EXALTING FREEDOM
THROUGH ETHICAL CAPITALISM
THREE DYNAMITE IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS By Jeff Piersall and Eric Wright
Developing a Mindset of Generosity Jeff Piersall
Eric Wright
I
t is probably the most coveted award in the world, especially in the fields of science and economics. Yes, you guessed it, the Nobel Prize, whose laureates include Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway and Martin Luther King. The most interesting thing about this famous recognition is why Alfred Nobel left most of his sizeable fortune to establish the now famous foundation that bears his name.
his obituary. The headline was memorable: “Le marchand de la mort est mort” — “The Merchant of Death is Dead.” It declared that Nobel “became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before.” Like many in the media today, the fact that his invention was transformative, making projects like America’s transcontinental railroad possible, was not highlighted by the obit writer.
A brilliant chemist, inventor and businessman, Nobel was awarded more than 330 patents in his career. His most renowned achievement was developing a commercial application for the highly volatile yet powerful explosive nitroglycerin in the form of dynamite. He was only 34 when he received the patent, which would bring him fame, fortune and infamy.
Nobel, however, was shocked by what he read. The idea that this is what would be etched on the edifice of history about his life and achievements was unacceptable.
When his brother Ludwig died in 1888, a French newspaper thought it was the eminent inventor/industrialist and published
Like the metamorphosis Ebenezer Scrooge experienced as a result of his specter-guided journey into the past, present and future, Nobel decided to create a different story. His success at reinventing himself in the form of prizes for individuals whose work benefits mankind was far more pronounced than most think even he imagined.