MacGillis shows that Amazon's sprawling network of delivery hubs, data centers, and corporate campuses epitomizes a land where winner and loser cities and regions are drifting steadily apart, the civic fabric is unraveling, and work has become increasingly rudimentary and isolated. Ranging across the country, he tells the stories of those who have thrived and struggled to thrive in this rapidly changing environment. Office towers displace a historic black neighborhood; homeowners try to protect their neighborhood from the environmental impact of a new data center. MacGillis shows how Amazon has become a force in Washington, D.C., ushering readers through a revolving door for lobbyists and government contractors and into CEO Jeff Bezos's lavish Kalorama mansion.

Community — Seattle --Cardboard — Dayton, Ohio -- Security — Washington, D.C. -- Dignity — Baltimore -- Service — El Paso, Texas -- Power — Northern Virginia — Columbus, Ohio — Washington, D.C. -- Shelter — Seattle — Washington, D.C. -- Isolation — Nelsonville, Ohio — York, Pennsylvania — Columbus, Ohio -- Delivery — Baltimore — Washington, D.C..