America's Assembly Line: A Cultural History, 1913-2013

Nye thoroughly examines the backbone of mass production and consumerism in the 20th century and today, detailing the disparate elements that in 1913 synthesized into the assembly line under the roof of Henry Ford's Highland Park, Michigan, automobile plant. Nye, a professor of American History, contextualizes industrial processes before the introduction of assembly line techniques and then traces the methods' effects on production and industry, society, and its citizenry. It is fascinating to see how quickly mass production infiltrated industry and was embraced by all manner of society before being shunned for its soul-deadening monotony, repetition, and exploitation. The book hits a high point when discussing the rise of Japanese industry and its lean production innovations compared to the antiquated American assembly methods. It is thus ironic to observe that the evolution of Japanese mass production was helped considerably by adopting, combining, and improving on existing American manufacturing practices%E2%80%94ones then "re-exported" back to the United States in efforts to revive its flagging manufacturing industry. Although clear and concise, the dry subject matter fails to fully engage the reader. Nevertheless, Nye manages to highlight what increasingly appears to be the United States' moment as the industrial leader of the world. 50 b/w photos. (Mar.)