I am fascinated by the psychology and personalities of entrepreneurs so I read their autobiographies avidly. These books are a mixed bunch. Many of the most intriguing figures never put pen to paper, while others who do produce memoirs that are almost unreadable. Invariably they never do it for the money – one assumes it is ego and a desire to tell their story. But there are certainly some volumes worthy of study.

The pioneer was probably Andrew Carnegie, the billionaire steel baron from Dunfermline, reputedly one of the richest self-made men of all time. He was also a great philanthropist and gave most of his fortune away. His 1920 autobiography is a decent read and an excellent insight into the extraordinary industrialisation of America in the early 20th century.