Almost 20 years before Don Rosa made his biography of Scrooge McDuck based on Carl Barks' writings, Jack L. Chalker did the same. The similarities ends about there. Chalker's book is a written account (and not a comic), and he is just as interested in Scrooge's adventures as an old man that he is in his back story. While this book does piece together Barks' stories, it does little to fill the gaps and expand upon them. And because Chalker is determined to include as many of Barks stories as possible, Scrooge ends up seeming like a character full of contradictions.

The latter half of the book is perhaps a bit too full of story summaries, but it is still an enjoyable read if you are into the subject.