"At the height of his career Samuel Insull was one of the richest men in the world, a celebrity businessman who commanded a commercial empire and wielded enormous influence in political and financial circles. Yet he died deeply in debt and almost universally despised by the American public, and today his name has nearly been forgotten. The Merchant of Power recounts the life of this extraordinary man, following him from his impoverished childhood to a job as Thomas Edison's secretary, and on to his pivotal role in the creation of General Electric and his invention of the power grid that sustains major cities even today."

"Drawing on unprecedented access to Samuel Insull's archives and his private correspondence with Edison, author John Wasik recreates Insull's world, establishing him as one of the larger-than-life figures who made real the American century. He also describes Insull's growing ambitions, and the excessive business practices that attracted the attention of Franklin Roosevelt and ultimately toppled his empire. Eerily reminiscent of the corporate scandals of today, this timely book depicts a man ahead of his time while remaining a cautionary tale of the abuse of corporate power."--Jacket.