Includes bibliographical references and index.

A city on a hill -- Utopia -- Exploitationville -- A southern principality -- The magic city -- On the road to the consumer economy -- The instant cities of the good war -- A world transformed.

Examines how towns across the United States have grown thanks to the existence of one large business being run from the community, discusses how those single-business communities have influenced the American economy, and explores the benefits and consequences of these towns.