Closing

The Life and Death of an American Factory

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by William L. Bamberger and Cathy N. Davidson

W. W. Norton and Co.

Due/Published August 1999, 228 pages, paper

ISBN 0393319229

The story of the White Furniture Company--a century-old, family-owned business that was bought out by a huge corporate conglomerate and later closed--puts a human face on the economic realities of the 1990s. Bill Bamberger took his revealing and powerful photographs during the last four months of operation on the factory floor, working side by side with the White employees. Cathy Davidson's text focuses on six people who represent every economic level in the American workforce: CEO, executive assistant, middle manager, supervisor, skilled artisan, and manual laborer.

"Here is a stupendous book, a complete answer to any who believe that all that counts in a company is its bottom line, and that the only people with a stake in it are its shareholders."--The Economist

"An unflinchingly fair analysis. Hard-edged and realistic. Closing . . . issues a bold challenge to 'business as usual.'"--New York Times Book Review