Born Losers by Scott A. Sandage is a book that tells about the lives of American men who were so called “losers.” He focuses on the failure of the United States in the nineteenth century and how America moved from a cultivated society to an industrial society. Sandage tells a story about how this switch was painful for some Americans. He referred to the growth of things as big as Standard Oil and he also referred to America’s railroad.
Sandage also focused in on what this growth predicted for the majority of the people in America that were caught in the intersection between small, independent businesses and the giants in the big industries who made it hard for small businessmen to maintain their identities and their honesty and good human quality.
Sandage wrote about a male chauvinist who lived in a time where men were expected to provide for their families and this was how ones manhood was decided. Men in these days were raised that honesty, hard work and reliability would assure one that they would be set for life in financial independence and would be successful in life. Some businessmen were sucked into a black hole of an economic downturn. Some of the events are the financial panics of 1819, 1837 and even as far along as 1893. These brought about a reshaping and rebuilding of the …show more content…
In the beginning of the book, Sandage focuses on the funeral of Henry David Thoreau whose eulogy is delivered by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson may have respected and valued Thoreau but he said that Thoreau was far from being successful. Emerson identified him as “the captain of a huckleberry-party” and went on to say that Thoreau tried but he did not give his continued attention: “teacher, surveyor, pencil maker, housepainter, mason, farmer, gardener.” Thoreau’s interests and thoughts were very broad; captains of industry are usually single-minded in their
Sandage also focused in on what this growth predicted for the majority of the people in America that were caught in the intersection between small, independent businesses and the giants in the big industries who made it hard for small businessmen to maintain their identities and their honesty and good human quality.
Sandage wrote about a male chauvinist who lived in a time where men were expected to provide for their families and this was how ones manhood was decided. Men in these days were raised that honesty, hard work and reliability would assure one that they would be set for life in financial independence and would be successful in life. Some businessmen were sucked into a black hole of an economic downturn. Some of the events are the financial panics of 1819, 1837 and even as far along as 1893. These brought about a reshaping and rebuilding of the …show more content…
In the beginning of the book, Sandage focuses on the funeral of Henry David Thoreau whose eulogy is delivered by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson may have respected and valued Thoreau but he said that Thoreau was far from being successful. Emerson identified him as “the captain of a huckleberry-party” and went on to say that Thoreau tried but he did not give his continued attention: “teacher, surveyor, pencil maker, housepainter, mason, farmer, gardener.” Thoreau’s interests and thoughts were very broad; captains of industry are usually single-minded in their