American Business Since 1920

It's safe to say that since the first appearance of Thomas McCraw's contribution to Harlan Davidson's American History Series in 2000, American business has taken some of the most dramatic, perhaps most incredible, turns in its history. Far more than an update, the second edition of one of our most popular texts has been carefully revised and reorganized—not only to include necessary new coverage but to present more fully and forcefully the book's central argument and major themes, making this new edition even more "teachable" for instructors and accessible to student readers. Unique in the market for its breadth of coverage and depth of analysis, the new edition of our uncommonly readable book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas K. McCraw will continue as a classic supplementary text in a variety of undergraduate as well as graduate courses and seminars. Featuring three banks of striking photographs and a completely up-to-date bibliographic essay, this compact, enjoyable work will be highly appreciated by all students of U.S. business history and the art of administration.

Tells the story of how America’s biggest companies began, operated, and prospered post-World War I This book takes the vantage point of people working within companies as they responded to constant change created by consumers and technology. It focuses on the entrepreneur, the firm, and the industry, by showing—from the inside—how businesses operated after 1920, while offering a good deal of Modern American social and cultural history. The case studies and contextual chapters provide an in-depth understanding of the evolution of American management over nearly 100 years. American Business Since 1920: How It Worked presents historical struggles with decision making and the trend towards relative decentralization through stories of extraordinarily capable entrepreneurs and the organizations they led. It covers: Henry Ford and his competitor Alfred Sloan at General Motors during the 1920s; Neil McElroy at Procter & Gamble in the 1930s; Ferdinand Eberstadt at the government’s Controlled Materials Plan during World War II; David Sarnoff at RCA in the 1950s and 1960s; and Ray Kroc and his McDonald’s franchises in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first; and more. It also delves into such modern success stories as Amazon.com, eBay, and Google. Provides deep analysis of some of the most successful companies of the 20th century Contains topical chapters covering titans of the 2000s Part of Wiley-Blackwell’s highly praised American History Series American Business Since 1920: How It Worked is designed for use in both basic and advanced courses in American history, at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

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