ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/13/13 -- Best-selling author Chris Anderson writes "Makers: The New Industrial Revolution," revealing the compelling blueprint to the new industrial revolution as today's entrepreneurs bring open source design and 3D printing to the desktop. Anderson interviews MFG.com's founder and CEO, Mitch Free, to explore "factories in the cloud", the Web-based access to high-quality production without having to actually own the tools yourself.

Anderson opens the book writing about his grandfather, Fred Hauser, who invented and patented the first sprinkler system in 1943. He discusses the difference it would have made if his grandfather was born in 1998, equipped with a computer and the Internet, instead of 1898. "Rather than inventing everything from scratch, he would have built on the work of others, compressing decades of work into months," Anderson writes. "Rather than patenting, he might have published his designs online. When it came time to make more than a handful of his designs, he would have uploaded his design files to companies that could make anything from tens to tens of thousands of units for him, even drop-shipping them directly to customers. Because his design files were digital, robotic machine tools could make them, saving 90 percent or more on tooling costs. In short, he would have been an entrepreneur, not just an inventor."

In an age of custom-manufactured, do-it-yourself product design and creation, Anderson believes we will see millions of garage tinkerers and enthusiasts being unleashed, paving the path for major growth in American manufacturing. The future of 'if you can imagine it, you can build it' is the transformation happening in manufacturing. Today's technology has liberated the inventor from dependence on large manufacturers.

"Makers: The New Industrial Revolution" brings to light the fact that everyone speaks the same language in digital manufacturing. It is the common platforms, like MFG.com, that make it possible for hyper-efficient B2B online marketplaces to exist. "So while the rest of us are having our heads turned by the latest buzzy social media thing," Anderson writes, "sites like MFG.com are quietly going about their work of turbocharging the world's real economic engine, making stuff faster, cheaper, better."

Sourcing professionals can upload a CAD file so they can receive competitive quotes from multiple manufacturers. They have instant access to the best pricing and manufacturing sources in the world, without even leaving their desks. "The beauty of the Web is that it democratized the tools both of invention and production," Anderson writes. "We are all designers now. It's time to get good at it."

Anderson provides an excellent guide to companies that make niche products for an international market. He notes that small businesses have always been the main source of new jobs in America. Too often businesses are strictly local and lacking innovation, both of which make it difficult for them to grow. The "Maker's Movement" allows for the opportunity to be both small and global. Most of all, American manufacturers need to be one step ahead of the curve and create the type of products the world wants but even doesn't realize it yet.

In addition to writing "Makers: The New Industrial Revolution," Anderson is the author of the New York Times best-seller "The Long Tail and Free: The Future of a Radical Price." He was the previous editor in chief of Wired Magazine, the San Francisco-based magazine that reports how new and developing technology affects culture, economy and politics. Anderson is currently the CEO of 3D Robotics, the fast-growing manufacturer of aerial robots and DIY Drones.

About MFG.com
MFG.com is the largest online marketplace for the manufacturing industry, facilitating interaction between buyers and manufacturers. MFG.com enables sourcing professionals and engineers to quickly and easily locate quality suppliers for CNC Machining, Injection Molding, Metal Stamping, Metal Fabrication and many other processes through an easy-to-use online marketplace. With more than $115 billion in RFQs passing through the marketplace, MFG.com has helped thousands of manufacturers -- ranging from small machine shops to large conglomerates -- increase sales and grow profits. MFG.com is a global business, with offices in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Mexico. For more information, go to: http://www.mfg.com.

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