Assembled in Japan: Electrical Goods and the Making of the Japanese Consumer

Partner, Simon. 1999. Assembled in Japan: Electrical Goods and the Making of the Japanese Consumer. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 304 pp., $55.00 ($19.95 paperback).

Assembled in Japan makes readers think about where they want to go as consumers and voters, and how they want to get there. Simon Partner writes about the history of Japanese consumer electrical goods from the mid-nineteenth century to the 1960s. A thorough explanation of what went on in Japan certainly helps readers to have a better understanding and insight into any nation where ordinary people have material desires and others fulfill or exploit those desires. Assembled in Japan is a great source for learning the history of electrical goods and their producers such as Matsushita, Toshiba, and Sony, all firms driven by ambitious entrepreneurs. In addition, readers will learn about marketing theories,...