NRJ Book Review: Taking on the Trusts: The Epic Battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller

Abstract

Steve Weinberg, Taking on the Trusts: The Epic Battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008) 304 pages, $25.95 (cloth).Review by Mary Jane PardueIf there ever was a time when journalists need inspiration, it is now.As technology and economic pressures change the way journalists do their jobs, it is valuable to look back at one of their predecessors to remember the challenges she faced and how she was able to take on one of the biggest stories in the history of investigative journalism.Most journalists have heard the story of Ida Tarbell and perhaps even read her writings. But Steve Weinberg, in a new book called Taking on the Trust: The Epic Battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller, puts the Tarbell story in perspective in a way that is uniquely educational and entertaining.Through comprehensive research, use of archival photos and strong writing, Weinberg produces a book that takes readers back to the dawn of the 20th century to tell the story of a talented, determined woman driven to follow what she instinctively knew was the story of the day.In 1902, Tarbell's first expose about Standard Oil was published in McClure's Magazine. She continued to investigate the conglomerate and its monopolistic practices, publishing The History of Standard Oil, an 800-page book that became one of the most consequential pieces of investigative journalism in U.S. history.What makes Weinberg's book compelling is the structure he uses. Rather than chronicling Tarbell's life and work in isolation, he tells her story at the same time he narrates the rise of Rockefeller. The pairing of these two lives against the backdrop of the Progressive Era in America brings not only a history lesson but also an interesting tale that reveals Tarbell and Rockefeller's profound philosophical differences as well as their striking personal similarities.For instance, as the author narrates Tarbell's early years against a backdrop of oil fields in Pennsylvania, he closely follows with a portrait of a young Rockefeller, 18 years older than Tarbell, who grew up in rural Richford, N.Y. He writes:John D. Rockefeller and Ida Tarbell, it turned out, would share other traits-a sly wit, religious belief fostered by upbringing in an organized church, puritanical values, extreme self-sufficiency, outsized persistence, regard for work as a lifelong calling rather than a mere job, and an abiding belief that one person could change the world.Tarbell lived from 1857 to 1944 and Rockefeller from 1839 to 1937.Weinberg notes in the preface that Tarbell's copious notes, letters and magazine and newspaper articles made her story easier to tell than Rockefeller's because he rarely wrote about his thoughts and feelings. Nevertheless, Weinberg's extensive research captures the character of the perfectionist, a proud and supremely self-confident titan who came to dominate the oil industry and business in America. …