The Koch brothers are the heirs of a family business "built" by their father, Frederick, a talented chemical engineer, born of humble origins in Quanah, Texas. Firm in his conviction that successful men controlled their destinies, Frederick made his mark early on in the petroleum industry.  He then married Mary Clementine Robinson of Kansas City. Frederick and Mary were the parents of four sons, otherwise known as the Koch brothers. These sons include Fred (named after his father), Charles, and fraternal twins David, and Bill.  After that, it gets complicated.

The oldest brother, Fred, independently pursued his own interests and wasn't interested in the family business.  Charles and David were much alike and got along well together even though it was David and Bill who were the twins. Bill felt left out and, as a result, was intensely competitive with his brothers. This set the stage for years of family conflict, bitter fights, and multiple lawsuits.  But while the boys were fiercely competing for their father's attention, he had other things on his mind: politics. 

 It is fascinating for the reader to discover that Frederick Koch, the patriarch of the family empire, was personally on hand for a meeting on December 8, 1958 that would mark the creation of the John Birch Society.  Frederick Koch had developed strong opinions about the threat of communism while working in the Soviet Union in 1930. His views had brought him to the attention of Robert Welch, who had convened the meeting.  Also present was T. Coleman Andrews, former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and Col. Laurence Bunker, a former aide to General Douglas MacArthur.

The patriarch's belief that world events would eventually precipitate a clash between capitalism and collectivism was passed on and shared by his son Charles, who emerged as the leader of the family business. Charles, as the author points out, joined the Birch Society in the early 1960s and later became deeply interested in Austrian economics which influenced the foundation of libertarianism. He became a devotee of libertarianism and a supporter of Robert LeFevre's Freedom School, serving on the board of trustees.  He also began to provide substantial financial support for "myriad libertarian and free-market organizations" which would thrive because of his support.  The creation of the Cato Institute is one such example. Charles served as the "organization's wallet."    

After the death of his father, Charles Koch emerged as Koch's chairman and CEO. The company boomed eventually becoming America's second largest private company. Charles attributed the growth of Koch Industries to his libertarian ideology using a model called Market-Based Management. Some dismissed it as micro-management, but Charles fervently promoted it as being based on what he called the "science of liberty."

 In 1985, the Koch brothers formed Citizens for a Sound Economy, based on the tactics of the left, and used it to attack the Clinton administration's health care reform initiatives. Citizens for a Sound Economy later merged into Americans for Prosperity and this is what put the Koch brothers on the political radar big time. On February 19, 2009, when CNBC's Rick Santelli went on the air and denounced the administration and said, "We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party," it was a pivotal moment. Americans for Prosperity seized the moment and immediately began promoting the concept of a Tea Party with the support and funding of the Koch brothers. You know the rest of the story.

 Notwithstanding the political disputes, environmental issues, the bitter lawsuits, and the human failings of the brothers—all of which are painstakingly examined by the author—the theme that emerges, like it or not, is the compelling attractions of economic freedom allowing Americans the opportunity to succeed or fail based on their abilities and the merits of their dreams and ambitions.