Author John Steele Gordon earned his bachelor's degree in history from Vanderbilt University and later served on the staff of New York Congressmen Herman Badillo and Robert Garcia. In 1988 she published her first book, The Scarlet Woman of Wall Street, a history of Wall Street in the 1860s. He published several other books covering various economic details in American history. His only qualifications to write history books are his degree from Vanderbilt and more than twenty years of writing on the same subject. However, the significant bibliography at the end of the book says that he has actually done extensive research on the topic. Range of the book The book is organized chronologically, starting with the economic situation during the colonial period. It attempts to detail nearly every economically significant event throughout the 21st century and closes after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. It is truly a comprehensive history of the United States, but from a strictly economic perspective. Book Emphasis An Empire of Wealth highlights all the economic success the United States has had during its relatively short existence. Gordon downplays most economic downturns, such as the Great Depression. Instead, he focuses on impressive statistics about how the United States is an absolutely dominant force. For example, he says that with only 6% of the world's land surface, the United States accounts for about 30% of the world's GDP. Furthermore, he covers his facts with layers of hyperspecific numbers. For example, Gordon quotes numbers up to exactly one million. “The government has never spent more in one year than the $746 million it spent in 1915.” Point of view or prejudice... half the paper... the first 150 or so pages are topics I recently covered in a history class and made the economic points very predictable. However, the later parts of the book piqued my interest, especially the parts about the wartime economy. List of interesting quotes, lines and facts1. Eli Whitney had to fight for a long time to secure the patent on Cotton Gin. In the end he only got $100,000. (Page 85)2. “Gold is a strange thing.” (Page 180)3. “No great war ever broke out so unexpectedly and for such a trivial reason as the First World War” (Page 285)4. In 1940 the GNP was $99.7 billion and in 1945 it was $211.9 billion. It has increased by 56.3% in 5 years. (Page 357)5. “While war had brought forth the computer, the computer profoundly changed the nature of war” (page 413) Works Cited Gordon, John Steele. An empire of wealth. 2004.