The book depicts the extraordinary life journey of a Swabian banker in the second half of the 19th century. Kilian (von) Steiner became the most significant financier of the Kingdom of Württemberg. Steiner and the Württembergische Vereinsbank, which he co-founded as the first joint-stock bank in Württemberg, were involved in the establishment of several other joint-stock banks, including Deutsche Bank, as well as in the first major direct foreign investment by German banks, the construction of Anatolian railways. The Vereinsbank's clients included many prominent companies such as BASF, WMF, and Daimler. The author paints a vivid picture of industrialization in the Kingdom of Württemberg. The result is not only an engaging biography of a great Jewish Swabian, but the book also provides a significant contribution to the economic history of Baden-Württemberg.