BOOK REVIEW
Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing Is Still Key to America's Future
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Author Ro Khanna Of Counsel
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati
Reviewed by Frank Smith
Managing Editor, eBulletins
Frost & Sullivan
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Drawing upon his experience as the deputy assistant secretary of commerce, Ro Khanna delves into one of the most thorny questions facing American innovators today: Has the U.S.’s days as a manufacturing leader faded into the sunset?
Khanna thinks not. His book Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing Is Still Key to America’s Future is his pointed argument for why the U.S. has not seen its competitive edge dulled in comparison to countries like China, Germany, Japan, and Brazil.
Despite a turbulent economy and a loss of American jobs that have headed overseas, Khanna points to manufacturing companies and industry leaders that are operating in innovative ways to stay ahead of the global competition, and offers key insights into what can be learned from their successes. These include Intel’s CEO Andy Grove, Vitamix (the company that manufactures the gourmet coffee blenders used by Starbucks), and Steel Dynamics.
As a government policy wonk, Khanna leans heavily on the role of the U.S. government in helping companies compete against overseas businesses. The Chinese government, for example, spends billions of dollars a year investing in companies that have manufacturing power but lack innovative expertise. With better policies in place on U.S. soil, companies can become better prepared to grow. But he is not too wide-eyed that he overlooks the failures of companies like the thin-film solar manufacturer Solyndra that received millions in government loan subsidies, yet still couldn’t survive.
Part of the solution could also come from government-sponsored training programs to bulk up America’s base of skilled manufacturing workers.
In this impassioned argument, Khanna writes from an insider’s perspective on how the government works and can work better for businesses. Above all he stresses the importance of taking pride in one’s work and in American manufacturing.
Details
ISBN: 978-0-07-180200-2
Hardcover
272 Pages
July 2012
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
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