Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune

"The Astor family made its money in beaver trapping, but the family is perhaps most known for its political and cultural influence. The prominent American family helped develop New York City with multiple real estate holdings, and the Astors were mainstays of Gilded Age society and had the most famous death on the Titanic. As with most other ultrawealthy Gilded Age families, the money that was made by one or two generations dwindled over the years and is now mostly gone (see Anderson Cooper’s 2021 book on his ancestors, the Vanderbilts). The book details the often ruthless ways members of the family made and spent their fortune and how it led at times to unhappiness and greed. Money can’t buy you everything."