by Vaclav Smil
First published 2013
America's manufacturing sector faces a crisis that threatens the nation's economic future. Vaclav Smil dismantles the popular belief that losing factories represents natural progress toward a service economy. He traces how manufacturing drove America's rise to global dominance, from its explosive growth in the late 1800s through its modernization between world wars and its support of mass consumption after 1945. Smil questions whether Americans want a society split between a few high skilled workers and masses of unemployed people. He examines potential solutions including tax reform, increased research funding, and better education. Bill Gates calls Smil an author he anticipates more than any other. The book warns that America's social and economic health depends on reviving its manufacturing base, but the chances of success remain uncertain.
Genres: history, business, american, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: informative
Setting: USA
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
280 pages · Kindle Edition · The MIT Press