Factory man is a portrait of a specific individual, namely john bassett iii, the son of a north carolina furniture manufacturing dynasty. Nonfiction storytelling at its finest it does what the best business books. Told in the form of a firstperson narrative, invisible man traces the nameless narrators physical and psychological journey from blind ignorance to enlightened awareness. Beth macy is the author of the widely acclaimed and bestselling books truevine and factory man. Macy wrote on a subject she thought badly overlooked. I spent my life in the heat, stink, and grime of heavy industry, where america earned its break and still. The book tells the story of how globalisation affects the lives of everyone from the heads of furniture manufacturing empires to their maids and chauffeurs, from the factory workers to civic leaders in small towns across the south. With its success came the need for more and more factories and more and more employees. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed localand helped save an american town, awardwinning journalist beth macy tells the story of john. In factory man, a struggle to stay competitive the new.
Factory man by beth macy little, brown and company. Jul 14, 2014 factory man npr coverage of factory man. His primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed localand helped save an american town by beth macy. Invisible man is the story of a young, collegeeducated black man struggling to survive and succeed in a racially divided society that refuses to see him as a human being. The instant new york times bestseller about one man s battle to save h.
Factory man explores human side of how globalization. Factory man is available for preorder on, but not amazon because of the dispute with hachette seriously, guys, get it together. I have one copy available to give to the winner of this. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local and helped save an american town kindle edition by macy, beth. A familyowned furniture company in the southern united states resists global pressure to outsource their companys manufacturing jobs and struggles to stay competitive in the market place. Factory man marks the first book for prizewinning journalist macy. The band has achieved regional success and is best known for its street fight. Aug 17, 2014 factory man is so thick with rich characters, family secrets and backwoods wisdom that this very abundance becomes its one flaw. The instant new york times bestseller about one man s battle to save hundreds of jobs by demonstrating the greatness of american business. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed localand helped save an american town, by. The first half of the book is given over to bassett history in. Factory man wonderfully recounts the davidandgoliath. Bassett iii, who was determined to maintain american manufacturing and fight chinese dumping imports. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local and helped save an american town macy, beth on.
How a factory man fought to save his furniture company. The subtitle of this book is how one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local and helped save an american. Based in roanoke, virginia for three decades, her reporting has. Factory man the most popular nonfiction, nonacademic book ever published about an antidumping trade case is a worthy read for three reasons.
Man factory is an american indie rock band from arlington, texas established in 2002. Based in roanoke, virginia for three decades, her reporting has won more than a dozen national awards, including a nieman fellowship for journalism at harvard. Journalist beth macys page about her books, beginning with factory man, in. As she shows how he uses legal maneuvers, factory efficiencies, and sheer grit, cunning, and will to save hundreds of jobs, she also discovers the hidden and shocking truth about industry and america. Get an answer for what is the main conflict and resolution in the book charlie and the chocolate factory. It was perhaps the most popular of his irreverent, darkly comic novels written for young people and tells the story of a destitute young boy who wins a golden ticket to tour the mysterious and magical chocolate factory of willy wonka. John bassett iii joins the mcgraw show to introduce book factory man.
Jul 03, 2014 the genesis of factory man was a series of articles ms. Factory man is a story of the bassett furniture company once the worlds largest furniture maker and heir john d. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local and helped save an american town from the worlds largest communi. It is also a reflection of the history of furniture manufacturing in america and the world. In factory man, you write that you are not a business writer, but you dont hold back in taking on top american economists and their views on globalization. The protagonist is a fiery, patriotic industrialist who was chastised by his industry and his big retail customers for using the trade laws to save his company. One man s battle to save hundreds of jobs by taking on china and demonstrating the greatness of american business.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The authors brightly written, richly detailed narrative not only illuminates globalization and the issue of offshoring, but succeeds brilliantly in conveying the human costs borne by lowincome people displaced from a way of life. Connect with friends, family and other people you know. What is the main conflict and resolution in the book. Factory man summary factory man by beth macy is the story of the famous bassett family of bassett furniture fame and fortune. John bassett iii discusses book factory man youtube. One mans battle to save hundreds of jobs by taking on china and demonstrating the greatness of american business. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local and helped save an american town, in which she discusses about the bassett furniture. The instant new york times bestseller about one mans battle to save h. Janet maslin, new york times nonfiction storytelling at its finest it does what the best business books should.
I kept thinking about our worthless antique as i read beth macys factory man, a wellcrafted and epic tale tracing the rise of a virginia furniture. We like factory man so much, we named it to our list of best nonfiction books of 2014. The rise and fall of the industry is told in the new book factory man by beth macy, who began it while a. Factory man explores human side of how globalization affects u. In factory man, beth macy brings to life bassetts deeply personal furniture and family story. Aug 19, 2014 beth macy talks about the bassett furniture company and its decision not to offshore its production, even though the company faced tremendous competition from china. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates. My work has long sought to bring attention to the marginalized and largely voiceless. And if that reporter is beth macy, who never stops digging for the facts and is a great storyteller to boot, youve got a book you wont be able to put down. Jul 28, 2014 in her excellent new book factory man. Factory man is so thick with rich characters, family secrets and backwoods wisdom that this very abundance becomes its one flaw. The company began its operation in rural virginia and quickly emerged as a leader in the us furnituremanufacturing industry.
To say that beth macys new book, factory man, is about the impact of globalization on rural communities in the american south might. Author beth macy documents him, and the collapse of. Run by the same powerful virginia family for generations, it was also the center of life in bassett, virginia. Bassett, iii, chairman of vaughanbassett furniture company and his fight to keep 700 furniture jobs in the united states. The first half of the book is given over to bassett history. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local, and helped. Journalist beth macy documents the collapse of the american furniture industry and its human cost in her new book, factory man. Tom hanks to produce factory man miniseries at hbo. Sep 15, 2014 factory man marks the first book for prizewinning journalist macy. Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the united states in chicago and similar industrialized cities. Jul 14, 2014 how a factory man fought to save his furniture company virginia furniture owner john bassett iii was determined to beat out foreign competitors. Anthony lukas workinprogress award, roanoke times reporter macy explores the effects of. How one furniture maker battled offshoring, stayed local and helped save an american town, in.
The jungle is a 1906 novel by the american journalist and novelist upton sinclair 18781968. A feat of reporting theres a big generous heart at the center of this book, and its hard not to compare factory man to the seminal nonfiction work of tracy kidder or even the storytelling that made david simons the wire one of the best tv shows ever factory man is a valuable american story, and one of the best books ive read this. And what of the books villain, larry moh, the chinese ubercapitalist seemingly bent on putting american furniture makers out of business. The genesis of factory man was a series of articles ms.
Factory man the first line of factory man is once in a reporters life career, if one is very lucky, a person like john d. Jul 15, 2014 to say that beth macys new book, factory man, is about the impact of globalization on rural communities in the american south might be a little like saying the television series mad men is. The bassett furniture company was once the worlds biggest wood furniture manufacturer. Tom hanks to produce factory man miniseries at hbo deadline. Charlie and the chocolate factory, childrens book by roald dahl, first published in 1964. Factory man by beth macy is the story of the famous bassett family of bassett furniture fame and fortune. Feb 06, 2015 john bassett iii joins the mcgraw show to introduce book factory man. He was not belligerent, but it was just like you were speaking to a judge, mr bassett tells beth macy in factory man, the new book that. Author beth macy documents him, and the collapse of the u.
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