Laurie O’Donnell

Another book I picked up on holiday was Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography ‘My Own Story’. What a remarkable story of the man born in Dunfermline in 1835 of ‘poor but honest parents, of good kith and kin’ who becomes one of the richest people in history (a good story in itself) and then gives it all away.

After his father’s home based steam weaving business collapsed the family emigrated to the USA in 1848. Andrew started off working as a bobbin boy in  factory then delivered telegraphs before building investments in a range of industries including the railways, bridge building, oil, iron and most significantly steel.

In 1901 he sold his steel mills and ‘resolved to stop accumulating’ and start ‘the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution’. By the time of his death 18 years later he had endowed 3,000 libraries, 30,000 church organs, provided funds for scholarships and pensions, created the Temple of Peace in The Hague and famously bought Pittencrieff Park for the people of his home town and much more.

I am  mindful that autobiography does not always provide the best source of historical record and his Wikipedia entry covers a number of controversies from his life. Some may say that all he did was give back what he gained from the labour of others. A remarkable man and a remarkable life nonetheless.

One of the books I read on holiday was Barack Obama’s ‘The Audacity of Hope – Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream’.  It is well written, especially for a politician, and an easy read.

By the end of the book I had gained some insights into the constraints (self?) imposed on a mainstream US politician and  a better understanding of where he stands on many of the major issues that divide his country (he is against the war in Iraq and also against same sex marriage).  Despite my scepticism I warmed to the optimistic, open and pragmatic approach he has taken to navigating a ‘third way’ (reminiscent of Tony Blair in the period 1995-97 after John Smith’s death!).

There is no doubt that his manifesto represents a bit of a challenge to the status quo in the US . It won’t be radical enough for many and far too radical for  others. I wouldn’t like to bet on the result of the US Presidential race in November – enough to say that I got it wrong on the last two occasions.