''The Incredible Bread Machine'' is a text of
political commentary written by R.W. Grant in 1966, which discussed
free market
In economics, a free market is an economic market (economics), system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of ...
enterprise and
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
.
The book had an accompanying fictional
poem
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
entitled "Tom Smith And His Incredible Bread Machine." The poem is about Tom Smith, the inventor of a machine that produces bread very cheaply. Smith's cheap bread feeds the world and he becomes very wealthy from his
invention
An invention is a unique or novelty (patent), novel machine, device, Method_(patent), method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It m ...
. However, Smith's government charges him with conducting illegal business practices and the price of bread soars.
The poem was later reissued in an illustrated
hardcover
A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as casebound (At p. 247.)) book is one bookbinding, bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other clo ...
format. In 1999, the second edition of ''The Incredible Bread Machine'' was published.
In 1974, Susan Love Brown, Karl Keating, David Mellinger, Patrea Post, Stuart Smith and Catriona Tudor of World Research Inc expanded upon the original book's content and wrote their own book, using the same title, promoting their own ideas of personal and
economic freedom. In 1975, the World Research expanded this book into a film featuring themselves.
Theo Kamecke was director and cameraman for the film. The film is meant to be a commentary on Capitalism.
External links
The PoemThe Film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Incredible Bread Machine
American poems
1966 poems