Amazon.com description: Product Description: Zimmerman, professor of manufacturing systems engineering and international management at the University of St. Thomas, and Beal, a business columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, report on their research on manufacturing trends in each of the nation's 3,000-plus counties. Using in-depth analysis, graphics, charts, and maps, they examine which counties are flourishing and which are not, and the reasons why. They overview the US industrial sector, highlight contrasts between counties, explore the trade deficit and other aspects of the global economy, and look at challenges and opportunities faced by US manufacturers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)