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Your Life Is Manufactured

How We Make Things, Why It Matters and How We Can Do It Better

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Your Life Is Manufactured

By: Tim Minshall
Narrated by: Tim Minshall
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Summary

**A WATERSTONES, FT and TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR**
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE**
**LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 FINANCIAL TIMES & SCHRODER BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR**


From mega-factory floors, engineering laboratories and seaports to distribution hubs, supermarkets and our own homes, embark on an eye-opening guided tour through the world of manufacturing and its transformational influence on our lives - and the planet.

FEATURING A NEW AFTERWORD

'Revelatory.' S UNDAY TIMES
'Fascinating.' TELEGRAPH
'Illuminating.' i
'Intensely readable.' IRISH TIMES
'Well-observed and enjoyably written.' FINANCIAL TIMES

Unless you are floating naked through space, you are right now in direct contact with multiple manufactured products, be it furniture, technology, clothing, and or even food. The processes by which these things appear in our lives are virtually invisible. How often do we stop to think: Where do the things we buy actually come from?

Charting the byzantine journeys taken by everyday items to reach us, Your Life is Manufactured reveals the seismic impact manufacturing has had on our lives and the natural world - and explores how it could offer us a path to a truly sustainable, more equitable future. In doing so, Minshall grants us the ability to make better choices for ourselves, our communities and the planet.

'An extraordinarily good read.'
DAVID SPIEGELHALTER

©2025 Tim Minshall (P)2025 Faber & Faber
Engineering Environment Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science
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All stars
Most relevant
Gave me a good insight in to the world and issues of manufacturing. I recommend it.

A good read for the uninitiated.

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Optimistic, Realistic, a good entertaining storyline. I never write reviews…this book should be read by politicians and investors as fun facts and mindful introduction to why manufacturing takes time to build and needs local attention to thrive.

Manufacturing is our future, especially in the EU/UK

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I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the manufactured world and systems.
It left me feeling more optimistic that we can and are making progress to a better future.

Positive and Informative

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an important book on manufacturing, explaining in depth and also how it can help us and the planet, to survive on planet earth with climate change, also using a circular economy to be sustainable.

the reality of the subject

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A truly fascinating book that doesn’t talk down to at all and helped me to see what goes on behind the scenes at a global scale! Highly recommended.

Great book, well narrated!

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