that the story of successful businessmen, who have helped create enormous wealth is summed up (although in +400 pages) with the kind of story you expect to see on the magazines in your supermarket while waiting in line to pay, only to make a case against the Libertarian brothers. No intellectual or technical case is made here: only dirty laundry the author has gathered.
This is not worth the time of anyone who is serious about learning more about the Koch Industries or the Koch brothers.
I'm glad I borrowed this one at the library.
May 26, 2014
Couldn't put this book down. I wondered what was wrong with these people, now I know. Nothing says manipulated like "Market Based Management." Glad I like Bounty better than Brawny.
May 28, 2014
I could hardly stop listening; the author grabbed my attention and held it all the way to the end of the book. It is amazing how much information Daniel Schulman has been able to gather about the Koch family, from public records, newspaper reports and court documents. The family refused to be interviewed for the book. Schulman starts with Fred Koch who was born in 1900 and grew up in Quanah, Texas, son of a Dutch immigrant. His father was a printer who brought a printing press to Quanah and established a newspaper. Fred worked at various jobs and worked his way through school. He graduated for M.I.T. in engineering. He invested three hundred dollars and started a company providing the needs of oil refineries. He built this into a multi-million dollar company. He married a Kansas City debutant Mary Robinson. They had four sons Frederick, Charles, twins David and William. Fred worked the boys hard and had the boys compete against each other. They attended boarding schools and M.I.T. except Frederick who attended Harvard with a degree in the arts. Fred was a founding member of the John Birch Society. He taught Charles his political view point but Charles eventually became a member of Libertarian party. Frederick never worked in the company business and had very little to do with the family. He lived in New York City or London restoring old historical buildings, and is a collector and patron of the arts. Charles, David and Bill worked in the company until Bill broke away and brought many lawsuits against the family. Bill built his own engineering company which is now a multi-billion dollar business. Charles and David took the business over from the father and built it into a multi-billion dollar business. Schulman had done a good job assembling everything known about the Koch’s into a single straight forward, understandable account. The author leaves out no confirmable damming detail particularly about the Koch Industries indifference to environmental and safety matters. The Koch’s Libertarian belief about small or no government appeared to have made them think they did not have to adhere to laws that interfered with their business. After they lost the lawsuits from the EPA they did change the way they ran the company and started to adhere to all laws. Schulman interviewed employees to gather information about Charles’s “Market Based Management” system. The author points out that the Koch’s donate not only to the Republican Party but also to selected Democrats as well. The brothers individually and with the Family Foundation donate heavily to the arts and medical research. I felt the author presented a well balanced, well researched report about the Koch family. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Allen O’Reilly did a good job narrating the book.
August 8, 2014
Publicly, I read this book to give some heft to my opinions of the Koch boys. Privately, I gloated because this book should raise my level of disgust with them even more. Didn't work out that way. I am probably more appalled by what two of the four want to do to this country. These are dangerous men--be very afraid. They aren't particularly brilliant and are hopeless at strategy but that doesn't matter because they can and will hire it done.
Their obsession with imprinting their version of Libertarianism on every American man, woman and child isn't the story here. This is a fascinating and page-turning story worthy of being the plot of a great novel. The levels of dysfunction are over the top. There is one brother who seems to have survived the brutality of being in this family and emerged, seemingly, as a relatively happy man. Still, I wouldn't turn my back on him.
Their obsession with imprinting their version of Libertarianism on every American man, woman and child isn't the story here. This is a fascinating and page-turning story worthy of being the plot of a great novel. The levels of dysfunction are over the top. There is one brother who seems to have survived the brutality of being in this family and emerged, seemingly, as a relatively happy man. Still, I wouldn't turn my back on him.
June 9, 2014
Fascinating look at one of the most influential and secretive families today, and how that influence can be bought and paid for despite never having run for office or been elected to anything.
March 21, 2015
I'm reading "Sons of Wichita" by Schulman, along with "Big Money" by Vogel, after reading the book review in the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/articles/book-r...
To some extent I will be required to mute my political preconceptions while also trotting out my anti-bias sunshades. Both authors have a liberal slant based upon their background -- Vogel writes for the liberal website Politico and Schulman has bracketed himself even further left with Mother Jones. However, I believe if you know the author's slant going in, you can self adjust and glean good insights.
My objective in reading these two books is to challenge my current view of political finance and enlighten myself on the people involved. I currently hold true to the famous quote by Lord Acton, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". And in that regard, it would seem that power centers (ie money groups) should be spread out and not concentrated. What effect does the Supreme Courts ruling in "Citizens United" have on the powers that be?
In my minds eye I see two big clumps of money. Lets call one "Republicans" and the other "Democrats", just to give them a random name. The money is already out there in abundance. My question is, does the "Citizens United" decision fortify those two behemoths or does it fraction off smaller, less powerful groups. I shall read on.
dgp
June 19, 2015
This book did provide some insight into the twisted world of the sickest fucks in America. The author seemed to be attempting to present a "neutral" portrait of the Koch boys, but the attempt involved some pretty wild tonal shifts. At times it seemed flatly critical of their actions and methods--though this may be only because there is no excuse for some of what they've done. Ultimately the book spent a lot of time humanizing Charles, David and the Other Two; i found this useful in terms of "know thy enemy" etc, but couldn't help but feel i was being propagandized at times.
May 7, 2015
The Koch brothers want to pollute - or rather, they don't care if they do or not. So they buy politicians so they can if it suits them.
February 25, 2017
It's important to know the Koch family, and their values and lifestyle, to understand the rift in politics and the rightward shift in "American values".
And well organized, easily digestible chapters, this book tells a diverse and comprehensive set of stories to explain this family.
Each member is so different, and disturbing in their own unique ways. Together they demonstrate that Koch values definitely are not for America, and are self serving at best, and widely destructive in practice. Charles may have an autodictat phd in Austrian economic, but his confirmation bias has only had him go deep on a certain of a point of view that he has idealized to practical uselessness.
Yet Koch Industries is extremely successful in the free marketplace, because their aggressively and effectively managed, and because each brother is very smart and their MIT education leads to scientific approaches (as China's leadership). Koch will continue to take a larger slice of key industrial and commodity markets throughout the free world, and those "good profits" Will continue to be very tightly distributed. (Charles sees this as "freedom" and I see it as social inefficiency; his view wins, since he controls the industry.)
Crazy to see them allied politically with the Christian Right and Trump's know nothings. Yet their highest principle is using their money to change society to make it easier for people like them to make money and control with it.
And well organized, easily digestible chapters, this book tells a diverse and comprehensive set of stories to explain this family.
Each member is so different, and disturbing in their own unique ways. Together they demonstrate that Koch values definitely are not for America, and are self serving at best, and widely destructive in practice. Charles may have an autodictat phd in Austrian economic, but his confirmation bias has only had him go deep on a certain of a point of view that he has idealized to practical uselessness.
Yet Koch Industries is extremely successful in the free marketplace, because their aggressively and effectively managed, and because each brother is very smart and their MIT education leads to scientific approaches (as China's leadership). Koch will continue to take a larger slice of key industrial and commodity markets throughout the free world, and those "good profits" Will continue to be very tightly distributed. (Charles sees this as "freedom" and I see it as social inefficiency; his view wins, since he controls the industry.)
Crazy to see them allied politically with the Christian Right and Trump's know nothings. Yet their highest principle is using their money to change society to make it easier for people like them to make money and control with it.
September 18, 2019
57th book of 2019.
Gossip Girl: Koch Brothers Edition
This was a quick read, and felt like watching a season of Succession more than reality. We watch our 4 scions fight in the courtroom, in the flesh, worship their libertarian father as a hero, and end a broken family. The multiple family lawsuits certainly provided enough pulp to keep me turning through pages.
I was surprised to find the extent to which Charles Koch had expanded the business, and I wish there was more detail about the business itself. This is a $100b+ business and the few glimpses into the management practices and influential deals didn't feel like nearly enough.
The analysis of how the Koch brothers are having influence on American politics, beyond stories of late night Hayek reading was also surface level. Alas, I shouldn't expect the West Wing when reading a soap opera.
Gossip Girl: Koch Brothers Edition
This was a quick read, and felt like watching a season of Succession more than reality. We watch our 4 scions fight in the courtroom, in the flesh, worship their libertarian father as a hero, and end a broken family. The multiple family lawsuits certainly provided enough pulp to keep me turning through pages.
I was surprised to find the extent to which Charles Koch had expanded the business, and I wish there was more detail about the business itself. This is a $100b+ business and the few glimpses into the management practices and influential deals didn't feel like nearly enough.
The analysis of how the Koch brothers are having influence on American politics, beyond stories of late night Hayek reading was also surface level. Alas, I shouldn't expect the West Wing when reading a soap opera.
October 25, 2021
Excellent study of the Koch brothers, from the founding of their company and their dynasty by their father, to the lawsuits brought against each other, to the philanthropic activities of the oldest son and one of the younger twins. The author of the book is a Mother Jones contributor, so the fair-minded, evenhanded treatment of the family was surprising. The brothers do not come off as the captains of an evil empire but rather as the products of the midwestern upbringing with their own particular interests that drive their actions, including their running of the company or their retreat into intellectual and artistic pursuits. Still there is no doubt that their seemingly infinite resources have the ability to influence our political landscape in ways unimaginable.
December 12, 2020
Interesting book about the Koch brothers/family. Everything is from outside information but seems straight forward. The last section really ramped up the negative (or really the author's idea of negative) but that is the only thing I found tasteless. 🤷♂️
April 29, 2021
A truly enlightening insight into the personal life, business, philanthropic acts and political involvements of the Koch brothers. Hate them or love them, the duo made their marks in the life of the average American citizen, politics and the art scene in the years to come with ruthless efficiency. Charles’ tenacity and incredible organizational struck me as brilliance. The book somewhat read like a tabloid with various gossips and disputed claims, however, that can’t be helped when you write about near mythic figures such as the Koch brothers.
February 20, 2023
Overall a great read to understand, especially Charles Koch wants to bring in his libertarian philosophy to America. I really enjoyed learning about their upbringing and their personal struggles with each other. Money does not make relationships better but more complicated.
April 20, 2023
Super interesting. Just a little too long.
January 25, 2023
The story is about the brother's in-fighting mostly but a good read nonetheless.
July 14, 2014
Having spent some time over the years in Wichita, Kansas, I knew it was a hotbed of right wing fanaticism, but I wasn't familiar with the workings of Koch Industries, or the strange family dynamics between the four Koch brothers. This book tells the whole story and is surprisingly balanced considering that its author, David Schulman is the senior editor in the Washington Bureau of Mother Jones magazine.
The story starts with Fred Koch, the brothers' father, who was a founding member of the John Birch Society and a paranoid anti-communist. ALong with Bob Love of Love Box Company, Fred Koch funded the Young Americans for Freedom organization in the 1960's and threw money at efforts to get teh US out of the United Nations, fighting the Civil Rights legislation of 1964 and yes, working in opposition to fluoridation of the country's water supplies. He also tried to instill in his sons his free market, anti-communist philosophy. In this he was only half successful. His second son, CHarles became a true believer along with David, one half of his twin sons. His eldest son, Frederick showed no interest in either his politics or his business, preferring to live the life of a patron of the arts. The other half of the set of twins, Bill, suffered from an inferiority complex and spent a large part of his adult life suing his siblings for what he had determined was his fair share of the family fortune.
The story of the internecine warfare between the brothers takes up about 1/3 of the book and reads like something out of a script for the TV shows Dallas or Dynasty, only far, far nastier. In the end, the brothers are barely tolerating each other.
Meanwhile, Charles Koch took over the business on the death of his father and proved himself to be not only a doctrinaire libertarian, but also a savvy businessman. When he took over the company in 1968 it had 650 employees and revenues of $50M. Fifteen years later in 1983, the company had 7000 employees and revenues of $1.5B. By 2012 company revenues were $115B
A true believer, Charles Koch has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to see his vision of laissez faire capitalism and the smallest government possible become a reality. He has implemented a three-pronged strategy to affect this change:
--Funding free market economic programs (emphasizing the Austrian school of economics) in colleges and universities to produce an intellectual class research scholars
--Funneling those scholars into the think tanks (like the Cato Institute) that he funds in order for the sometimes arcane economic message can be transformed into "usable form" for the masses
--Mobilizing citizen/activists to agitate for his policies (The Tea Party)
America saw these efforts played out in the 2012 Presidential election, which the Koch brothers lost. Undeterred, they are now recalibrating their message with an emphasis on women, Hispanics and young people as well as a focus on recruiting and training suitable candidates for future elections.
This book is eminently readable, and should be read by anyone concerned about the concentration of money in our political system.
The story starts with Fred Koch, the brothers' father, who was a founding member of the John Birch Society and a paranoid anti-communist. ALong with Bob Love of Love Box Company, Fred Koch funded the Young Americans for Freedom organization in the 1960's and threw money at efforts to get teh US out of the United Nations, fighting the Civil Rights legislation of 1964 and yes, working in opposition to fluoridation of the country's water supplies. He also tried to instill in his sons his free market, anti-communist philosophy. In this he was only half successful. His second son, CHarles became a true believer along with David, one half of his twin sons. His eldest son, Frederick showed no interest in either his politics or his business, preferring to live the life of a patron of the arts. The other half of the set of twins, Bill, suffered from an inferiority complex and spent a large part of his adult life suing his siblings for what he had determined was his fair share of the family fortune.
The story of the internecine warfare between the brothers takes up about 1/3 of the book and reads like something out of a script for the TV shows Dallas or Dynasty, only far, far nastier. In the end, the brothers are barely tolerating each other.
Meanwhile, Charles Koch took over the business on the death of his father and proved himself to be not only a doctrinaire libertarian, but also a savvy businessman. When he took over the company in 1968 it had 650 employees and revenues of $50M. Fifteen years later in 1983, the company had 7000 employees and revenues of $1.5B. By 2012 company revenues were $115B
A true believer, Charles Koch has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to see his vision of laissez faire capitalism and the smallest government possible become a reality. He has implemented a three-pronged strategy to affect this change:
--Funding free market economic programs (emphasizing the Austrian school of economics) in colleges and universities to produce an intellectual class research scholars
--Funneling those scholars into the think tanks (like the Cato Institute) that he funds in order for the sometimes arcane economic message can be transformed into "usable form" for the masses
--Mobilizing citizen/activists to agitate for his policies (The Tea Party)
America saw these efforts played out in the 2012 Presidential election, which the Koch brothers lost. Undeterred, they are now recalibrating their message with an emphasis on women, Hispanics and young people as well as a focus on recruiting and training suitable candidates for future elections.
This book is eminently readable, and should be read by anyone concerned about the concentration of money in our political system.
September 26, 2016
Book review : Sons of Wichita
This book review is intended for Mrs.Orona’s english 4 class. I will be reporting Sons of Wichita by Daniel Schulman. Sons of Wichita published by Grand Central Publishing contains a total of 424 pages in total. I'm not a big reader and I've never been a fan of fantasy or fiction, but I am a fan of documentaries so chose a book that compliments my taste in TV.
This book follows the lives of 4 brothers Frederick, the oldest brother who is the black sheep of the family. While all the other brothers went to MIT ( like their father ) and joined the family business. Fredrick was more passionate about the arts and english like his mother and attended harvard. Charles the 2nd oldest would follow in his father's footsteps and would be the aire to the company . At a young age he would be rebellious and would be sent off to a boarding school and would set the bar high for his younger brothers. Next we have David and Bill who would literally compete with each other for the rest of his life. David would follow in his Charles footsteps and he would help run and grow his father's company. Bill will branch out and start his own company and fuel the fire between him and his brothers. The layout of the book is Charles and David vs Bill and occasionally Fredrick would side with bill.
This is a biography so there is mention of a lot of other people who interacted with the brothers,but the most important supporting character are Fred Koch. Fred started his empire as a petroleum engineer and would invest in a now very successful oil company. He would work overseas in the USSR where he would see the evils of communism and would shape not only his political view but the views of all for sons. He would showed his son's little love growing up and this lack of love would have the boys compete for something that shouldn't have competed for. He didn't want to raise country club bums , and he got exactly what he asked for.
Sons of Wichita takes place in rural Wichita, Kansas in the 20-21st century. This Biography is a good paced read, long chapters that can get surprising detailed it's really is like watching a documentary. Its tells the story of the Koch brother,and their rise to greatness. Its talks about the good bad and evil , their impact in the every aspect of their business and even their great presence in politics by basically creating their own party (libertarians). And how their family feud didn't just affect their family but all of america.
My thought on Sons of Wichita are that it's a well written biography that sets the bar high for future reads. I'm not the strongest reader,but it was a simple read that I truly enjoyed. If you consider yourself a weak reader i wouldnt recomend it because it is a long read with extensive vocab. You will have to keep a dictionary on deck. I would recommend this book to someone who loves to learn or is considering or interested in business or economics.
This book review is intended for Mrs.Orona’s english 4 class. I will be reporting Sons of Wichita by Daniel Schulman. Sons of Wichita published by Grand Central Publishing contains a total of 424 pages in total. I'm not a big reader and I've never been a fan of fantasy or fiction, but I am a fan of documentaries so chose a book that compliments my taste in TV.
This book follows the lives of 4 brothers Frederick, the oldest brother who is the black sheep of the family. While all the other brothers went to MIT ( like their father ) and joined the family business. Fredrick was more passionate about the arts and english like his mother and attended harvard. Charles the 2nd oldest would follow in his father's footsteps and would be the aire to the company . At a young age he would be rebellious and would be sent off to a boarding school and would set the bar high for his younger brothers. Next we have David and Bill who would literally compete with each other for the rest of his life. David would follow in his Charles footsteps and he would help run and grow his father's company. Bill will branch out and start his own company and fuel the fire between him and his brothers. The layout of the book is Charles and David vs Bill and occasionally Fredrick would side with bill.
This is a biography so there is mention of a lot of other people who interacted with the brothers,but the most important supporting character are Fred Koch. Fred started his empire as a petroleum engineer and would invest in a now very successful oil company. He would work overseas in the USSR where he would see the evils of communism and would shape not only his political view but the views of all for sons. He would showed his son's little love growing up and this lack of love would have the boys compete for something that shouldn't have competed for. He didn't want to raise country club bums , and he got exactly what he asked for.
Sons of Wichita takes place in rural Wichita, Kansas in the 20-21st century. This Biography is a good paced read, long chapters that can get surprising detailed it's really is like watching a documentary. Its tells the story of the Koch brother,and their rise to greatness. Its talks about the good bad and evil , their impact in the every aspect of their business and even their great presence in politics by basically creating their own party (libertarians). And how their family feud didn't just affect their family but all of america.
My thought on Sons of Wichita are that it's a well written biography that sets the bar high for future reads. I'm not the strongest reader,but it was a simple read that I truly enjoyed. If you consider yourself a weak reader i wouldnt recomend it because it is a long read with extensive vocab. You will have to keep a dictionary on deck. I would recommend this book to someone who loves to learn or is considering or interested in business or economics.
November 13, 2014
Not long ago (three weeks to be exact)I posed a question on this site about "freedom" and "accountability" with respect to Libertarianism. I was disappointed to find no one willing or interested enough to comment. Surprising in that not a few people have read the book. The good news is that while Schulman's effort is hardly an in depth analysis it does unveil the Koch's and their vision for American. It is a chilling example of what unfettered wealth, read Citizen's United, can mean for a society. If it is freedom they want then a high degree of accountability is what they should get. Sadly, Sons of Wichita fails to go beyond an unveiling, as welcome as it is, and provides no critical analysis to the read.
Their absent, pugilist father wrought the four sons for whom he said the right things but left them to literally duke it out when it came to conflict resolution. The fighting mentality stuck to their considerable intellect and will, the words of warning stuck not at all. It isn't hard to understand why, given that Ole' Man Koch was a founder of the John Birch Society; fear and loathing of our democracy came with the pabulum.
There is so much more to say but for now, this will have to do.
Their absent, pugilist father wrought the four sons for whom he said the right things but left them to literally duke it out when it came to conflict resolution. The fighting mentality stuck to their considerable intellect and will, the words of warning stuck not at all. It isn't hard to understand why, given that Ole' Man Koch was a founder of the John Birch Society; fear and loathing of our democracy came with the pabulum.
There is so much more to say but for now, this will have to do.
December 3, 2021
Wow, what a fascinating and dysfunctional family. The Koch Brothers are very polarizing figures but the author did a great job of presenting a comprehensive and informative rundown of this secretive family in a very non-judgmental way.
The author dives deep into the lives of the four brothers and they’re all so diverse but disturbing in their own ways. The constant lawsuits, competition and pettiness among the brothers is unsettling but highly entertaining and it’s a stark illustration of how money doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. Despite the unending dysfunction, the brothers have accomplished some amazing achievements. It was thought-provoking to read about the rise of Koch Industries and the family’s prodigious influence on American politics, including the values, economic views and management principles that drove the success (which, like everything else in this book, are kind of unsettling).
Whether you love or hate the Koch brothers, I recommend this book if you’re curious about diving deeper into the inner workings and unending drama of one of America’s most influential families.
The author dives deep into the lives of the four brothers and they’re all so diverse but disturbing in their own ways. The constant lawsuits, competition and pettiness among the brothers is unsettling but highly entertaining and it’s a stark illustration of how money doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. Despite the unending dysfunction, the brothers have accomplished some amazing achievements. It was thought-provoking to read about the rise of Koch Industries and the family’s prodigious influence on American politics, including the values, economic views and management principles that drove the success (which, like everything else in this book, are kind of unsettling).
Whether you love or hate the Koch brothers, I recommend this book if you’re curious about diving deeper into the inner workings and unending drama of one of America’s most influential families.
June 29, 2014
If you have heard of the Koch Brothers- you hate them or love them. You also probably don't know much about them accept for canards of the haters or the adulation of the true believers.However you revile or revere them, or even if they are not on your radar-they are all the same among the most impactful players of these times.
The author has compiled a very readable, informative and for the most part- non judgmental book- the warts are there- as are some amazing accomplishments. Its a story of lust for profits and power and control and great great philanthropy. Its a tale of pettiness and greatness. Its a tale of Horatio Alger meets J R Ewing of "Dallas "fame - and the Koch Brothers clearly out Horatio and out JR- its no contest- but quite a read.
This is a family tale of disfunction as well as effectiveness. Of a patriarch that has inspired achievement and destruction. I am glad I read it
The author has compiled a very readable, informative and for the most part- non judgmental book- the warts are there- as are some amazing accomplishments. Its a story of lust for profits and power and control and great great philanthropy. Its a tale of pettiness and greatness. Its a tale of Horatio Alger meets J R Ewing of "Dallas "fame - and the Koch Brothers clearly out Horatio and out JR- its no contest- but quite a read.
This is a family tale of disfunction as well as effectiveness. Of a patriarch that has inspired achievement and destruction. I am glad I read it
July 10, 2014
I liked this book. I like knowing that wildly intelligent, driven, and exceptional people can get side-tracked by something as ubiquitous as sibling rivalry and mommy / daddy issues. I'm not sure how valid or true the story is. Schulman seems to have done his homework, but there are more anonymous sources and cites than I like, but when dealing with men like the Kock's, avoiding litigation makes sense. Schulman did a great job of keeping his personal politics out of his writing. Liberals will find reason to hate this book but so will some conservatives, so perhaps common ground is possible.
I am interested in what happens in 2014 mid-term and 2016 presidential elections and will probably pay closer attention to Libertarian platforms as theses elections near.
I am interested in what happens in 2014 mid-term and 2016 presidential elections and will probably pay closer attention to Libertarian platforms as theses elections near.
July 17, 2014
I used to shudder when I'd hear the Koch brothers referred to. After reading the book, I have a much more complete understanding of them--and although I don't like them any better, I am extremely glad I read this fascinating story. Schulman does an excellent job (this is his first book) detailing the squabbles, the litigious battles, and the greed that drives these four sons of Fred Koch. There are even small facets of likability depicted by Schulman, and it's helpful to better understand the driving force of Libertarianism, too. Now when I shudder, it will be a knowing one--not a reflex. I strongly recommend this story of the dynasty of the billionaires who fund--among other things--the Tea Party.
July 22, 2014
The author takes a unprejudiced view of the Koch brothers. He tells their good points and bad (according to your politics). I think everyone, no matter what your political persuasion is. It never hurts to know all you can about the rich and the powerful, especially when their actions so clearly affect American life. I can't help but think the if the Koch brothers spent their time and money on renewable energy sources instead of non-renewable, what a difference it could make for our long term future.
July 9, 2014
Daniel Schulman completely avoids writing the sensationalized account he could have easily penned about the Kochs. Instead, 'Sons of Wichita' is a painstakingly researched and engagingly narrated look at these brothers' actual lives. From their childhood until late 2013, almost no stone is left untouched.
Readers can expect a balanced and multidimensional account of the men who have reshaped American politics over the last few decades, along with an inside understanding of how Koch Industries became such an omnipresent industrial force.
Readers can expect a balanced and multidimensional account of the men who have reshaped American politics over the last few decades, along with an inside understanding of how Koch Industries became such an omnipresent industrial force.
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July 11, 2014"'Sons of Wichita' pinpoints the dilemma at the heart of the Koch saga: the inability to translate theory into practice. Schulman quotes a former Koch executive close to the brothers who says they 'won’t likely repeat the errors of 2012' because 'they are smart people. They learn from their mistakes.' They can only learn, however, by identifying the nature of their error, and one big factor may be standing in the way: their enormous pride."
Read the full review here: http://www.theamericanconservative.co...
Read the full review here: http://www.theamericanconservative.co...
October 3, 2014
Very interesting biography of the powerful, libertarian Koch (pronounced "Coke") family. I'd love to hate these guys, but can't quite manage it. Each of the four brothers is a complex individual and seems motivated by upbringing and birth order at least as much as desires for money and power. The Koch family did much to establish libertarianism as a force in American politics, ultimately giving birth to the Tea Party. And surprisingly, they don't always agree with the Tea Party "party line."
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