Synopsis
"A vivid portrait of the most dynamic force in the U.S. economy, its entrepreneurs. . . . [and] a compelling vision of our economic potential." Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prizewinning author of Lords of Finance "An important read for anyone interested in impacting our manufacturing future." Paul Otellini, President and CEO, Intel Corporation A former member of the Obama administration proves that the U.S. still is a global leader in manufacturingand offers a plan for increasing the nation's dominance for the foreseeable future Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Ro Khanna refutes the now-accepted view that America has lost its competitive edge in manufacturing to China, Germany, Japan, or Brazil.In Entrepreneurial Nation , he compellingly argues that the nation's unparalleled productivity and democratic culture has enabled it to more than double manufacturing output in the past 30 years. Khanna explains how a process of innovation involving the close collaboration of designers and manufacturers, coupled with specific federal policies supporting manufacturers, will buck the trend of off-shoring and increase American competitiveness to unprecedented levels. Ro Khanna spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce where he worked with the country''s most influential business and labor leaders to rebuild the nation''s manufacturing sector and increase American exports. He also served on the White House Business Council. Khanna is now a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Stanford University, and a technology attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Praise for Entrepreneurial Nation "Ro Khanna clearly loves his subject, and has written a wonderfully readable book about America's industrial and technological base. It is a detailed microeconomic look at the considerable strengths and challenges in the tradable part of the U.S. economy. Policy targeted to employment always involves a subtle balance between respecting powerful global market forces on the one hand, and identifying investment opportunities and removing self-inflicted handicaps on the other. On this dimension, the book is terrific; full of practical insights that could inform a collaboration between business and government to expand the economy's employment and growth engines, at a time when we need it." Michael Spence, Nobel Laureate in Economics (2001) "This is a captivating book that adds to the growing discourse on the relevance of American ingenuity and our manufacturing heritage. The real life experiences of U.S. manufacturing firms, many of which we do business with every day, shed a light on how we really get things done. America is about 'making stuff,' but we do it with great care for our customers and a focus on how we can do more to improve people's lives through collective innovation. It is a collection of captivating stories and real ideas on how to keep America competitive in the 21st Century." Ellen Kullman, Chair & CEO, DuPontone of America's original manufacturing companies " Entrepreneurial Nation is an excellent reminder of what makes American manufacturing great. Our culture of innovation has created our industrial base and is now threatened on many fronts. Ro examines the many facets of this problem and proposes specific remediessome controversial and others less sothat are intended to put us back on the track of an expanding industrial base. There is something for everyone in this book in that it brings to the surface many facts that are important, but have been masked. For example, why the WTO rules penalize US exporting firms operating under our corporate taxation system. An important read for anyone interested in impacting our manufacturing future." Paul Otellini, President and CEO, Intel Corporation "Ro Khanna takes on the sages who predict an inevitable demise of making things in America. He lays out a refreshing vision of innovation-based U.S.