Today; John Deere is remembered-some say mistakenly-as the inventor of the steel plow. Who was this legendary man and how did he create the internationally renowned company that still bears his name? He began as a debt-stricken blacksmith who; fleeing debt in New England in the 1830s; set up shop in a little town on the Illinois frontier. There; in response to farmers' struggles; he designed a new plow that cut through the impervious prairie sod and lay open the rich; heavy soil for planting. The demand for his polished steel plow convinced him to specialize in farm implements.In the decades before the Civil War; John Deere envisioned a company supplying midwestern farmers with reliable; affordable equipment. He used only high quality; imported steel and resisted pressure to raise prices. At the same time; he won respectful affection from his employees by working alongside them on the shop floor. Upon taking the helm in the 1860s; John's only surviving son; Charles; expanded the Moline factories to increase production; started branch houses in major midwestern cities to speed distribution; and began to transform the company into a modern corporation. The transformation didn't come without difficulties however: Charles found himself battling the Grange; facing threats of labor unions and strikes led by his own employees; and enduring patent suits and blatant thefts of product designs and advertising.
#99148 in Books Gila Gevirtz Jonathan D Sarna 2008-05-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x .70 x 7.20l; 1.30 #File Name: 0874418380288 pagesJewish History The Big Picture
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Great textbook!By Day School TeacherI used this as a textbook for seventh and eighth graders at a non-affiliated community Jewish day school. I found this to be an excellent book -- detailed enough to be genuinely useful without becoming overwhelming. It presented the material in a Jewish context without value judgements as to which movement or approach would be best; which was particularly helpful in a classroom that represented a spectrum of affiliations. The pacing of the chapters and the units was particularly well-done; allowing for a manageable amount of information to be included in the almost-weekly tests and unit tests. We were able to cover about half of the book devoting roughly three hours a week. The vocabulary and syntax was understandable for seventh/eighth graders; yet I do not think that it would be received as overly elementary or simplistic if presented to adults. Many of the parents; in fact; expressed a desire to read the book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great; simpleBy SMGreat; simple; complete overview of Judaism from antiquity to the modern day. Interspersed photos; historical quotes/details and short chapters (~10 pages) makes this an interesting; thorough read. Worth the purchase!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Beautiful bookBy Won daesungThis book is easy to read. Well designed. It contains core jewish history events. All ages may enjoy reading;can getImpotant information. Thanks a lot.
