Boom Town Book Available

A new book on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and how it has shaped Northwest Arkansas is due out this fall.

“Boom Town: How Wal-Mart Transformed an All-American Town Into an International Community” by Marjorie Rosen can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

Rosen became intrigued with Northwest Arkansas when she read a 2006 New York Times article about the burgeoning Jewish culture in the area due to Wal-Mart’s draw.

Soon after, she began to research the topic for a book, looking also at the other cultures (Hispanic, Hindu, Marshallese) lured here through employment at the world’s largest retailer.

Rosen, a resident of New York, is also the author of “Popcorn Venus: Women, Movies and the American Dream” and co-authored “Woody and Mia: A Nanny’s Tale” with Kristi Groteke.

We hear longtime Walmartian, Cole Peterson, the former executive vice president of the people division, was interviewed for the book.