ABSTRACT
THE state of greatness may be awe-inspiring, but what is really fascinating is the rise towards that greatness. To hear how Rockefeller created from scratch the nucleus of what was to be later the world-wide Standard Oil organization stirs our imagination, and to follow the devious path by which a young Dutchman, called Henri Deterding, made himself an international figure and his company a first-class power, is thrilling as well as instructive.
