AMERICAN MADE What Happens to People When Work Disappears

NEW YORK TIMES journalist Farah Stockman's narration of her memorable sociological portrait draws listeners into the personal stories of three factory workers who were displaced by a plant closure. Though the broad picture of American workers' declining opportunities is grim, she explains the causes with balance and perspective: free trade, weak labor unions, automation, pro-business politics. Stockman's intimate account of how the three workers adjusted to these changes humanizes them. Her smooth storytelling and vocal tone create an atmosphere that defuses socioeconomic grievances and makes such marginalized people sound more like us. This is an audio that will provoke greater efforts to address the causes of the widening cultural and economic divide. T.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]