My dog had the right idea today, and while I'm still not over the post-travel hump in the last few days I was able to read some books for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was "From Prairie Farmer to Entrepreneur" by Dennis Nordin. This is an excellent macro-level examination of the changing nature of the agricultural sector in the midwestern US in the 20th century, with the authors reviewing everything from changes in farm operations to markets and the surrounding communities. The importance of regulation and government programs over the decades is emphasized throughout, as are the growing capital requirements brought on by technological change that optimized for large holding productivity. You won't get as much on the sociological side here besides a few anecdotes - for that I would recommend "A Revolution Down on the Farm" by Conkin, who also digs more into the precise technological disruptions over this period. Highly recommend https://iupress.org/9780253345714/from-prairie-farmer-to-entrepreneur/

Last was "Labor's War at Home" by Nelson Lichtenstein. This is a detailed review of an extremely unique and pivotal time in US labor relations, with government control of production and labor creating dynamics that might be a preview of our future given our current trajectory. Lichtenstein showed how challenging this environment was for labor organizations, with the close collaboration between industry leadership and government officials often freezing out union leaders. Unsanctioned worker action still happened, however, and how the labor movement navigated this moment is instructive. Highly recommend https://tupress.temple.edu/books/labor-s-war-at-home