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The John Deere Story: A Biography of Plowmakers John and Charles Deere. By Neil Dahlstrom and Jeremy Dahlstrom (DeKaIb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2005. Pp. ix, 204. Illustrated. Cloth, $24.00).
In contrast to the lengthy and detailed biographies of American business elites published recently, authors Neil Dahlstrom and Jeremy Dahlstrom provide us with a lucidly written and concise biography of not just one business leader but two: Deere & Company founder John Deere and his son Charles. The focus of the book enables the Dahlstroms to keep the narrative concise. Rather than define and develop a clear thesis about the Deeres in relation to the company's changing business practices, labor relations, and structure during the nineteenth century, the Dahlstroms emphasize a theme that pervades our contemporary political culture: the moral values of the company's founder and his son. The authors do not paint a detailed and comprehensive picture of the Deeres' stewardship of the company as would have resulted from researching the multiple perspectives embedded in diverse newspapers, labor history documents, and statistical records. Instead, they rely predominantly on reports, correspondence, and news stories housed in the Deere & Company archives.
The title of the book actually refers to the company rather than the founder, for the subtitle refers to both father and son. The narrative, for the most part, emphasizes the men's vision for the company. The authors organize their research in relation to the vision they claim Charles shared with his father, a vision of a company engaged in a "cooperative partnership" rather than "a ruthless destruction of competitors.''^)
The story begins with the birth of John Deere in Rutland, Vermont in 1804. Two years later the family moved...