We live in a manufactured world. Unless you're completely disconnected from modern society, you're likely surrounded by a multitude of manufactured products—furniture, technology, clothing, even food. Yet the processes behind how these things come into our lives remain largely invisible. Do we pause to ask: Where do the things we buy come from? How are they made? How do they end up in our hands?
Tim Minshall, a professor of innovation at the University of Cambridge, traces the surprising paths everyday items travel, from design and creation to delivery. He explores the world of manufacturing, uncovering the inner workings of a system that operates around the clock to produce and distribute everything from cars and cakes to phones, planes, medicines, and medical devices—shaping nearly every aspect of our daily lives.
Minshall also examines how we might strengthen the fragility of our global manufacturing system and reduce its impact on the natural world, presenting a path toward a truly sustainable future. By making sense of this surprising and hidden world, he says, we can make better choices—for ourselves, our communities, and the planet.
Minshall’s book, How Things Are Made: A Journey Through the Hidden World of Manufacturing (Ecco), is available for purchase.
Book Sale Information
General Information
