Our Enneagram Meet-up Group in New York City decided that David Rockefeller would be a good person as a good representative of the Personality Type 3 (achiever) to read about. This is a very complete book about Rockefeler and his associates and one does get the feeling that he has few secrets to hide. It is well written for which he had a lot of help from his colleagues. I think Rockefller sees this book as a chart of his legacy as major banker in the United States. The one thing I did not really find in his book was a sense of closeness to his children. ( )

A Well-Written but Disappointing Memoir

I was disappointed with David Rockefeller’s Memoirs. While his observations on his early life were insightful, he failed to deal realistically with his career at Chase Manhattan.

Throughout the book, he touts his personal connections with world leaders as the reason Chase Manhattan became a leading international bank. Yet he all but ignores that this debt was a major cause of the bank’s downfall. If he takes credit for the connections, he should assume responsibility when the debt defaults.

On the other hand, I found his observations about his brother, Nelson, unique and insightful. He sees the greatness tempered by the flaws.

In my mind the highlights of David Rockefeller’s career start when he retired from Chase Manhattan and dedicated himself to the family office. The story of the sale and subsequent repurchase of Rockefeller Center represents the pinnacle of a financial career.

This is a well-written book. For someone, like me with an interest in finance and public service, it is a great read. David Rockefeller would rate five stars if only he had dealt more candidly with his failures at Chase Manhattan. ( )