Customer Reviews

Made in America: From Levi's to Barbie to Google

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

C'mon, this has to be a sick joke, really. A beautifully written book encompassing all of the great American products, manufacturing prowess, and ingenuity over the past 120+ years...and yet...page 2 tells it all: PRINTED AND BOUND IN CHINA. Absolutely unacceptable.

But, well, at least all of the products listed *IN* the book are American made, right? WRONG. I'll give Nick Freeth a free pass on Levis 501's (the last US factory closed down in 2003), PEZ dispensers (at least the candies themselves are US made), and Converse "All Stars" (made in the USA until 2001), but the iPod, the Ralph Lauren Oxford shirt, and Nike Air Jordans (among numerous others)..?

iPods have NEVER been American made--they've been Chinese manufactured since day one; Ralph Lauren produces ALL of its shirts in third world countries throughout Asia--even the shirt this book uses for their own photo says clearly on the tag "MADE IN HONG KONG,"; and NO Nike shoes, much less the "Air Jordans", are produced anywhere even near the United States of America, lest you discount the Pacific ocean, etc., etc.

In other words, this book should be re-titled "Invented in America...Made Somewhere Else."

most items listed in this book may have started in the US but are now only made in other country's. for someone trying to find things made in america, this book is no help. it is a sham

What a great book. This gives you info on everything American. From Coca Cola and Barbie Dolls etc etc. It's really interesting because firstly, you may not have realised that something is actually American made/invented, and then with so many products in here, something is bound to capture your interest. It will tell you all about that product like the date it was invented, where, how etc. This is a really cool gift for someone, or just entertaining reading for yourself. I recommend this to any 'history' buff or just anyone in general.

Is there something wrong with that information on the cover page? A book about all the great things that were "MADE" in America... and the ingenuity and "American Spirit" behind it (the book is a little bit of an advertisement for American invention), and then it's outsourced? WHAT? Bad, bad message, Fall River Press.
The information overall is good, but I have one major complaint. For nearly EVERY item, the author describes it as "The birth of" "The birth of" "the birth of".... "It was born" "and it was born." Over and over and over. It gets kind of nauseating after a while.

Books of lists are an old publishing favorite and the Made in America type probably come out every year or so. I have a 1964 Ace paperback by Hannah Campbell 'Why Did They Name It...?' with the background to dozens of products. Nick Freeth's book is a bit better than most because its covers two hundred items. Right away problems start because this number means it can't just be products otherwise some real obscure things would have be included (and are) so Mack trucks, Las Vegas Strip, Hollywood, Times Square, traffic lights or a Kazoo are included.

Each product (or concept) gets a photo, statistical data (including, amazingly, the makers Stock Exchange symbol) background text and the predictable 'Did you know?' all presented on pages with several colored panels (Did You Know?.. that the book 'Made in America' didn't repeat the same page color schemes in a 304 page book).

The listings are arranged alphabetically so that Shure Microphones rub shoulders with Silly Putty then Skippy Peanut Butter. If you like this kind of fun juxtaposing of products you'll enjoy the book. It's surely the ultimate dip into and be amazed page turner and Did You Know?.. that Greyhound Scenicruiser buses had two engines just in case one broke down!

2008 UPDATE: If this sort of subject interests you'll love Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture full of products and concepts that define the Nation.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

I bought this book on a whim after leafing through it to see what made the list. It really has a lot of info--I can't resist picking it up to read another half dozen entries. Lots of fun, even though you'll probably think of lots of other stuff he could have included. (Dr Pepper is really the oldest soft drink?)