A Man in Full
A Man in Full
Tom Wolfe
Charles Koch
Charles Koch recommended this book on his website.
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A Man in Full

A Man in Full

Tom Wolfe
By
Tom Wolfe
3.9
1132
ratings on Goodreads

In the bustling, neon-lit streets of Atlanta, Georgia, where the New South's glittering facade meets the gritty realities of urban life, Tom Wolfe sets his panoramic satire, "A Man in Full." At the heart of this sprawling narrative is Charles Croker, a former football hero turned real estate mogul, who finds himself wrestling with the specter of bankruptcy, a trophy wife with expensive tastes, and a plantation that's more albatross than asset. Wolfe's incisive wit cuts through the veneers of society, laying bare the ambitions, anxieties, and moral compromises of his characters with precision and humor. As Croker's empire teeters on the brink, a kaleidoscope of vividly drawn characters orbits his world, from Conrad Hensley, a young father navigating the humiliations of unemployment and the chaos of the penal system, to Roger White II, an African American attorney caught in the thorny politics of race and privilege when he defends a local football star accused of a heinous crime. Wolfe masterfully intertwines their stories, offering a scathing critique of America's social and economic divides while exploring themes of redemption, resilience, and the elusive nature of the American Dream. "A Man in Full" is a testament to Wolfe's unparalleled ability to dissect contemporary society, delivering a novel that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

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Released
1998
1 Nov
Length
704
Pages

1

recommendations

recommendation

Charles Koch recommended this book on his website.
One of the few freedoms that we have as human beings that cannot be taken away from us is the freedom to assent to what is true and to deny what is false. Nothing you can give me is worth surrendering that freedom for. At this moment I'm a man with complete tranquillity...I've been a real estate developer for most of my life, and I can tell you that a developer lives with the opposite of tranquillity, which is perturbation. You're perturbed about something all the time. You build your first development, and right away you want to build a bigger one, and you want a bigger house to live in, and if it ain't in Buckhead, you might as well cut your wrists. Soon's you got that, you want a plantation, tens of thousands of acres devoted solely to shooting quail, because you know of four or five developers who've already got that. And soon's you get that, you want a place on Sea Island and a Hatteras cruiser and a spread northwest of Buckhead, near the Chattahoochee, where you can ride a horse during the week, when you're not down at the plantation, plus a ranch in Wyoming, Colorado, or Montana, because truly successful men in Atlanta and New York all got their ranches, and of course now you need a private plane, a big one, too, a jet, a Gulfstream Five, because who's got the patience and the time and the humility to fly commercially, even to the plantation, much less out to a ranch? What is it you're looking for in this endless quest? Tranquillity. You think if only you can acquire enough worldly goods, enough recognition, enough eminence, you will be free, there'll be nothing more to worry about, and instead you become a bigger and bigger slave to how you think others are judging you.
— Tom Wolfe, A Man in Full

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