August Book - The Great Fortune‍

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August is Non-Fiction Month—but we’re reading a story that, in many ways, unfolds stranger than fiction: the conception, planning, and development of Rockefeller Center. Originally, New York City wanted an opera house. But John D. Rockefeller set aside his robber baron top hat, donned a modest fedora, and dove into public service. He envisioned a skyscraper as the centerpiece of a dazzling new Manhattan—one that would inspire admiration around the world.

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Then came the Great Depression, bitter union strikes… and Diego Rivera’s famously controversial mural, rich with communist symbolism, intended for the building’s lobby.

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Many fascinating characters make appearances throughout the story—from Lenin and Henry Luce to Mussolini himself.

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