本书基于数百小时的访谈写成，其中有些访谈对象是书中故事的主人公，有些则分享了信息和洞见；此外，出版资料也补充了一部分信息，其中最重要的资料来源列在下面。著名人物的小传全部根据二手资料写成，其中最有用的部分也列在了下面；小传有时会重述或引用主人公本人的话，这些引语可以在书籍、文章和歌曲里找到。各个年度的文字拼贴有一系列来源——报纸、杂志、书籍、演讲、歌曲、广告、诗歌、电影、电视节目——所有这些都是在注明的年份写成、出版、录制或播出的（在/theunwinding可以找到一份清单）。虽然本书整体是一本非虚构作品，它在文学上受到了约翰·多斯·帕索斯（johndospassos）的伟大小说作品“美国三部曲”（u.s.a.trilogy）的影响；该作品出版于上世纪30年代，如今亟待重版。
故事
迪恩·普莱斯和皮埃蒙特
allentullos,habitsofindustry:whitecultureandthetransformationofthecarolinapiedmont(chapelhill:universityofnorthcarolinapress,1989).
康诺顿和华盛顿特区
joebiden,promisestokeep(newyork:randomhouse,2008).
jeffconnaughton,thepayoff:whywallstreetalwayswins(prospectapress,2012).作者慷慨地分享了早期草稿。
robertg.kaiser,sodamnmuchmoney:thetriumphoflobbyingandthecorrosionofamericangovernment(newyork:vintagebooks,2010).
塔米·托马斯和扬斯敦
barrybluestoneandbennettharrison,thedeindustrializationofamerica:plantclosings,communityabandonment,andthedismantlingofbasicindustry(newyork:basicbooks,1982).
terryf.bussandf.stevensredburn,shutdownatyoungstown:publicpolicyformassunemployment(albany:sunypress,1983).
stephenf.diamond,“thedelphi‘bankruptcy’:thecontinuationofclasswarbyothermeans,”dissent(spring2006).
davidm.kennedy,freedomfromfear:theamericanpeopleindepressionandwar,1929-1945(newyork:oxforduniversitypress,1999).
sherryleelinkonandjohnrusso,steeltownu:workandmemoryinyoungstown(lawrence:universitypressofkansas,2002).
johnrusso,“integratedproductionorsystematicdisinvestment:therestructuringofpackardelectric”(unpublishedpaper,1994).
seansafford,whythegardenclubcouldn'tsaveyoungstown:thetransformationoftherustbelt(cambridge,ma:harvarduniversitypress,2009).
彼得·蒂尔和硅谷
soniaarrison,100plus:howthecomingageoflongevitywillchangeeverything,fromcareersandrelationshipstofamilyandfaith,withaforewordbypeterthiel(newyork:basicbooks,2011).
ericm.jackson,thepaypalwars:battleswithebay,themedia,themafiaandtherestofplanetearth(losangeles:worldaheadpublishing,2010).
davidkirkpatrick,thefacebookeffect:theinsidestoryofthecompanythatisconnectingtheworld(newyork:simon&schuster,2011).
jessicalivingston,“maxlevchin,”infoundersatwork:storiesofstartups'earlydays(newyork:apress,2008).
benmezrich,theaccidentalbillionaires:thefoundingoffacebook(newyork:anchor,2010).
davido.sacksandpetera.thiel,thediversitymyth:multiculturalismandpoliticalintoleranceoncampus(oakland,ca:theindependentinstitute,1998).
坦帕
richardflorida,thegreatreset:hownewwaysoflivingandworkingdrivepost-crashprosperity(newyork:harpercollins,2010).
alyssakatz,ourlot:howrealestatecametoownus(newyork:bloomsbury,2010).
robertj.kerstein,politicsandgrowthintwentieth-centurytampa(gainesville:universitypressofflorida,2001).
paulreyes,exilesineden:lifeamongtheruinsofflorida'sgreatrecession(newyork:henryholt,2010).
人物小传
纽特·金里奇
adamclymer,“theteacherofthe‘rulesofcivilization’getsascolding,”newyorktimes(january26,1997).
stevenm.gillon,thepact:billclinton,newtgingrich,andtherivalrythatdefinedageneration(newyork:oxforduniversitypress,2008).
newtgingrich,lessonslearnedthehardway(newyork:harpercollins,1998).
newtgingrich,torenewamerica(newyork:harpercollins,1999).
newtgingrichwithdaviddrakeandmariannegingrich,windowofopportunity:ablueprintforthefuture(newyork:torbooks,1984).
johnh.richardson,“newtgingrich:theindispensablerepublican,”esquire(september2010).
gailsheehy,“theinnerquestofnewtgingrich,”vanityfair(september1995).
奥普拉·温弗瑞
barbaragrizzutiharrison,“theimportanceofbeingoprah,”newyorktimesmagazine(june11,1989).
kittykelley,oprah:abiography(newyork:threeriverspress,2011).
kenlawrence,theworldaccordingtooprah:anunauthorizedportraitinherownwords(kansascity,mo:andrewsmcmeel,2005).
雷蒙德·卡佛
raymondcarver,fires:essays,poems,stories(newyork:vintagebooks,1984).
raymondcarver,whatwetalkaboutwhenwetalkaboutlove:stories(newyork:vintagebooks,1989).
raymondcarver,wherei'mcallingfrom:stories(newyork:vintagecontemporaries,1989).