Reading Time: 11 minutes

Weekend Watch & Read

Welcome to Weekend Watch & Read, your Friday guide to what everyone is talking about before the weekend begins.

Every Friday I’ll round up the Top 10 Netflix shows in the United States and the Top 10 in Brazil, giving you a glimpse into what audiences on both sides of the equator are binge-watching. Sometimes the lists will overlap; often they won’t, and that’s part of the fun. It’s a fascinating look at how culture, language, and storytelling shape what captures our attention.

For readers who would rather turn pages than stream episodes, I’ll also feature The New York Times Best Seller lists for both Fiction and Nonfiction. Whether you’re looking for your next thriller, biography, historical account, or thought-provoking read, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for your weekend reading list.

Finally, I’ll share one book from my own bookshelf. It won’t necessarily be a bestseller or the latest release. Sometimes it will be a forgotten classic, a hidden gem, a work of history, or simply a book that made me stop, think, or see the world a little differently. Along with it, you’ll get my honest review and whether I think it’s worth adding to your own reading list.

So pour yourself a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite chair, and see what the rest of the world is watching, what readers are buying, and what one retired American living in Brazil thinks deserves a little more attention. Your weekend entertainment starts here.

Netflix Top 10 US

Rank	Show
1	Death of the Pastor’s Wife: Season 1
2	Instadocs: The Decoy Plane
3	The Gentlemen: Season 2
4	Earle Meets World: Season 1
5	Raw: 2026 – September 7, 2026
6	Crew Girl: Season 1
7	Beauty in Black: Season 3
8	Danny Go!: Season 2
9	The Gentlemen: Season 1
10	Ms. Rachel: Season 1

Netflix Top 10 Brazil

Rank	Show
1	My Name Is Farah: Season 2
2	My Name Is Farah: Season 1
3	The Early Spring: Season 1
4	Death of the Pastor’s Wife: Season 1
5	Crew Girl: Season 1
6	The Gentlemen: Season 2
7	Mom Knows Best?: Season 1
8	The Gentlemen: Season 1
9	Adriano the Emperor: Season 1
10	The Mentalist: Season 1

NY Times Hardcover Fiction

Rank	Book	Author
1	The Knave and the Moon	Rachel Gillig
2	The Calamity Club	Kathryn Stockett
3	The Most Dangerous Games	MrBeast and James Patterson
4	Yesteryear	Caro Claire Burke
5	The Disappearers	Marlon James
6	Whistler	Ann Patchett
7	Big Little Truths	Liane Moriarty
8	The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook	Matt Dinniman
9	Scion	James Islington
10	Dungeon Crawler Carl	Matt Dinniman

NY Times Hardcover Nonfiction

Rank	Book	Author
1	This Is Me	Hayden Panettiere
2	American Scoundrel	Kai Bird with Susan Goldmark
3	Regime Change	Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
4	Going Further	Ted Cruz
5	Let Us Do Good	Frank Siller
6	The Final Solution to the Jewish Question	Dara Horn
7	Star of the Show	Dolly Parton with Tom Roland
8	Strangers	Belle Burden
9	London Falling	Patrick Radden Keefe
10	The Nerd Reich	Gil Durán

NY Times Paperback Trade Fiction

Rank	Book	Author
1	Theo of Golden	Allen Levi
2	Brain Damage	Freida McFadden
3	Dungeon Crawler Carl	Matt Dinniman
4	Project Hail Mary	Andy Weir
5	Wild Dark Shore	Charlotte McConaghy
6	Verity	Colleen Hoover
7	My Dreadful Darling	H.D. Carlton
8	Carl’s Doomsday Scenario	Matt Dinniman
9	The Wedding People	Alison Espach
10	Red Rising	Pierce Brown

Book Review: Titan by Ron Chernow Review: John D. Rockefeller, Standard Oil, and the Making of Modern America

By Ron Chernow

Opening

John D Rockefeller could be the greatest businessman, capitalist, and philanthropist of all time. Those may seem to conflict, but that is what makes the man and the story so compelling. 

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The Father Who Disappeared

John D. Rockefeller grew up with instability. His father, William Avery Rockefeller Sr., was a traveling salesman and con artist who sold questionable “miracle cures” and disappeared for long stretches.

Because of the uncertainty that surrounded much of his childhood, particularly the instability caused by his often-absent and unreliable father, Rockefeller developed an early need for order, discipline, and control. Determined to provide the security his family had often lacked, he took responsibility for his future at a young age. Beginning as a bookkeeper in Cleveland, he became obsessed with details, costs, and financial records. His ability to quickly identify savings and efficiencies for his employers distinguished him from others. As his knowledge of commerce and finance grew, he ventured into business for himself, helping establish a produce commission firm that traded agricultural goods. The habits he developed in those early years- careful accounting, relentless cost control, and meticulous attention to detail- would later become the foundation of one of the most successful business empires in American history. 

Many of Rockefeller’s traits- discipline, self-control, attention to detail, and long-term thinking- were reinforced by his deep religious faith. Throughout his life, he remained closely connected to his Baptist church and increased his charitable giving as his wealth expanded. Rockefeller believed that the talents and opportunities he possessed were gifts from God and that success carried obligations as well as rewards. To him, accumulating wealth was not an end in itself but a responsibility that required stewardship, philanthropy, and service to others. His faith helped shape both his personal conduct and his view that efficient business practices, charitable giving, and religious devotion could coexist, even as critics questioned some of the methods that built his fortune. 

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The Pennsylvania Oil Boom

Rockefeller did not discover oil in Pennsylvania, but he quickly recognized something many of the early oil drillers failed to see. Most were focused on speculation and short-term profits, rushing to the next oil strike without building lasting businesses. Rockefeller viewed the industry differently. His attention to detail and long-term thinking led him to focus on refining rather than drilling.

While others searched for oil, Rockefeller worked to create the most efficient system for processing, transporting, and selling it. He constantly looked for ways to reduce waste and increase profitability. Standard Oil found uses for nearly every part of a barrel of crude oil, producing products such as kerosene for lighting, lubricants, paraffin, and other petroleum-based goods that competitors often overlooked.

Rockefeller also understood that transportation was just as important as production. He negotiated favorable agreements with railroads, improved storage and distribution systems, and later supported the expansion of pipelines and tank cars. Every step of the process was examined for efficiency, cost savings, and reliability.

His competitors often behaved like prospectors chasing the next opportunity. Rockefeller thought like a builder. While others pursued oil discoveries, he focused on creating an integrated system that connected refining, transportation, distribution, and sales. That system, more than any single oil well, became the foundation of Standard Oil’s dominance and transformed the petroleum industry

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Standard Oil and the 90% Monopoly

There are always at least two sides to the Rockefeller story, and much of the debate surrounding him remains alive today. Viewed through a modern lens, some of his business practices appear aggressive, even troubling. Critics argued that Rockefeller used Standard Oil’s financial strength to pressure competitors, secure favorable transportation rates, acquire rival companies, and exert enormous influence over the marketplace. To many observers, his growing dominance threatened the competitive spirit that capitalism was supposed to encourage.

At the same time, it is important to understand the historical context. During much of Rockefeller’s rise, modern antitrust laws had not yet been created, and the rules governing large corporations were still evolving. Many of the practices that later became controversial existed in a legal and regulatory gray area or were entirely lawful at the time.

Supporters of Rockefeller point to a different set of facts. They argue that his success was built on discipline, planning, efficiency, and execution. Standard Oil lowered the cost of refined oil products, reduced waste throughout the production process, improved transportation and distribution networks, and made products such as kerosene affordable to millions of ordinary households. In their view, Rockefeller succeeded not because he discovered oil, but because he organized the industry better than anyone else.

The larger question is one that continues to surface in every generation: when does exceptional business success become excessive economic power? The same debate that surrounded Standard Oil can be seen today in discussions about large technology and retail companies. Supporters often emphasize innovation, efficiency, and lower prices, while critics worry about market dominance and the concentration of power. Rockefeller’s story remains relevant because it sits at the center of that enduring tension.

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Ida Tarbell and the Public Backlash

Ida Tarbell played a pivotal role in reshaping the public image of Rockefeller and Standard Oil. Through a series of investigative articles later collected into The History of the Standard Oil Company, she exposed many of the aggressive business practices that critics believed helped Standard Oil achieve dominance. Her work became one of the defining achievements of early investigative journalism and helped establish a new standard for holding powerful institutions accountable.

Tarbell’s interest in the story was not purely academic. Her father had been an independent oil producer in Pennsylvania and had experienced firsthand the disruption caused by Standard Oil’s rise. While this personal connection gave her reporting an added sense of urgency, historians generally regard her research as thorough and well-documented. Rather than relying on opinion alone, she assembled a detailed case built on records, interviews, and corporate history.

The public reaction was significant. Tarbell’s reporting strengthened growing concerns about trusts, monopolies, and concentrated economic power. Along with broader Progressive Era reform efforts, her work helped build support for stronger antitrust enforcement and greater scrutiny of large corporations. More than a century later, her investigation remains a landmark example of journalism’s ability to challenge powerful interests and influence public debate.

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The Breakup of Standard Oil

The U.S. government eventually used antitrust law to challenge Standard Oil, and in 1911, the Supreme Court ordered the company to be broken up into dozens of separate entities. Critics viewed the decision as a victory against monopoly power and a landmark moment in American business regulation. Yet one of the great ironies of the ruling is that it did not diminish Rockefeller’s wealth. Because he remained a major shareholder in the successor companies, he retained ownership across the newly independent firms.

Many of those companies eventually evolved into some of the world’s largest energy corporations, including Exxon, Mobil, and Chevron. As investors recognized the value of the individual businesses, the combined market value of Rockefeller’s holdings increased substantially. In effect, the breakup that was intended to reduce the power of Standard Oil ultimately made its founder even wealthier. It remains one of the most fascinating examples in business history of how government intervention produced an outcome very different from what many people expected.

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Rockefeller the Family Man

His marriage to Laura Spelman Rockefeller was stable, loving, and long-lasting, a sharp contrast to the instability he experienced growing up with his often-absent father. It is difficult not to see that experience shaping the man he became. While Rockefeller built one of the most powerful business empires in history, he also devoted considerable time and attention to his family.

What surprised me most was how present he appeared to be as a husband and father. Despite the demands of Standard Oil, he made family life a priority. He spent time with his children, played with them in the yard, rode horseback with them, and used everyday moments to teach lessons about life, responsibility, and money. He intentionally maintained large family properties with extensive outdoor space, not simply as symbols of wealth but as places where the family could gather and spend time together.

This side of Rockefeller runs counter to the popular image many people have of him. The ruthless businessman who negotiated acquisitions and dominated the oil industry was also a man who valued routine, family engagement, and personal relationships. The contrast is one of the reasons his story remains so fascinating.

His faith was another constant throughout his life. Rockefeller remained deeply involved in his church, attending regularly and providing significant financial support. Religion was not something he adopted later in life after becoming wealthy; it was a central part of his identity from childhood through old age. His religious beliefs influenced his views on discipline, charity, personal conduct, and stewardship of wealth.

Rockefeller also possessed an obsessive attention to financial detail. As a young man, he carefully recorded every dollar he earned and spent, a habit he maintained throughout his life. He believed financial discipline was a skill that could be learned and taught. He encouraged his children to track their money, save consistently, and understand the value of compound growth long before personal finance became a common topic of discussion. Even in his later years in Florida, he became known for handing out nickels and dimes to neighborhood children, often turning the gesture into a lesson about saving and investing rather than simply giving money away.

Whether one views Rockefeller as a visionary entrepreneur or an aggressive monopolist, there is no denying that he applied the same discipline and intentionality to his family life that he brought to his business career. The result was a family structure and personal stability that stood in stark contrast to the chaotic childhood from which he emerged.

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Philanthropy and Legacy

This is where the reader has to weigh the man against his methods and place both within the context of his time. It is easy to look back from the twenty-first century and criticize Rockefeller’s business practices, but it is also worth asking what might have been lost had those practices been restricted earlier. Would a smaller Standard Oil have meant less concentrated wealth and power? Almost certainly. But would it also have meant fewer resources available for the philanthropy that followed?

These are not easy questions to answer. Rockefeller accumulated a fortune on a scale the world had never seen, yet he ultimately dedicated much of that wealth to causes that transformed society. His donations helped advance medicine, public health, education, and scientific research. The institutions and foundations he funded contributed to breakthroughs that improved and extended millions of lives worldwide.

One of the more interesting contradictions is that Rockefeller personally favored homeopathic medicine, yet many of his philanthropic efforts supported scientific and medical research that helped modernize healthcare. Through his foundations, funding was directed toward medical schools, disease prevention programs, public health initiatives, and research institutions. Campaigns against diseases such as hookworm and yellow fever improved health outcomes across entire regions and demonstrated how organized philanthropy could address problems that governments often struggled to solve alone.

None of this erases the legitimate criticisms of Standard Oil or the concerns about monopoly power. Nor does the philanthropy automatically justify the business practices that created the fortune. Rather, it illustrates the complexity of Rockefeller’s legacy. He was neither the cartoon villain portrayed by some critics nor the flawless captain of industry celebrated by his admirers. He was a man whose pursuit of efficiency and control created immense wealth, and who then used a significant portion of that wealth to build institutions that continue to influence education, medicine, and public health more than a century later.

Perhaps the most enduring question Rockefeller leaves us with is whether society benefits more from preventing the concentration of great fortunes or from allowing them to form and then relying on their owners to return that wealth to the public through philanthropy. It is a debate that began in Rockefeller’s era and continues today.

Major institutions

Perhaps the most lasting part of Rockefeller’s legacy is not Standard Oil, but the institutions he helped create. Rather than simply giving money away, Rockefeller believed in building organizations that could continue to educate, conduct research, and serve future generations.

Among his most significant contributions was the founding and funding of the University of Chicago, which grew into one of the world’s leading universities and remains a major center for research and scholarship today. He also provided substantial support to Spelman College, which was named in honor of his wife Laura’s family. The college became one of the most important educational institutions for African American women in the United States and continues that mission today.

Rockefeller’s philanthropy extended far beyond higher education. Throughout his life, he supported churches, religious missions, medical research, public health initiatives, and charitable organizations. His giving reflected both his deep religious faith and his belief that wealth carried a responsibility to improve society.

Perhaps his greatest philanthropic achievement was the creation of the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913. More than one hundred years later, the foundation continues to support projects around the world in areas such as public health, education, scientific research, economic development, and humanitarian aid. Few individuals can claim that institutions they founded are still actively shaping lives generations after they are gone.

Whether one admires or criticizes Rockefeller’s business career, it is difficult to deny the scale and longevity of his charitable impact. Many fortunes have been accumulated throughout history, but far fewer have been transformed into institutions that continue serving people more than a century later. That may be one of the strongest arguments for why Rockefeller remains such an important and controversial figure in American history.

One of the most interesting aspects of Rockefeller’s philanthropy was that he treated giving as seriously as he treated business. He believed money alone rarely solved problems. Instead, he wanted to know who needed assistance, why, how the funds would be used, and what results could be expected. His goal was not merely to relieve immediate suffering but to create institutions capable of producing long-term benefits. In many ways, Rockefeller helped pioneer modern strategic philanthropy, in which effectiveness, accountability, and measurable outcomes are valued alongside generosity. 

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Closing

Rockefeller’s story forces Americans into an uncomfortable question. Do we admire the people who build enormous systems, or fear them? In many ways, modern America still lives inside the world Rockefeller helped create: massive corporations, concentrated wealth, industrial efficiency, philanthropy on a historic scale, and endless debate over whether power this large can ever truly serve the public good.

What stands out to me is not simply the size of Rockefeller’s fortune, but what he chose to do with it. Rather than focusing on short-term charity or public recognition, he invested in institutions designed to outlive him and continue serving society for generations. Universities, medical research, public health programs, and philanthropic foundations became part of his legacy. More than a century after his death, many of those institutions continue to make an impact.

Whether one views Rockefeller as a visionary, a monopolist, or something in between, there is value in examining his commitment to long-term philanthropy, accountability, and institution-building. In an age when vast fortunes continue to be accumulated, perhaps the more important question is not how much wealth someone acquires, but what lasting good they create with it.

I used ChatGPT for the critical reception because I could not know what was being said when the book came out.

Critical Reception

When Titan was published in 1998, it was widely praised by critics, historians, and readers alike. The book won the prestigious National Book Award for Nonfiction and is frequently cited as one of the finest business biographies ever written.

Reviewers praised Chernow for presenting a balanced portrait of Rockefeller, avoiding both hagiography and condemnation. Many noted that the biography challenged popular assumptions by revealing a more complex and human figure than the caricature often portrayed in history books. More than two decades after publication, Titan continues to appear on recommended reading lists for business leaders, investors, historians, and students of American capitalism.