From Tobacco to Technology: Reshaping Winston-Salem for the 21st Century

During the late 1980s Winston-Salem was gripped in a downward spiral of corporate relocations, mergers, bankruptcies and plant closings that pummeled the city's self-image and eviscerated its employment base.Amid the procession of dispiriting headlines, a small group of visionaries looked to the future and forged a plan to create a new economic base that would carry Winston-Salem into the 21st Century.From Tobacco to Technology is the definitive record of how these dedicated souls persevered in their efforts, overcoming skepticism, setbacks, bureaucratic infighting and even a catastrophic fire, to build a movement that eventually would be embraced by the community and transform a city. More than a recitation of events and dates, it goes behind the headlines to reveal the people and the forces at work during this pivotal moment in the Twin City.