Helpful Score: 1
I truly knew nothing about Hetty Green, other than the blurb about her that used to be in The Guinness Book of World Records. I found her to be a fascinating, if not very nice, character. Her family interactions were difficult to swallow at times, all in the name of money. A quick read, with insight into a unique woman.
Christy K. (dragonflies) reviewed Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon on + 66 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is an awesome book about one of America's strangest women and millionaires. A great read!
Pat G. reviewed Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon on + 42 more book reviews
We recently read this interesting book for our book group. Hetty was wonderful character.
Beth R. reviewed Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon on + 9 more book reviews
Fascinating and compelling. A well-written and researched book about a great character.
Kim (Mistry) -
This is a wonderfully written book about Hetty Green. Sharing the same hometown as her, I had heard of her from time to time growing up, usually in local History classes. But this book really opened my eyes to her and how she lived her life.
Reading about New Bedford, Ma in the mid 1800's and onward, and how she traveled between there and New York, yet not ever really setting down roots, because she refused to pay taxes, especially nowadays, made me chuckle and, yes, admire her!
She was strong, intelligent and her business acumen sharp as a tack.
Learning about her family, her shrewd mind for business and how she lived her life was extremely interesting.
And I learned, at my ever increasing age, that the huge mansion we would see when we went to the beach at Round Hill in S. Dartmouth with my grandmother every summer, belonged to her son. I'd never connected "Colonel Green" with Hetty Green. I've really enjoyed this book. Easy to read, not weighed down with pithy details. Definitely worth the read!
Reading about New Bedford, Ma in the mid 1800's and onward, and how she traveled between there and New York, yet not ever really setting down roots, because she refused to pay taxes, especially nowadays, made me chuckle and, yes, admire her!
She was strong, intelligent and her business acumen sharp as a tack.
Learning about her family, her shrewd mind for business and how she lived her life was extremely interesting.
And I learned, at my ever increasing age, that the huge mansion we would see when we went to the beach at Round Hill in S. Dartmouth with my grandmother every summer, belonged to her son. I'd never connected "Colonel Green" with Hetty Green. I've really enjoyed this book. Easy to read, not weighed down with pithy details. Definitely worth the read!
Jo Anne C. (MOI) reviewed Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon on + 37 more book reviews
Very well written account about a very interesting, probably misunderstood woman. A real page-turner.
Thomas F. (hardtack) -
If you read the first two-thirds of this book and the Wikipedia page on Hetty Green, you might wonder if these were two different women. The first two-thirds of this book book introduces you to the richest woman of her time, and perhaps also the most pitiful. It is only in the last third that Hetty Green's assistance to banks, cities, and charitable organizations is revealed. Still, her family life isn't one we would all want.
Only after her death did the newspapers, which once vilified her, write articles praising her financial acumen and generosity.
Trivia : Being Brooklyn-born myself, I was interested in reading the Brooklyn Dodgers, now the Los Angles Dodgers, originally got their name due to the necessity of Brooklyn residents having to dodge the numerous trolley cars on the streets. Apparently they were often called Trolley Dodgers, and that name was given to the baseball team and later shortened to just Dodgers. A search of the web supports this.
Only after her death did the newspapers, which once vilified her, write articles praising her financial acumen and generosity.
Trivia : Being Brooklyn-born myself, I was interested in reading the Brooklyn Dodgers, now the Los Angles Dodgers, originally got their name due to the necessity of Brooklyn residents having to dodge the numerous trolley cars on the streets. Apparently they were often called Trolley Dodgers, and that name was given to the baseball team and later shortened to just Dodgers. A search of the web supports this.
Leo T. reviewed Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon on + 1775 more book reviews
I obtained this through the LA County Library after reading Wallach and found it to be much better, but not as good as When They Shook the Plum Tree. It does include the photo of Mrs. Green dressed in black that appeared as the frontispiece in the 1935 Witch of Wall Street that I read years ago.
Mr. Slack has done a lot of research but there seems to be little new to discover. Apparently there are no business files to be found, although he did have a bit of luck with the Chemical Bank. Mr. Slack is kind to everyone, including Sylvia and Col. Green.
I wonder if any of the legatees gave money to the Hetty Green Historical Society in New Bedford.
Endnotes, bibliography, index.
Mr. Slack has done a lot of research but there seems to be little new to discover. Apparently there are no business files to be found, although he did have a bit of luck with the Chemical Bank. Mr. Slack is kind to everyone, including Sylvia and Col. Green.
I wonder if any of the legatees gave money to the Hetty Green Historical Society in New Bedford.
Endnotes, bibliography, index.
