The American Piano Industry: Episodes in the History of a Great Enterprise By William E. Hettrick. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2020

Hale and his fellow manufacturers based their business model on the principle of interchangeable parts, thus establishing a practice that would be embraced by the automobile industry but not the personal computer industry. Daniel Spillane's and Alfred Dolge's books (1890 and 1911–13, respectively) covered the topic of manufacturing during the same period chronicled by Hettrick.1 Arthur Loesser's 1954 book used a lively narrative style to make an otherwise dry topic humorous and engaging, while Edwin M. Good took an evolutionary approach to the subject in 1982.2 James Parakilas's more recent co-authored volume expanded on these earlier studies to provide an accessible and lavishly illustrated book, encompassing technology, education, and portrayals of the piano in popular media.3 Each of these foundational studies is cited repeatedly throughout Hettrick's book, and their emphasis on methods of social history is reflected in his narrative. [...]scholars of keyboard history will find much valuable information here to supplement their knowledge and support future studies, but general readers will perhaps have a more difficult time finding a narrative through line.