By John Sedgwick
For the subjects of this book "a lot of the problems came from wealth and having so many options, so many places to turn to." Sedgwick, who is descended from a prosperous New England shipping family and who inherited a small income himself (not enough to keep him from working as a free-lance writer), had a special entree into the world of the wealthy. Many of his subjects refused to allow their names to be used, but their stories—of delight at finding they were wealthy, followed by the dismay over the difficulties that money brings—certainly ring true. Some, like Annie Owen, who inherited Texas oil millions, become interested in making more money. Elizabeth Meyer (chemicals and the Washington Post) can indulge in racing yachts. One young Texan turned a former girls' school into a lavish club for his own and his friends' pleasure. Rich kids love to travel, and they find marvelous places all over the world to enjoy. Some who grew up in the '60s, notably Patty Hearst, seem to have been overwhelmed by guilt and became easy prey for the cults and radical movements of the era. The fundamental problem, however, is that while most self-made millionaires spend a lifetime growing into the role, "rich kids have it thrust upon them." Sedgwick, author of another nonfiction book, Night Vision (about a Boston private detective), enjoys his insider's examination of how the rich live and concludes that for himself, anyway, "the pleasure [that comes from money] is in earning it." (Morrow, $17.95)
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