Book excerpt: The early skyscrapers were a range of tall commercial buildings built between 1884 and 1945, predominantly in the American cities of New York City and Chicago. ... Chicago initially led the way in skyscraper design, with many constructed in the center of the financial district during the late 1880s and early 1890s Packed with colorful tales of the powerful executives and self-made millionaires who commissioned the country's first skyscrapers, this book also traces the emergence of modern corporations in banking, media, transportation, insurance, manufacturing, entertainment, and other industries that fed the explosive growth of American cities at the start of the 20th century. Learn the surprising and inspiring stories of Gilded Age rags-to-riches risk-takers who invested in these so-called "machines that make the land pay" - soaring structures that proclaimed their owners' influence and remain as legacies of a fascinating, forgotten past.