Frederick Marion Hubbell lived the classic rags-to-riches story. He traveled to Iowa with his father in 1855, but when it was time to return to his East Coast home, the teenager balked and stayed behind. Hubbell perceived great opportunities in Des Moines and quirky took advantage of them. This led to a rapid rise in the business world that saw him piece together an empire based on real estate, railroads, insurance, and a waterworks. With these enterprises, Hubbell became a leading developer of Des Moines, and through his creation of the Hubbell Trust, he insured that his descendants remained involved in the city for generations. William B. Fredricks uses newly available records to bring to life one of central Iowa's most important figures. The result is a balanced and compelling biography, steeped in business, family, and Iowa history.

Investing in Iowa: The Life and Times of F.M. Hubbell

WIlliam B. Friedricks

The Iowan Books

<p>Celina Karp Biniaz was just eight years old when the Germans invaded her homeland of Poland in 1939. Over the next six years, the child from Krakow endured the Holocaust as the Nazis took away her schooling and civil rights, then herded her and her family into a ghetto. Life grew worse when the ghetto was liquidated, and the family was sent to Plaszów, a slave labor/concentration camp where they lived in constant fear, witnessing unspeakable horrors. Ultimately, Celina and her parents landed on Schindler's list, but before being sent to safety at Schindler's factory, Celina spent several terrifying weeks at Auschwitz where she faced down the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. When the war ended, she and her family eventually made their way to the United States, where Celina got on with her life. With great strength and resilience, she moved forward and embraced the American dream. She finished her education, got married, had a family, and eventually enjoyed a career in teaching. But she kept her Holocaust experience a secret because the years were too terrible to describe, and she did not believe anyone would understand. That all changed with Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List, which brought the Holocaust and the story of Oskar Schindler to millions around the world. The movie prompted Celina to confront her painful past and begin speaking publicly about it. As she often explains, “Oskar Schindler gave me my life, but Steven Spielberg gave me my voice.”</p>

Saved by Schindler: The Life of Celina Karp Biniaz

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Ice Cube Press, LLC

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by WIlliam B. Friedricks. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by WIlliam B. Friedricks

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by WIlliam B. Friedricks. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Investing in Iowa: The Life and Times of F.M. Hubbell

Saved by Schindler: The Life of Celina Karp Biniaz