Who Built That

Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs

By: Michelle Malkin

Narrated by: Michelle Malkin

Firebrand conservative columnist, commentator, Internet entrepreneur, and number-one New York Times best-selling author Michelle Malkin tells the fascinating, little-known stories of the inventors who have contributed to American exceptionalism and technological progress.

In July 2012 President Obama infamously proclaimed, "If you've got a business - you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

Malkin wholeheartedly disagrees. Who Built That is a rousing tribute to the hidden American capitalists who pioneered everyday inventions. They're the little big things we take for granted: bottle caps and glassware, door hinges and staples, tissue paper, flashlights, railroad signals, rotary printing presses, bridge cables, and more.

Malkin takes listeners on an eclectic journey of American capitalism, from the colonial period to the Industrial Age to the present, spotlighting awe-inspiring and little-known "tinkerpreneurs" who achieved their dreams of doing well by doing good. You'll learn how Paul Revere became America's first tech titan; how famous patent holders Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain championed the nation's unique system of intellectual property rights; how glass-manufacturing mavericks Edward Libbey and Mike Owens defied naysayers to revolutionize food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging; how penniless Croatian immigrant Anthony Maglica started his $400 million Maglite flashlight business in a rented garage; and many more riveting stories that explain our country's fertile climate for scientific advancement and entrepreneurship.

To understand who we are as people, we need first to understand what motivates America's ordinary and extraordinary makers and risk takers. Driven by her own experience as a second-generation beneficiary of the American dream, Malkin skillfully and passionately rebuts collectivist orthodoxy to celebrate the engineers, mechanics, designers, artisans, and relentless tinkerers of all backgrounds who embody our nation's spirit of self-made entrepreneurialism.

©2015 Michelle Malkin (P)2015 Simon & Schuster

Important things to remember.

Very good book. This book should be required reading for junior high and high school students.

Fabulous

What did you love best about Who Built That?

Michelle Malkin painstakingly tells the stories of those who have built - with their money, with their time, with their intellectual capacities - things that have enhanced all of our lives (even liberals)

Any additional comments?

Malkin should send a signed copy to Michelle and Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and all Democrats in Congress.

Perfectly narrated

Perfectly narrated, interesting well written stories, Michelle Malkin is defiantly on the top of my list of great authors who’s style keeps the book enjoyable.

Outstanding book

I really loved this book by Michelle Malkin. It is filled with stories of American investors, and Michelle's brilliance is shining through. She is very patient about America. Her stories are very convincing, and her performance is superb. I highly recommend this book.

Loved this book

This was great. Totally agree with Mrs Malkin when she talks about how mad it made her when she heard "You did not build that" from Obama. I was furious, it really goes to show how this progressive liberal movement just wants to expand government to stay in power. This book brings to light the history of successful people and what hard work with taking advantage of opportunities can really bring to the American Dream. Thank you for writing this!

Great book about Entrepreneurship in the U.S.

This book venerates the entrepreneur and the original patent system in America. It celebrates innovation and the country that has been at the forefront of such innovation with interesting and informative exposes. Definitely worth a listen. It is read by the author which makes it even better, as Malkin is good at everything she does.

Tales of trial and success renews appreciation for American manufacturing

Michelle Malkin has a real appreciation for American exceptionalism and the astonishing ingenuity and creativity American entrepreneurs and inventors uniquely displayed during its history.

Anyone learning about these courageous humans that at times sacrificed everything to create things to make our world a better place will walk away with a new sense of appreciation and awe.

"Who Built That" tells the stories of American manufacturing heroes whose stories will inspire and motivate its readers to put their own "shoulders to the wheel" and reclaim America as the hub of worldwide industrial success.

Very interesting but it is a history lesson

Goes over numerous different entrepreneurs in American history. This is very interesting, but be sure you want a history lesson. It is also very right wing, which was fine for me but might
not be OK for others.

It's for gushing patriots

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was hoping for a comparison between the US and other countries that explains this legendary period of innovation in US history. However, although it mentioned the supposedly unique patent system, it didn't describe how it is unique. This book did nothing to answer my questions about US market/economic history.

but if you're a patriot wanting to gush over accomplishments of your late citizens, then go ahead and read it. It would be a great read for any hand-over-heart American who's not compulsively analytical.

Take tha Obama!!

I was deeply offended by the presidents smug remarks about "you didn't build that". As someone who's working towards becoming self employed he wasn't there with me when I had hardly anything to eat and the despair I dealt with. The isolation the cheating girlfriend. All the pain that comes with higher pursuits. This book demonstrated how ignorant he is and how he anti-American he is by taking for granted all the numerous areas which are crafted by people like me that benefit our country as a whole.