Invisible Hands Audiobook By Kim Phillips-Fein cover art

Invisible Hands

The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan

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Invisible Hands

By: Kim Phillips-Fein
Narrated by: Lorna Raver
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Starting in the mid-1930s, a handful of prominent American businessmen forged alliances with the aim of rescuing America - and their profit margins - from socialism and the "nanny state."

Long before the "culture wars" usually associated with the rise of conservative politics, these driven individuals funded think tanks, fought labor unions, and formed organizations to market their views. These nearly unknown, larger-than-life, and sometimes eccentric personalities - such as General Electric's zealous, silver-tongued Lemuel Ricketts Boulware and the self-described "revolutionary" Jasper Crane of DuPont - make for a fascinating, behind-the-scenes view of American history.

The winner of a prestigious academic award for her original research on this book, Kim Phillips-Fein is already being heralded as an important new young American historian. Her meticulous research and narrative gifts reveal the dramatic story of a pragmatic, step-by-step, check-by-check campaign to promote an ideological revolution---one that ultimately helped propel conservative ideas to electoral triumph.

©2009 Kim Phillips-Fein (P)2009 Tantor Americas Conservatism & Liberalism Ideologies & Doctrines Politics & Government United States Socialism Capitalism Liberalism American History Taxation Social movement

Editorial reviews

What lies behind the dramatic rise of American conservative politics in the 20th century? Invisible Hands, a painstakingly researched historical book by Kim Phillips-Fein, offers new insight into the backroom dealings of businessmen who united against the New Deal's "nanny state", culminating in the triumph of Ronald Reagan's conservatism. Actress Lorna Raver narrates this revealing history with depth and aplomb, her gravelly, character-filled voice lending gravitas to Phillips-Fein's research. Along the way, listeners discover how the zealous efforts of people like General Electric's Lemuel Ricketts Boulware and DuPont's Jasper Crane tamped down the power of labor unions and dismantled socialist policies that restricted the free market - insuring the bottom line of the massively lucrative corporations these men represented.

Critic reviews

"Incisive.... An important contribution to our understanding of American conservatism." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Engaging history from a talented new scholarly voice." ( Kirkus)
All stars
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A nearly 50 year battle plays out in this book on how the conservative movement evolved in response to the New Deal. The government’s response to saving the country from the throes of the Great Depression. Grass root efforts certainly steered the GOP in the right direction to combat the welfare state, the unions and the Democrat Party stronghold over the FDR loyal voting block which would reign for years. The US corporations viewed the threat to capitalism and needed to organize to secure their future. Not only the capitalist future of these companies, but the economy future of America. They rallied to do just that by having business executives thwart the grip of government regulation and policy that tried to squelch the financial security of their businesses. Over time this strategy did reap great benefits and rewards poising the candidacy of Barry Goldwater to become the Republican front runner of the Conservative movement. All the preparation, business round tables and other conservative organizations laid the foundation for this movement to culminate to what became in the 50’s and 60’s to ultimately give birth to the Reagan presidency. Unfortunately, globalization eventually destroyed the GOP to minor threat with these former conservative supporting corporations to become modern day Marxist corporatists of supporting today’s Democrat Party. It was fun while it lasted, but once NAFTA was signed by Clinton in the 90’s that was the ball game for the once world’s largest industrial nation to fully depend on China and Mexico. We produce nothing on the US and the GDP is no longer dependent on the manufacturing sector, but now is bolstered by finance and speculation. With runaway inflation, uncontrolled deficit spending and skyrocketing national debt we are doomed back to 1929 and FDR’s New Deal mantra of government takeover.

The Conservative battle for taking back the New Deal

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This book more about capitalism and how companies worked to busy Unions and cut corners for profit. This book is now dated.

Just a verbal History book

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