Makers, set sometime in the near future, explores how technology, creativity and business will continue to shape and change our lives.  Suzanne Church, a journalist, has seen it all , the fall of the automobile companies in Detroit;the dot com boom and bust; and most recently the merger of Kodak and Duracell whose products have become obsolete, but their processes and infrastructure are still valuable products to people like Landon Kettlewell.  Kettlewell has a vision to use Kodacell, Kodak and Duracell's merged name, infrastructure to support small start-ups and make it possible for them to thrive.  Enter Perry and Lester who are creative and intelligent with great ideas, but lack the business skills to make a living.  Kodacell supports them and their products while Suzanne reports on the new businesses of Kodacell and others know as the New Work Movement.  As New Work grows, changes and even fails the cast of characters experience a variety of emotions which the reader can't help but feel if they are able to look beyond the tech jargon.

Makers  is not only the story of these young entrepreneurs as they explore their dreams, it is a commentary on the future of corporate America, journalism, technology's effect on society and even the American Dream.

Cory Doctorow, the author, is a tech blogger and has written a young adult novel, Little Brother.  The appeal of Doctorow's two novels is the discussibiltiy and geek factor.  Readers might get bogged down in the tech jargon, but if they get beyond that the ideas presented are thought provoking and interesting.  Makers might appeal to readers of Carl Hiaasen's Team Rodent and some of his novels dealing with the development of South Florida.

Rating: 3.5