Download The Company Town: The Industrial Edens and Satanic Mills that Shaped the American Economy AudioBook Free
Company town: The phrase sounds un-American. Yet company cities are the fact of America. Hershey bars, Corning glassware, Kohler bathroom accessories, Maytag washers, Spam... each is the signature product of an company town where one business, for better or worse, exercises a hold over the population. In The Company Town, Hardy Green, who may have protected American business for over a decade, offers a convincing evaluation of the introduction of these neighborhoods and their role in shaping the American current economic climate, from the country's first years. From the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, to the R&D labs of Corning, NY; from the coal mines of Ludlow, Colorado, to corporate and business campuses of todays major tech companies, America has been exclusively open to the development of the single-company community. But instead than following a uniform blueprint, American company cities represent two very different strands of capitalism. Some may be socially benign - a paternalistic, utopian ideal that fosters the development of schools, private hospitals, parks, and suitable housing because of its employees. The other, Exploitationville, centers only on profits, at the expense of employees well-being. Adeptly distinguishing between these two models, Green offers rich testimonies about town-builders and employees. He vividly explains the roots of Americas company cities, the living and working conditions that characterize them, and the violent, sometimes fatal, labor confrontations which may have punctuated their lifestyle. And he chronicles the amazing transformation underway in many such neighborhoods today. With attractive profiles of North american moguls, The Company Town is a sweeping tale of how the American economy has grown and changed, and exactly how these urban centers have shown the best and worst of North american capitalism.
