Review: Factory Man by Beth Macy

Factory Man by Beth Macy, published in 2014 by Little, Brown and Company.

If you like history, current topics such as globalization, free trade, demise of  industry in America, family dynasties and good all American story then this is the book to read. What I like most about this book is that I know all the places described and some of the people in the book. I have Bassett furniture that I bought at the outlet in Bassett, VA. My husband travels to Galax every month, so I know the people there. I met them as I have tagged along with him when I am free. I have never met the author, nor the central character JBIII, but I have seen the devastation that occurred when these factories shut down. Let's just say I was invested in the story.

I am a person who looks at labels to see if the item was made in America or more correctly the USA. I have been tricked a couple of times, when I assumed something that was an American company and did not know they moved their production. I buy cars that are predominately made in USA. I know that there are parts shipped in, but I want the American people to have jobs. I look at my tennis shoes and buy, when I can, ones with USA on the label. Let me tell you this is harder and harder to do.

As the book points out not everyone can be an economist.  We have become a service economy and those don't always last. I remember going someplace, not in America and buying an item touted as being homemade. I got it home and found the label, it was made in China, I was not in China when I bought it. I make sure I look at labels now. If I cannot find made in USA, then I support local stores to the best of my ability.

Enough of my soap box speech, this a good book that makes you look at the people we are hurting when we close factories and ship them someplace else. It is about a man who is a great character, and has a great character refusing to dredge up some family bitterness. I liked the book, you can tell Beth Macy is a reporter, she gives you the facts, the who, what, when and where.

I am remiss

I am in the process of reading three books. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, FACTORY MAN and
HEART OF DARKNESS. I should be done FACTORY MAN by Beth Macy before the end of January as it is my book club book. The other two are part of the 100 and I am pretty sure that I will have them read by the end of January or for CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by mid-February. The words in my copy are so tiny, that I have had to rest my eyes. I remember reading parts of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, in my Soviet Studies Class, awhile back. I remember that the excerpts be we read made me not want to visit Russia. The people all needing so much and starving in the streets while others passed. Wait maybe that was the newspaper I read yesterday. History sometimes repeats itself.
Enough of that I need to feed my dog and make dinner and read.