The United States of Toyota Makes its Debut

New book by influential national commentator on the automotive business presents a compelling picture of the state of the industry

DETROIT - October 1, 2007: The United States of Toyota, the explosive new book from Peter M. De Lorenzo, the founder and publisher of the influential Autoextremist.com and one of the most respected national commentators on the automotive business, made its debut this week, at a time when the domestic auto industry is undergoing dramatic upheaval and profound change.

Part business story, part history book part political/current affairs piece, The United States of Toyota: How Detroit squandered its legacy and enabled Toyota to become America's Car Company is a never-before-seen primer on Detroit - The Motor City - a town and a region dominated by the auto companies, their suppliers and their ad agencies - and by a mindset and culture all its own.

"Today, we find ourselves living in The United States of Toyota, a state of mind more than anything else but a fundamental shift in our nation's psyche nonetheless," De Lorenzo explained. "After years of calculated mediocrity and engineering to the lowest common denominator, Detroit finds itself literally and figuratively on the ropes. A once-shining beacon of American innovation and corporate manufacturing might has been reduced to a national punch line. And Detroit has no one to blame but itself."

In commentary that is as accurate as it is blunt, De Lorenzo presents the players and the action in the auto business in a way not seen before in print. His voice is unique and refreshingly candid. His provocative analyses and assessments - grounded in personal experience and a lifelong immersion in all things automotive - present a compelling picture of the state of the auto business - how it used to be, what it has become and where it is headed. From the arrogance and short-sightedness of the Detroit manufacturers to the acumen and relentlessness of Toyota, The United States of Toyota paints an insightful portrait of an iconic American industry as it struggles for survival in the early years of the twenty-first century.

"This country's tacit acquiescence of Toyota as 'America's car company' is symptomatic of a deeper issue," De Lorenzo continued. "We in this country are turning a blind eye to the crisis in Detroit because too many people across America believe that Detroit's impending demise doesn't matter. But it in fact does matter, because Detroit's fate is the canary in the coal mine for a much broader crisis in the U.S., one that points to the continuing erosion of this country's manufacturing sector. Not only are we losing our ability to make things, but worse yet, this country is losing its ability to care about it, too, thanks to the card-carrying members of the anti-car, anti-Detroit 'intelligentsia' in the media on both coasts and in the halls of Congress who insist that the loss of our domestic auto industry doesn't matter. But this just in - we can't exist as Starbucks Nation alone."

The United States of Toyota is now available on Amazon.com, Borders.com and Powells.com. For additional information visit www.unitedstatesoftoyota.com.