Made in the USA
The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing
The MIT Press · Print & ebook · August 23, 2013
In Made in the USA, Vaclav Smil powerfully rebuts the notion that manufacturing is a relic of predigital history and that the loss of American manufacturing is a desirable evolutionary step toward a pure service economy.
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- Who it’s for
- Vaclav Smil connects American manufacturing’s history to its economic, strategic, and social stakes.
- Genres
- Manufacturing Industry, Economic History, Outsourcing
- Published
- The MIT Press, August 23, 2013
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For younger readers: Shift Happens: the History of Labor in the United States
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In Made in the USA, Vaclav Smil powerfully rebuts the notion that manufacturing is a relic of predigital history and that the loss of American manufacturing is a desirable evolutionary step toward a pure service economy. Smil argues that no advanced economy can prosper without a strong, innovative manufacturing sector and the jobs it creates. Smil explains how manufacturing became a fundamental force behind America's economic, strategic, and social dominance.
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He describes American manufacturing's rapid rise at the end of the nineteenth century, its consolidation and modernization between the two world wars, its role as an enabler of mass consumption after 1945, and its recent decline. Some economists argue that shipping low-value jobs overseas matters little because the high-value work remains in the United States. But, asks Smil, do we want a society that consists of a small population of workers doing high-value-added work and masses of unemployed? Smil assesses various suggestions for solving America's manufacturing crisis, including lowering corporate tax rates, promoting research and development, and improving public education. Will America act to preserve and reinvigorate its manufacturing? It is crucial to our social and economic well-being; but, Smil warns, the odds are no better than even.
Industry in Focus
Vaclav Smil connects American manufacturing’s history to its economic, strategic, and social stakes.
Come here for
- A clear-eyed case for why manufacturing still matters
- The long arc from industrial rise to recent decline
Expect
- Historical context alongside debate over outsourcing
- A measured look at proposals to revive manufacturing
Where it sits
| Manufacturing Industry | 91% |
|---|---|
| Outsourcing | 32% |
| Economic History | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Labor & Workforce
- Manufacturing Industry
- Corporate Histories
- Authors
- Vaclav Smil
- Publisher
- The MIT Press
- Published
- August 23, 2013
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Labor & Workforce