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American Made: Why Making Things Will Return Us to Greatness
American manufacturing is on life support―at least, that's what most people think. The exodus of jobs to China and other foreign markets is irreversible, and anything that is built here requires specialized skills the average worker couldn't hope to gain. Not so, says Dan DiMicco, chairman and former CEO of Nucor, America's largest steel company. He not only revived a major US manufacturing firm during a recession, but helped galvanize the flagging domestic steel industry when many of his competitors were in bankruptcy or headed overseas. In American Made , he takes to task the politicians, academics, and political pundits who, he contends, are exacerbating fears and avoiding simple solutions for the sake of nothing more than their own careers, and contrasts them with the postwar leaders who rebuilt Europe and Japan, put a man on the moon, and kept communism at bay. We need leaders of such resolve today, he argues, who can tackle a broken job-creation engine by restoring manufacturing to its central role in the U.S. economy―and cease creating fictitious "service businesses" where jobs evaporate after a year or two, as in a Ponzi scheme.
With his trademark bluntness, DiMicco tackles the false promise of green jobs and the hidden costs of outsourcing. Along the way, he shares the lessons he's learned about good leadership, crisis management, and the true meaning of innovation, and maps the road back to robust economic growth, middle-class prosperity, and American competitiveness.
With his trademark bluntness, DiMicco tackles the false promise of green jobs and the hidden costs of outsourcing. Along the way, he shares the lessons he's learned about good leadership, crisis management, and the true meaning of innovation, and maps the road back to robust economic growth, middle-class prosperity, and American competitiveness.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 2015
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March 31, 2015
It is beyond my ability to express each particular reason to read this book. Every individual chapter deserves a review or reaction in depth, but I have neither the charting skills or the superb easy language for difficult concepts that Dan DiMicco possesses.
Why are both USA political parties so far off the track toward understanding economies of this continent? Why are politico ideologies no longer even the tail that is shaking the dog, but more to the tune of a clamping collar and iron shackles on the dog's feet? What do leaders need to define and how do they cut through the bureaucracies that are imprisoning both innovation and progress? All here. And why the parties need to completely change their dogmas on taxing and deficit. Both of them. He shows how both taxing plans end up decimating the middle class. And how government override of corporation (and aiding the ones too big to fail too)end results in eliminating the middle class that is the great bulk of corporation hiring.
There are more quotes in this book that I could begin to list that should be heard and would resound with applause by the great numbers of middle class Americans that have been annihilated, along with our physical infrastructure, for the last 30 years. Dan DiMicco explains why and what has happened to the American individual worker productivity and our "free" trade dollar. And what and who was most helped in Pres. Obama's stimulus dispensing and why that failed, not from its humongous size, but from its ultimate destination to American productivity.
The sections on education and the green industry are good. "Myth of the innovation economy and the "skills" gap"- with facts and real life outcomes; those are priceless. But if you read nothing but the chapter "The Myth of Free Trade"- it would be worth buying this book. "More Myths to Distract Us" explains how terms have become redefined to fit political agenda classifications. And how and why this mess murders real jobs at home while INCREASING world wide pollution. And how neither political party is at all in the ballpark for facing the biggest problem the USA will face in the next 10 years.
But if you read nothing else, read the last chapter, the one AFTER "Where We Go Next" that is short and sweet. It is called "Where the Road Leads".
Not only is the language exact throughout this book, it is specific. And chart and $$$ defined. Apples are not called oranges, so that they can be counted toward pies. Individual lives ARE counted, and not for just demographic "proofs" toward politico marketing agendas. Why is it that our best and brightest may be early retired, Tweeting or on social media all day. Or within peak years held in millions of part time jobs that give them no satisfactions (mental or material) and also completely under produced their life's abilities. And why so few millions of Americans are actually working toward an individual progress, or what the real unemployment numbers have become. And where that human mental energy is being used too instead. And where that puts the "happiness" quotient.
We need schools that teach skills. We need to fix bridges and roads NOW, without 3 year governmental hold outs for a system that often eventually sends the engineer work and materials manufacture to Japan or the Far East. On and on and on. We need welders, we need electricians. Those needs are desperate already, with the most skilled earning 6 figure salaries and at times tremendous pensions. Entire skill sets absolutely needed have been lost because of where we are putting our education dollars. Trade schools and skills schools and apprentice programs essential and nil! The ones who could teach them too, nearly gone. His example of the innovation needed to change the steel core business- a perfect example. You needed the 30 year expert chemist of process, with the new gas "step" input insight of the young innovator. It doesn't "happen" by theory, agenda created "expertise" hope or luck, nor by recipes and methods learned from books.
The frames of reference to our current USA state of economy in media, politico, schools of erudite- they seem all wrong. Just as you scrapped the Army's Calvary divisions when the Panzers showed up, we need to change the frame around our USA economy picture. NOW.
"A country that doesn't create or make or build things is a country doomed to mediocrity. Manufacturing, and the innovation that comes with it, is indispensable to the vitality of a true nation"
"It is just a fact of economic life. Manufacturing creates real wealth. Real wealth comes from innovating, making, building things. It's a process that reinforces itself and reinvents itself: moves forward, not sideways; and does not stray from its core to extremes. And it lasts. Manufacturing has always benefited the U.S. economy. Always."
Too many quotes that are gold. Read the book. A dozen true life stories within it for those who would lead toward real physical changes AND an economics WITH environmental improvements.
"A good leader deals with the crisis he's presented, not the one he wants to solve".
"Free trade is wonderful in theory, but it doesn't work. It is an academic luxury that the real world doesn't enjoy. If you want to study it at Harvard or Chicago, be my guest. But understand that global trade today is anything but free."
Why are both USA political parties so far off the track toward understanding economies of this continent? Why are politico ideologies no longer even the tail that is shaking the dog, but more to the tune of a clamping collar and iron shackles on the dog's feet? What do leaders need to define and how do they cut through the bureaucracies that are imprisoning both innovation and progress? All here. And why the parties need to completely change their dogmas on taxing and deficit. Both of them. He shows how both taxing plans end up decimating the middle class. And how government override of corporation (and aiding the ones too big to fail too)end results in eliminating the middle class that is the great bulk of corporation hiring.
There are more quotes in this book that I could begin to list that should be heard and would resound with applause by the great numbers of middle class Americans that have been annihilated, along with our physical infrastructure, for the last 30 years. Dan DiMicco explains why and what has happened to the American individual worker productivity and our "free" trade dollar. And what and who was most helped in Pres. Obama's stimulus dispensing and why that failed, not from its humongous size, but from its ultimate destination to American productivity.
The sections on education and the green industry are good. "Myth of the innovation economy and the "skills" gap"- with facts and real life outcomes; those are priceless. But if you read nothing but the chapter "The Myth of Free Trade"- it would be worth buying this book. "More Myths to Distract Us" explains how terms have become redefined to fit political agenda classifications. And how and why this mess murders real jobs at home while INCREASING world wide pollution. And how neither political party is at all in the ballpark for facing the biggest problem the USA will face in the next 10 years.
But if you read nothing else, read the last chapter, the one AFTER "Where We Go Next" that is short and sweet. It is called "Where the Road Leads".
Not only is the language exact throughout this book, it is specific. And chart and $$$ defined. Apples are not called oranges, so that they can be counted toward pies. Individual lives ARE counted, and not for just demographic "proofs" toward politico marketing agendas. Why is it that our best and brightest may be early retired, Tweeting or on social media all day. Or within peak years held in millions of part time jobs that give them no satisfactions (mental or material) and also completely under produced their life's abilities. And why so few millions of Americans are actually working toward an individual progress, or what the real unemployment numbers have become. And where that human mental energy is being used too instead. And where that puts the "happiness" quotient.
We need schools that teach skills. We need to fix bridges and roads NOW, without 3 year governmental hold outs for a system that often eventually sends the engineer work and materials manufacture to Japan or the Far East. On and on and on. We need welders, we need electricians. Those needs are desperate already, with the most skilled earning 6 figure salaries and at times tremendous pensions. Entire skill sets absolutely needed have been lost because of where we are putting our education dollars. Trade schools and skills schools and apprentice programs essential and nil! The ones who could teach them too, nearly gone. His example of the innovation needed to change the steel core business- a perfect example. You needed the 30 year expert chemist of process, with the new gas "step" input insight of the young innovator. It doesn't "happen" by theory, agenda created "expertise" hope or luck, nor by recipes and methods learned from books.
The frames of reference to our current USA state of economy in media, politico, schools of erudite- they seem all wrong. Just as you scrapped the Army's Calvary divisions when the Panzers showed up, we need to change the frame around our USA economy picture. NOW.
"A country that doesn't create or make or build things is a country doomed to mediocrity. Manufacturing, and the innovation that comes with it, is indispensable to the vitality of a true nation"
"It is just a fact of economic life. Manufacturing creates real wealth. Real wealth comes from innovating, making, building things. It's a process that reinforces itself and reinvents itself: moves forward, not sideways; and does not stray from its core to extremes. And it lasts. Manufacturing has always benefited the U.S. economy. Always."
Too many quotes that are gold. Read the book. A dozen true life stories within it for those who would lead toward real physical changes AND an economics WITH environmental improvements.
"A good leader deals with the crisis he's presented, not the one he wants to solve".
"Free trade is wonderful in theory, but it doesn't work. It is an academic luxury that the real world doesn't enjoy. If you want to study it at Harvard or Chicago, be my guest. But understand that global trade today is anything but free."
July 29, 2015
Author Dan DiMicco is the CEO of Nucor, a company with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina that has risen to become America’s largest and most successful steel company. Through his 2015 book the patriotic businessman details his passionate stance declaring it is essential for America to regain its manufacturing base if our nation is to become strong again. DiMicco is not an optimist or a pessimist but a realist.
Our nation’s economy and lack of jobs and careers is a major concern. Throughout the first two thirds of the 20th Century America thrived with a strong manufacturing base. In the mid-1960’s manufacturing was 25% of our GDP, in 1980 20% and today it is 12.5%. The manufacturing sector challenged the brightest to continually innovate and expand R&D. Our current economy with bursts and bubbles has become fragile due to the rapid decline of “American made”, which long served as a cornerstone to our society. Today America has a “real” unemployment rate of 12% and since 2000 roughly 5.2 million manufacturing jobs have vanished to other locations around the globe.
Identifying and comprehending the root cause to a problem generally leads to a successful resolution. This seems simple but when you add Washington D.C. lobbyists and trade deals approved by both Democrats and Republicans that do not favor American manufacturing you have a dysfunctional mindset and a monumental central problem that continues to be ignored.
In 2009 President Obama invited DiMicco, Starbucks Howard Shultz, and top representatives from Wal-Mart and Verizon to the White for an intimate business summit. To DiMicco’s disappointment the agenda did not center upon creating manufacturing jobs to fuel the economy but rather discussions focused on health care and carbon dioxide emissions. It was a major missed opportunity.
DiMicco noted: “…we [America] abandoned manufacturing and embraced service-oriented industries in the name of “free trade.” That’s something you should never, ever do.”. In order to create real wealth for the middle class and others it is essential that manufacturing, which creates something tangible, trumps consumerism. In the global market true free trade does not exist, as many other factors are in play including illegal dumping and most importantly currency manipulation. Some say the U.S. should not take a firm stand as this may result in a trade war however we are currently in a trade war and losing with a massive deficit.
He refuses to believe the “new normal” economy is here to stay. At 39.1 % the United States leads all industrial nations with the highest corporate tax rate. The tax rate must be reduced to allow American manufacturing to be competitive. Furthermore by unleashing America’s natural energy resources we can compete with any country.
It does not necessarily take a war for America to lose its freedom. A prolonged ruined economy can also have devastating effects. The author so aptly states: “A country that doesn’t create or make or build things is a country doomed to mediocrity. Manufacturing, and the innovation that comes with it, is indispensable to the vitality of a great nation. It’s just a fact of economic life.” America is a generous nation and following victory in World War II we rebuilt other nations through a variety of contributions. It’s time we focused our attention on American manufacturing.
I strongly recommend this book to those interested in economics, business, and politics and also to America’s younger generation as visionary ray of hope.
Our nation’s economy and lack of jobs and careers is a major concern. Throughout the first two thirds of the 20th Century America thrived with a strong manufacturing base. In the mid-1960’s manufacturing was 25% of our GDP, in 1980 20% and today it is 12.5%. The manufacturing sector challenged the brightest to continually innovate and expand R&D. Our current economy with bursts and bubbles has become fragile due to the rapid decline of “American made”, which long served as a cornerstone to our society. Today America has a “real” unemployment rate of 12% and since 2000 roughly 5.2 million manufacturing jobs have vanished to other locations around the globe.
Identifying and comprehending the root cause to a problem generally leads to a successful resolution. This seems simple but when you add Washington D.C. lobbyists and trade deals approved by both Democrats and Republicans that do not favor American manufacturing you have a dysfunctional mindset and a monumental central problem that continues to be ignored.
In 2009 President Obama invited DiMicco, Starbucks Howard Shultz, and top representatives from Wal-Mart and Verizon to the White for an intimate business summit. To DiMicco’s disappointment the agenda did not center upon creating manufacturing jobs to fuel the economy but rather discussions focused on health care and carbon dioxide emissions. It was a major missed opportunity.
DiMicco noted: “…we [America] abandoned manufacturing and embraced service-oriented industries in the name of “free trade.” That’s something you should never, ever do.”. In order to create real wealth for the middle class and others it is essential that manufacturing, which creates something tangible, trumps consumerism. In the global market true free trade does not exist, as many other factors are in play including illegal dumping and most importantly currency manipulation. Some say the U.S. should not take a firm stand as this may result in a trade war however we are currently in a trade war and losing with a massive deficit.
He refuses to believe the “new normal” economy is here to stay. At 39.1 % the United States leads all industrial nations with the highest corporate tax rate. The tax rate must be reduced to allow American manufacturing to be competitive. Furthermore by unleashing America’s natural energy resources we can compete with any country.
It does not necessarily take a war for America to lose its freedom. A prolonged ruined economy can also have devastating effects. The author so aptly states: “A country that doesn’t create or make or build things is a country doomed to mediocrity. Manufacturing, and the innovation that comes with it, is indispensable to the vitality of a great nation. It’s just a fact of economic life.” America is a generous nation and following victory in World War II we rebuilt other nations through a variety of contributions. It’s time we focused our attention on American manufacturing.
I strongly recommend this book to those interested in economics, business, and politics and also to America’s younger generation as visionary ray of hope.
March 31, 2018
Given the recent debate regarding the Trump administration's tarrifs and my proclivities to side with the idea of free trade, I felt it appropriate to read through an account on the opposing corner, those who are staunch advocates of trade protectionism and skepticism towards opening up trade relations with foreign powers. In addition, I also work in the steel industry and I strongly admire Nucor as a remarkably innovative company that has overcome significant technical and financial challenges to become the leading steelmaker in the United States. So, I figured it would make sense to read through former Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco's case for implementing protectionism.
It turns out this book is surprisingly more balanced in rhetoric than one would expect from a former adviser to the 2016 Trump campaign. Sure, a good deal of time here is spent attacking China, their supposed currency manipulation and the trade deficits we have with them as a result. That being said, Dan also focuses his energy on advocating for increased spending on infrastructure projects and renewed on-the-job training program initiatives from private firms. He bleeds compassion for the millions of Americans who have a hard time finding ways to make themselves useful in a country where stagnation seems to be the norm (this book was published 3 years ago, so the 2008 recession is still fresh in the mind), and rather than pine about how easy it was in the 60's and 70's for the average American to make a living in the manufacturing sector, Dan makes 21st Century era arguments for how we can realistically bring back opportunity for everyone and restart a new renaissance of producing goods here at home.
Why only 2 stars, then? Well, to be honest, this book was shorter than I expected, and though Dan did not follow the hateful rhetoric I was expecting, a lot of the book still feels very one-track minded. Dan does not take seriously the arguments of his detractors, people like myself, who hypothesize that while there are injustices in the current model of international trade the benefits far outweigh the costs. His writing style is also very blunt, to the point where it sometimes becomes difficult to take seriously some of his more outlandish ideas, like spending trillions on new infrastructure projects. I have tremendous respect for Dan and his performance as the CEO of a successful Fortune 500 company in a challenging industry and during a tenure that included the 2008 recession, but at the end of the day its difficult to believe that these grand ambitions will actually be translated into real policy.
Still, if these topics interest you, or if you simply want to learn more about Dan's experience working his way up the ladder at Nucor from engineer to CEO (my personal favorite element of the story), American Made is worth considering. Just please don't tell Dan that I read it on my Kindle device that was manufactured in China.
It turns out this book is surprisingly more balanced in rhetoric than one would expect from a former adviser to the 2016 Trump campaign. Sure, a good deal of time here is spent attacking China, their supposed currency manipulation and the trade deficits we have with them as a result. That being said, Dan also focuses his energy on advocating for increased spending on infrastructure projects and renewed on-the-job training program initiatives from private firms. He bleeds compassion for the millions of Americans who have a hard time finding ways to make themselves useful in a country where stagnation seems to be the norm (this book was published 3 years ago, so the 2008 recession is still fresh in the mind), and rather than pine about how easy it was in the 60's and 70's for the average American to make a living in the manufacturing sector, Dan makes 21st Century era arguments for how we can realistically bring back opportunity for everyone and restart a new renaissance of producing goods here at home.
Why only 2 stars, then? Well, to be honest, this book was shorter than I expected, and though Dan did not follow the hateful rhetoric I was expecting, a lot of the book still feels very one-track minded. Dan does not take seriously the arguments of his detractors, people like myself, who hypothesize that while there are injustices in the current model of international trade the benefits far outweigh the costs. His writing style is also very blunt, to the point where it sometimes becomes difficult to take seriously some of his more outlandish ideas, like spending trillions on new infrastructure projects. I have tremendous respect for Dan and his performance as the CEO of a successful Fortune 500 company in a challenging industry and during a tenure that included the 2008 recession, but at the end of the day its difficult to believe that these grand ambitions will actually be translated into real policy.
Still, if these topics interest you, or if you simply want to learn more about Dan's experience working his way up the ladder at Nucor from engineer to CEO (my personal favorite element of the story), American Made is worth considering. Just please don't tell Dan that I read it on my Kindle device that was manufactured in China.
June 28, 2015
An insightful and thought provoking look at the manufacturing industry in the US today. Written in a conversational tone, this book should be required reading for Congressional and Executive branches of our Federal and State governments.
Dimicco is the former chairman & CEO of Nucor which is the largest US steel company. Nucor has never had a layoff in their 40+ years of existence....imagine that! Plus when times are tough ALL employees have their wages reduced...including the Executives.
Dimicco looks at where we've been & what we need to do to restore our manufacturing base and put Americans back to work. No one (or either political party) is safe from scrutiny or criticism. Although I don't agree with every one of his solutions, overall this was a fascinating read and will definitely color how I view political policy coming out of the states and federal government. I wish I was more optimistic that things will change because I've never felt that the U.S. can be economically great based on service or intelligence industries. As Dimicco says: we need to focus on innovating, building and making things to put people back to work.
Regardless of your political leanings, this is a great book to challenge your assumptions and start a conversation.
Dimicco is the former chairman & CEO of Nucor which is the largest US steel company. Nucor has never had a layoff in their 40+ years of existence....imagine that! Plus when times are tough ALL employees have their wages reduced...including the Executives.
Dimicco looks at where we've been & what we need to do to restore our manufacturing base and put Americans back to work. No one (or either political party) is safe from scrutiny or criticism. Although I don't agree with every one of his solutions, overall this was a fascinating read and will definitely color how I view political policy coming out of the states and federal government. I wish I was more optimistic that things will change because I've never felt that the U.S. can be economically great based on service or intelligence industries. As Dimicco says: we need to focus on innovating, building and making things to put people back to work.
Regardless of your political leanings, this is a great book to challenge your assumptions and start a conversation.
July 2, 2021
Revamping US Industrial Policy and Practices - The pleasant surprise for me was that "American Made" is focused on industrial policies, practices and how they need to be revamped rather than particularly on Nucor, steel industry innovator and powerhouse where author Dan DiMicco has been CEO, now emeritus. (Although background on Nucor is also interesting in its own right via such sources as Ken Iverson's "Plain Talk" (1998) and "A Strategic Look at Nucor Corporation" (2014) by Negron et al.)
The book describes how de-emphasis on US manufacturing and on making things over the past 30+ years has contributed to US decline. It does include allusions to DiMicco/Nucor efforts to overcome this trend and provides a pathway and proposals for business and economic revival. As others have mentioned DiMicco takes a non-partisan approach being critical of both major political parties and presenting constructive solutions based on his business experience, e.g. development of a national infrastructure bank.
Through the 10 chapters and 228 pages, DiMicco lays out information to support his thesis and proposals. David Rothkopf provides an introduction and seems to have assisted in assembling the book based on their conversations concerning the subject. Looking up Rothkopf, as there was no mention of his background in the book, I learned he is editor of the journal "Foreign Policy" as well as being a writer and journalist; no doubt his skills helped enhance the book's presentation and credibility for this audience.
For example, to go along with the text, there are 24 charts and figures as well as supporting notes and references. I particularly appreciated the graphics on page 28 and 29 which helped illustrate "the problem" related to the "real unemployment rate." They depict the need to create 30 million new American jobs by 2025 to help restore and advance the US economy.
Also appealing was DiMicco's mention of the need for a model on page 78 as a means of learning from recent business, political and economic mistakes, adopting a longer term view, and constantly making refinements to increase real wealth creation. The chart on page 202 on Economic Multipliers shows how manufacturing and construction have the highest effects of any industrial sector in increasing economic activity.
DiMicco's words on page 225 sum up what he believes should be done: ". . . build public private partnerships to restore the manufacturing base, rebuild the nation's infrastructure, develop our natural resources [e.g. natural gas production], level the playing field of international trade [e.g. re China], revitalize the middle class and put 30 million American's to work."
This book helped me appreciate the need for more attention to building and making things as well as the skills required in this arena as opposed to continued US reliance on expanding the "service sector." The poor condition of our infrastructure plays into this need and could be source of potential dividends in terms of business improvement and increased employment. Also greater utilization of existing competencies and talent as opposed to compete "re-tooling" seems to be a more balanced and likely route to enhanced prosperity.
Consider "American Made" to help sharpen thinking about revamping US Industrial policy and practices.
The book describes how de-emphasis on US manufacturing and on making things over the past 30+ years has contributed to US decline. It does include allusions to DiMicco/Nucor efforts to overcome this trend and provides a pathway and proposals for business and economic revival. As others have mentioned DiMicco takes a non-partisan approach being critical of both major political parties and presenting constructive solutions based on his business experience, e.g. development of a national infrastructure bank.
Through the 10 chapters and 228 pages, DiMicco lays out information to support his thesis and proposals. David Rothkopf provides an introduction and seems to have assisted in assembling the book based on their conversations concerning the subject. Looking up Rothkopf, as there was no mention of his background in the book, I learned he is editor of the journal "Foreign Policy" as well as being a writer and journalist; no doubt his skills helped enhance the book's presentation and credibility for this audience.
For example, to go along with the text, there are 24 charts and figures as well as supporting notes and references. I particularly appreciated the graphics on page 28 and 29 which helped illustrate "the problem" related to the "real unemployment rate." They depict the need to create 30 million new American jobs by 2025 to help restore and advance the US economy.
Also appealing was DiMicco's mention of the need for a model on page 78 as a means of learning from recent business, political and economic mistakes, adopting a longer term view, and constantly making refinements to increase real wealth creation. The chart on page 202 on Economic Multipliers shows how manufacturing and construction have the highest effects of any industrial sector in increasing economic activity.
DiMicco's words on page 225 sum up what he believes should be done: ". . . build public private partnerships to restore the manufacturing base, rebuild the nation's infrastructure, develop our natural resources [e.g. natural gas production], level the playing field of international trade [e.g. re China], revitalize the middle class and put 30 million American's to work."
This book helped me appreciate the need for more attention to building and making things as well as the skills required in this arena as opposed to continued US reliance on expanding the "service sector." The poor condition of our infrastructure plays into this need and could be source of potential dividends in terms of business improvement and increased employment. Also greater utilization of existing competencies and talent as opposed to compete "re-tooling" seems to be a more balanced and likely route to enhanced prosperity.
Consider "American Made" to help sharpen thinking about revamping US Industrial policy and practices.
December 28, 2019
This is a very high level look at the status of the US economy. The book was written in 2014-2015, so some of the solutions are probably compromised. It does give the reader some background to evaluate political candidates, and sadly far too many politicians are being glib in their responses to real problems facing Main Street America. Journalists should read this to develop better questions for all government officials.
February 24, 2019
I believe one cannot have an informed opinion about manufacturing and labor in America without first reading this book. Having spent my entire career in metalworking, I have an enormous admiration and respect for Dan.
December 20, 2015
Enjoyed the book and it had many thought provoking concepts about free trade and the cost to America for having such policies. He articulated his viewpoints well.
Quite a bit on governmental policy and a ton of free trade and its' implications.
I was hoping for more of a peek into Nucor's success. Dan brought in examples and there are some pearls about Nucor, but the book was more about American manufacturing past, current and future states.
Would love to see Dan take on workforce development and get on a leadership council for apprenticeships. He has great insights and the future of our construction and manufacturing industries relies on the next generation of craft workers.
Quite a bit on governmental policy and a ton of free trade and its' implications.
I was hoping for more of a peek into Nucor's success. Dan brought in examples and there are some pearls about Nucor, but the book was more about American manufacturing past, current and future states.
Would love to see Dan take on workforce development and get on a leadership council for apprenticeships. He has great insights and the future of our construction and manufacturing industries relies on the next generation of craft workers.
November 15, 2016
Dan DiMicco makes a compelling argument for manufacturing in the United States and the value restoring it would bring to our economy. Many of the factors that hurt manufacturing in the US are based more on our tax and regulatory burden, and less of some comparative advantage that other countries have. The one big downfall that this book has it that it has little suggestion of what the average person can do about all of this. I think DiMicco's intended audience almost seems to be politicians, and so leaves me with little to take away from this book.
May 18, 2015
One of those books that every American should read. A very sobering assessment that the US has become a nation of consumption and that although now in an age of global economics, not everyone plays by the same rules. Dan's writing implies that the age of finger pointing and "everyone out for themselves" mentality in the US, has run its course. For the nation to return to sustained excellence, it will require the government, business, academia, the American people, everyone to do their part.
January 31, 2016
This is a book I won in the GoodReads First Reads Giveaway - I haven't started it yet, but I can't wait to. I've flipped through and scanned here and there and as a HUGE fan of non-fiction in general I think this will be a really great book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews