The transformation of the northern countryside during the first half of the nineteenth century is one of the central themes of American rural history, and it has formed the basis of many excellent studies by economic and social historians. Martin Bruegel's Farm, Shop, Landing, is the latest addition to this literature, and it is a valuable one. Bruegel extends our perspective beyond New England to New York's Hudson River Valley, and he demonstrates a theoretical sophistication and an eye for the telling details that give a familiar story fresh nuance and texture as well as a scope and sweep that transcend the local.