A Review Article

Historians have awaited with great interest a new endeavor to tell the story of business in America — not in a narrow or technical way, but broadly related to the social environment of which business is one part. Economic historians, business historians, sociologists, and many other specialists have gathered extensive data on phases of business behavior, and are continuing to do so at a commendably prolific rate. The job of synthesis, however, has been neglected, perhaps because of its formidable demands. No two scholars would be likely to agree on the content and emphasis of any volume, such as the one reviewed here, that describes the development of American business. This circumstance does not detract from either the usefulness of the effort or the value of the criticism. The increasingly specialized nature of scholarship demands both the stimulus of a general thesis and wide reactions to that thesis if historical perception is to be kept abreast of accumulating evidence.