a history of business in America Serwer, Andy 1959- editor Allison, David K. 1950- Davis, Nancy Franz, Kathleen G. Liebhold, Peter National Museum of American History (U.S.) text bibliography dcu 2015 monographic eng

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224 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 26 cm "What does it mean to be an American? What are American ideas and values? American Enterprise, the companion book to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, aims to answer these questions about the American experience through an exploration of its economic and commercial history. It argues that by looking at the intersection of capitalism and democracy, we can see where we as a nation have come from and where we might be going in the future.Richly illustrated with images of objects from the museum's collections, American Enterprise includes an early Thomas Edison light bulb, a wheat thresher, a Barbie doll, a Google server, and many other goods and services that have shaped American culture. Historical and contemporary advertisements are also featured, emphasizing the evolution of the relationship between producers and consumers over time. Interspersed in the historical narrative are essays from today's industry leaders--including Sheila Bair, Adam Davidson, Bill Ford, Sally Greenberg, Fisk Johnson, Hank Paulson, Richard Trumka, and Pat Woertz--that pose provocative questions about the state of contemporary American business and society. American Enterprise is a multi-faceted survey of the nation's business heritage and corresponding social effects that is fundamental to an understanding of the lives of the American people, the history of the United States, and the nation's role in global affairs"-- "American Enterprise is a dramatic exploration of how the United States transformed from a small dependent nation into one of the world's most vibrant and trend-setting economies. This companion book to the National Museum of American History's exhibition of the same name argues that the American experience has been shaped by economic and commercial philosophies. Founding ideals of capitalism and democracy fostered national values of competition and innovation. These values in turn became the building blocks of American business and sparked a tradition of constant creative destruction. The ongoing transformation of the marketplace has provided opportunities for many, benefits for some, and hardships for others. This powerful book explores the perspectives of both producers and consumers and illustrates the complex interplay between these two groups throughout history. It does so through four major eras: Merchant (1770s - 1850s), Corporate (1860s - 1930s), Consumer (1940s - 1970s), and Global (1980s - 2010s). The goods, machinery, advertisements, and business leaders of each era are brought to life with objects from the Smithsonian's unparalleled collections and explanations by the exhibition's curators. Each era concludes with two essays by famous and influential business leaders who play off the history to pose provocative questions about the state of contemporary American business and society. American Enterprise provides an understanding of the nation's business heritage and corresponding social effects that is fundamental to the lives of the American people, the history of the United States, and the nation's role in global affairs"-- The merchant era, 1770s-1850s / Nancy Davis -- The corporate era, 1860s-1930s / Peter Liebhold -- The consumer era, 1940s-1970s / Kathleen G. Franz -- The global era, 1980s-present / Peter Liebhold. David K. Allison, Nancy Davis, Kathleen G. Franz, Peter Liebhold ; contributors edited by Andy Serwer ; [with contributions by] Sheila Bair [and 7 others]. Statment of responsibility about editor is misspelled on the title page. Statment of responsibility on the cover reads: contributions edited by Andy Serwer. A companion book to the National Museum of American History's exhibition of the same name. Includes bibliographic references and index. n-us--- National characteristics, American Características nacionales Estados Unidos Democracy United States History Comercio Estados Unidos Democracia Historia Estados Unidos Capitalism United States History Capitalismo Historia Estados Unidos United States Commerce History Estados Unidos Comercio United States Economic conditions Estados Unidos Condiciones económicas HF 3021 A512 2015 338.0973 9781588344960 (hardback) 1588344967 (hardback) 2014027166 9781588344960.jpg 9781588344960.jpg DLC 141030 20230411090822.0 18354526 eng