Banquet at Delmonico's

Starred review from November 10, 2008
In this fascinating study, Werth (The Scarlet Professor
) shows how the idea of social Darwinism, as codified by Herbert Spencer, took hold in the United States, underpinning the philosophy of the Gilded Age’s social, cultural and financial elite. Anchoring his story with the stunning Delmonico’s celebration honoring the departure of Spencer after a triumphant tour of the United States in 1882, Werth rightly depicts the frame of reference Spencer left behind as a predecessor to Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, with its focus on unrestrained self-interest and unbridled capitalism. As Werth explains, Spencer’s interpretation of Darwinism won the approval of not only robber barons but also prominent religious, scientific and political leaders. Henry Ward Beecher, writes Werth, “used the most acclaimed pulpit in America to preach the gospel of evolution; that is, that it was God’s way to... sort the worthy from the wretched.” This was survival of the fittest, which Spencer and his followers saw as not only just but necessary. Thus, Werth elegantly reveals a firm philosophical foundation for all the antilabor excesses of the Industrial Age.

Starred review from November 15, 2008
In late 1882, a farewell dinner in honor of Herbert Spencer was held at New York's famous Delmonico's Restaurant. The guest list was impressive, representing many prominent Americans who supported Spencer's ideology of social Darwinism. Guests included important politicians (Elihu Root, Carl Schurz), scientists (O.C. Marsh, William Graham Sumner), industrialists (Andrew Carnegie, Cyrus Field), and ministers (Henry Ward Beecher, Lyman Abbott). This banquet represented the convergence of Gilded Age thinking related to the role of government, society, and religion based upon evolutionary principles. Spencer's brand of social thought came to America at a time when the leaders in the country were searching for ways to deal with scandal, corruption, and economic crisis. Social Darwinism seemed to provide the answers they were seeking for science, race, and spirituality. Werth ("31 Days; The Scarlet Professor") has written a fascinating book about one of our country's most interesting and complex periods. He provides a unique perspective on this era and the important people involved with shaping our history. Highly recommended for all academic and public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 9/1/08.]Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.-Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2008
In 1882 the U.S. was in the midst of what Mark Twain called the Gilded Agegreat prosperity at the top of the social scale, surrounded by poverty among the masses in teeming industrial centers. At the same time, Darwins theories of natural selection and survival of the fittest had taken flight; they were frequently used (or abused) to explain and justify the wide disparities in wealth. In that year a dinner party was held at the swanky Delmonicos restaurant in New York to honor Herbert Spencer, the British philosopher and influential promoter of social Darwinism. Werth uses this gathering as a launching pad to describe the exciting and tumultuous times the attendees lived through as well as the lives and careers of some of the chief movers and shakers of the age. There are finely drawn vignettes ofSpencer, the anti-Darwinian; Louis Agassiz, the staunch Christian; and Darwinist Asa Gray, the political reformer Carl Schurz, and many others. This is an interesting and well-done work that provides a snapshot of our nation engulfed in great political, intellectual, and social change.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)