When you open the door to a library, a world of opportunity awaits. No one believed this more than Andrew Carnegie. In simple prose, Larsen narrates the life story of Scottish-born Carnegie and his incredible gift to the world: over 2500 libraries, with over 650 built in the UK. Leaving Dunfermline with his family as a child, he arrived in America poor, but with plenty of determination. Working hard, he made the most of his opportunities, and eventually created a steel empire which helped to shape modern America. While his harsh business practices tarnished his working class reputation, he was generous to those in need, and phenomenally wealthy, he never forgot the role a library had played in his success. Carnegie's legacy continues to this day. He set up the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust UK and the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust. The Carnegie Medal is a literary award that was established to celebrate the centenary of his birth. He created the Carnegie Foundation for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in perpetuity a 'Temple of Peace': the stunning Peace Palace in The Hague today houses institutions including the International Court of Justice and the Peace Palace Library.
