Made in the USA

The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing

De: Vaclav Smil

Narrado por: Adam Barr

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. 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.

©2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (P)2022 Tantor

An incisive and condemning look...

An incisive and condemning look at the 100-year rise in US manufacturing, and the energy and outsourcing decisions over the last 50 years that have led to its fall. An informative, if chilling, read.

illuminating but troubling

As usual, Vaclav Smil cuts through all hype and obfuscation surrounding an issue to make you really understand an issue, and in this case it's devastating.

the us is headed towards really tough times. the more trends go on, the more data we get, the more clear it becomes that the foundation of this country that held it together - a growing middle class - is deeply in danger of ceasing to exist. Smil goes over the case in a multifaceted way and it explains so much of what is going on that it makes everything wrong with what goes on today crystal clear. All his books do this but this one in particular is especially important.

Dont care about references

Interesting book that irked me by the onslaught of references and dates read non stop in all chapters - I don’t care about them in an audio book

first half was good

the first half of this book had a really interesting historical account of manufacturing's evolution in the USA. the last few chapters went downhill. aside from being >5 years old and needing an update, it took an overwhelmingly negative tone backed by reasons I couldn't agree with. over half of the logic was good, but giving preference to manufacturing jobs over manufacturing productivity is an example of perspective that caused me to tune out.