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    Factory Man by Beth Macy Summary

    Factory Man
    Beth Macy
    3.86 (2930 Reviews)
    BusinessEntrepreneurshipEconomics
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    Overview of Factory Man

    "Factory Man" chronicles John Bassett III's battle against Chinese imports to save American jobs. This NYT bestseller sparked crucial debates on globalization's human cost, with Pulitzer winner Rick Bragg calling it "a breath of hope - and a damn fine story to read."

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    Key Takeaways

    1

    The Last Stand of an American Factory Man

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    What would you do if a Communist Party official suggested you close your family's century-old factories and let him supply you instead-at prices so low they defied economic logic? In 2002, John D. Bassett III, third-generation furniture maker from rural Virginia, found himself in exactly this position. Standing in a dusty Dalian factory near the North Korean border, he watched Chinese businessman He YunFeng unveil plans for an "American Furniture Industrial Park" designed to flood U.S. markets with bedroom sets at what YunFeng called "tuition price"-selling at $100 to capture market share, even at a loss. For most American manufacturers, this moment signaled surrender. For JBIII, it meant war. His subsequent battle against Chinese dumping would make him an outcast among competitors already offshoring production, alienate family members, and ultimately save hundreds of American jobs while revealing globalization's brutal human cost.

    2

    Sawdust Empire: Building the Bassett Dynasty

    3

    Little John's Rebellion: Forging Identity Beyond the Name

    4

    Reinvention in Galax: Building Something His Own

    5

    The Chinese Tsunami: When Globalization Came Home

    6

    The Antidumping War: Taking on an Industry and a Superpower

    7

    The Price of Victory: Jobs Saved, Lives Changed