本書基於數百小時的訪談寫成，其中有些訪談物件是書中故事的主人公，有些則分享了資訊和洞見；此外，出版資料也補充了一部分資訊，其中最重要的資料來源列在下面。著名人物的小傳全部根據二手資料寫成，其中最有用的部分也列在了下面；小傳有時會重述或引用主人公本人的話，這些引語可以在書籍、文章和歌曲裡找到。各個年度的文字拼貼有一系列來源——報紙、雜誌、書籍、演講、歌曲、廣告、詩歌、電影、電視節目——所有這些都是在註明的年份寫成、出版、錄製或播出的（在/theunwinding可以找到一份清單）。雖然本書整體是一本非虛構作品，它在文學上受到了約翰·多斯·帕索斯（johndospassos）的偉大小說作品「美國三部曲」（u.s.a.trilogy）的影響；該作品出版於上世紀30年代，如今亟待重版。
故事
迪恩·普萊斯和皮埃蒙特
allentullos,habitsofindustry:whitecultureandthetransformationofthecarolinapiedmont(chapelhill:universityofnorthcarolinapress,1989).
康諾頓和華盛頓特區
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·托馬斯和揚斯敦
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·蒂爾和矽谷
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).
人物小傳
紐特·金裡奇
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).
奧普拉·溫弗瑞
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).