America is a country of immigrants. The history of the country, with all its achievements and defeats, was written by people who came there from all over the world, and their descendants. As the author of the book aptly notes: "... some of the world's greatest financial institutions, the companies that became dominant on Wall Street and contributed to the industrial transformation in America, were born out of rickety wooden trolleys and bulbous canvas backpacks." This work traces in detail the history of Jewish immigrants who have achieved great success in the financial field. They started out as itinerant peddlers and merchants, and eventually some were able to create their own empires dictating U.S. financial policy, while others simply became very wealthy people. The history of the emergence, formation and prosperity of famous American firms reflects the financial evolution of the country. And the story about the philanthropic activities of bankers, aimed mainly at supporting the arts, sheds light on the cultural development of America. The author of the book is himself a descendant of immigrants, and his deep immersion in the subject makes the narrative lively and sincere.