Economic Indicators
Categories
Demographics & Culture
What I’m reading: American Prometheus
Jody Jonsson
November 9, 2023
In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the god of fire, a troublemaker of sorts who defied the other gods by giving fire to mere mortals. In doing so, he imparted a technology that would forever change the world.
In the book American Prometheus, authors Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin borrow that analogy to describe the life, achievements and regrets of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the iconic physicist who led the effort to invent the atomic bomb. Winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for biography, the book is the basis for the 2023 summer blockbuster movie Oppenheimer.
It is also portfolio manager Jody Jonsson’s pick for our new book review series. A previous article highlighting book selections by Capital Group’s investment team — which you can read here — was so popular that we’ve decided to make it a regular column, featuring one book at a time.
Jonsson, who also serves as Vice Chair of Capital Group, read American Prometheus after seeing the movie and becoming fascinated with Oppenheimer’s story. A few years earlier she had visited Los Alamos, where Oppenheimer’s team had worked, and read another book about the Manhattan Project. Her father, who was also a physicist, likely attended lectures by Oppenheimer when he studied at Princeton University, so the movie evoked memories which were revived even more so by the book.
“I really couldn’t put it down,” Jonsson says. “It’s very well written, impeccably researched and provides meaningful insight into not only Oppenheimer, but also the characters around him who worked on the Manhattan Project” from 1942 to 1945.
Although the goal of the Manhattan Project was starkly different, there are parallels, Jonsson believes, between that endeavour and the cooperative work that happens every day at a large organization such as our own.
“What I find so amazing is how Oppenheimer convinced this team of scientists to work together,” she explains. “He had these very temperamental people, some with rather large egos, but they were all brilliant. He brought them to Los Alamos, creating that city out of nothing, and got them to work as one cohesive team. I'm just fascinated by the lessons about leadership and motivation in that story.”
Learn more about
Our latest insights
-
-
-
-
Asset Allocation
-
United States
RELATED INSIGHTS
-
-
Market Volatility
-
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in investment funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed or covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. For investment funds other than money market funds, their values change frequently. For money market funds, there can be no assurances that the fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. Past performance may not be repeated.
Unless otherwise indicated, the investment professionals featured do not manage Capital Group‘s Canadian investment funds.
References to particular companies or securities, if any, are included for informational or illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as an endorsement by Capital Group. Views expressed regarding a particular company, security, industry or market sector should not be considered an indication of trading intent of any investment funds or current holdings of any investment funds. These views should not be considered as investment advice nor should they be considered a recommendation to buy or sell.
Statements attributed to an individual represent the opinions of that individual as of the date published and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Capital Group or its affiliates. This information is intended to highlight issues and not be comprehensive or to provide advice. For informational purposes only; not intended to provide tax, legal or financial advice. We assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The information contained herein has been supplied without verification by us and may be subject to change. Capital Group funds are available in Canada through registered dealers. For more information, please consult your financial and tax advisors for your individual situation.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made herein. We encourage you to consider these and other factors carefully before making any investment decisions and we urge you to avoid placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
The S&P 500 Composite Index (“Index”) is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Capital Group. Copyright © 2024 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC.
FTSE source: London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the "LSE Group"). © LSE Group 2024. FTSE Russell is a trading name of certain of the LSE Group companies. "FTSE®" is a trade mark of the relevant LSE Group companies and is used by any other LSE Group company under licence. All rights in the FTSE Russell indices or data vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the index or the data. Neither LSE Group nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the indices or data and no party may rely on any indices or data contained in this communication. No further distribution of data from the LSE Group is permitted without the relevant LSE Group company's express written consent. The LSE Group does not promote, sponsor or endorse the content of this communication. The index is unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom and, to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
MSCI does not approve, review or produce reports published on this site, makes no express or implied warranties or representations and is not liable whatsoever for any data represented. You may not redistribute MSCI data or use it as a basis for other indices or investment products.
Capital believes the software and information from FactSet to be reliable. However, Capital cannot be responsible for inaccuracies, incomplete information or updating of the information furnished by FactSet. The information provided in this report is meant to give you an approximate account of the fund/manager's characteristics for the specified date. This information is not indicative of future Capital investment decisions and is not used as part of our investment decision-making process.
Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly. Returns represent past performance, are not a guarantee of future performance, and are not indicative of any specific investment.
All Capital Group trademarks are owned by The Capital Group Companies, Inc. or an affiliated company in Canada, the U.S. and other countries. All other company names mentioned are the property of their respective companies.
Capital Group funds are offered in Canada by Capital International Asset Management (Canada), Inc., part of Capital Group, a global investment management firm originating in Los Angeles, California in 1931. Capital Group manages equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups.
The Capital Group funds offered on this website are available only to Canadian residents.