Your Life Is Manufactured

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. 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 FEATURING A NEW AFTERWORD 'Revelatory.' S UNDAY TIMES 'Fascinating.' THE TIMES '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 ' ZOE LAUGHLIN, presenter of BBC Four's How to Make 'This brilliant book shows that manufacturing is foundational to our lives, not only now but also if there is to be any hope for a sustainable future. I learned something new on every page.' PROFESSOR DIANE COYLE, author of Cogs and Monsters 'Reading this book is like being given a personal tour of the world's factories by a real-life Willy Wonka. Brimming with insight, curiosity and wit, Tim is a masterful storyteller of the manufactured world.' DR ANNA PLOSZAJSKI, author of Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning Through Making