“Pittsburgh stands as the base case for economic revival and reinvention. In this deeply researched and compellingly told work, Christopher P. Briem takes us inside the forces that shaped the city’s rise as an industrial powerhouse, its devastating decline, and its captivating ongoing comeback. A must-read for all who care about the future of the Rust Belt, America, and postindustrial regions around the world.” – Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class

“An essential work in US economic and industrial history.” - David L. Passmore, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Penn State University

Christopher P. Briem is a regional economist with the program in Urban and Regional Analysis at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Social and Urban Research. He has been widely quoted on Pittsburgh topics in regional and national outlets (including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal), and his research has been published in Economic Development Quarterly, Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Citiscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research, and elsewhere.