What happened to the independent stores of the 1950s, that used to cluster around a town square in a busy uptown shopping district? What happened to their owners, those middle-class leaders who used to serve on city councils and shape community affairs?

They've been replaced by giant retail firms, whose chain stores and franchise stores populate the suburban malls where most customers shop. Their corporate owners live far away, untroubled by local affairs.

How did this happen? Just big fish versus little fish? Economic growth? Progress? Standing Alone traces the history of American retailing to show the incentives and constraints that shaped retailers' behavior over the years, from the antebellum world of country general stores and peddlers to today's shopping malls and two-acre superstores.

Contrasting today's business world with that of the early 20th century, Wise tells the stories of his grandfather's grocery business and of a modern franchise store in a shopping mall.

Standing Alone profiles four independent businesses that have withstood the tide of retail chains and franchises: A lumber firm operating since 1903, a drugstore in business since 1938, another drugstore operating since 1964, and an American Indian art and craft gallery in business for decades.

Distilling the lessons of this history, Wise provides a set of guidelines for aspiring retailers, and discusses alternatives when some of them can't be followed.

Standing Alone documents the value of independent retailers to their community and discusses ways the community, including the reader, can better support them.

Wise discusses how redefining corporate personhood could help level the playing field for independent retailers. Finally, he speculates on the long-term future of retailing under the pressure of resource depletion and global warming.