This book is the story of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Big Three U.S. automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The author, the Detroit bureau chief for the New York Times and author of Taken for a Ride, takes readers inside the Big Three U.S. automakers for the rise and fall, and rise again? of this quintessentially American industry. This work is more than a business history. It offers a view of the present day automobile industry and of Detroit, the city that spawned it, going far beyond the corporate and federal maneuverings to explore the impact the car companies' failures have had on the overall economy, and more importantly what they have done to people's lives. It is a journey deep inside the American automobile industry.