BOOK REVIEW: Hershey by Michael D' Antonio
Wow....it's been sometime since I last posted a book review. So I believe I should make a comeback with something sweet. Chocolate....every girls' comfort food, a romantic token of affection on Valentine's, the list for chocolate could just go on and on...Hershey Kisses are one of those chocolates that have been around for decades. So how did this chocolate mainstay come about?
The name Hershey evokes many things: chocolate bars, the company town in Pennsylvania, one of America's most recognizable brands. But who was the man behind the name? In this compelling biography, this Pulitzer Prize-winning author gives us the real life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day.
Hershey, the son of a minister's daughter and an irresponsible father who deserted the family, began his career inauspiciously when the two candy shops he opened both went bankrupt. Undeterred, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which brought him success at last. Eventually he sold his caramel operation and went on to perfect the production process of chocolate to create a stable, consistent bar with a long shelf life and an American icon was born.
Hershey was more than a successful businessman - he was a progressive thinker who believed in capitalism as a means to higher goals. He built the world's largest chocolate factory and an utopian village for his workers on a large tract of land in rural Pennsylvania, and used his own fortune to keep his workers employed during the Great Depression. In addition, he secretly willed his fortune to a boys' school and orphanage, both of which now control a vast endowment.
Extensively researched and vividly written, this book is the fascinating story of this uniquely American visionary. Since reading this exciting biography, I highly appreciate a Hershey Kiss because I have learnt that there's so much more to life then just smiles and good memories. Many of us take these chocolates for granted without realizing the tears that were there in its history.
One of those pick me up and read me now kind of books, Hershey is a true eye opener to the world's most famous chocolate.
