Summary: This week at ITPL, the American history podcast, I interview historian Joshua Clark Davis about his new book, From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs. It’s a fascinating examination of 4 types of “activist entrepreneurship” - African American bookstores, feminist businesses, head shops, & organic food. Davis also discusses the transformation of Whole Foods from a 1970s activist, alternative business into a huge profit-seeking corporation.
