Factory Man about Bassett, Virginia..actually about the Bassett family who at one time was Bassett, Virginia is a spell bounding read. I love the way Beth Macy built the town from the ground up with each family generation. The history of the family members and their drive to make something of the family and the town could be about many towns in America but this story is about the farm land and farmers along with slaves becoming furniture businesses on an international level. The family did not always agree on who was to run the different furniture factories...cousins and in-laws against blood-born Bassetts were often at odds with each other which made this read like fiction.The town of Bassett became a boom town due to good management and a love for the business and dedication to the workers. The workers were also dedicated to the business since money was good and no longer days in the hot sun and rain raising cotton in the fields. The mansions were built on the hill away from Smith River enough to get out of the flood plain but within seeing distance of the factories and the smokestacks.The railroad was built through Basset and this added to the prosperity. Wood was plentiful in the hills surrounding the county and life became better for all living within the area....until along came the Japanese, the Chinese, the Vietnamese, etc. who could buy the wood, have it shipped and make the furniture ad ship back to the US for a much less price...Whoa be gone one factory, then two, then three...workers lost their jobs; poverty set in for many in Bassett and surrounding furniture producing areas. It became a political game to keep making furniture in America and JBIII was the man to get it done. He is a funny, determined, goal-driven man with a fight on his hands. A truly great character in the history of the furniture business and Bassett, Virginia.This is a marvelous history book written by a newspaper woman who get to the heart of the furniture business and the family. YOU will love this book if you like to read stories about our nation's road to prosperity, industry and family legends. I got my book downloaded onto my Kindle from Amazon. Get yours now and then look at the bottom or back of your furniture to see where it was made.