Small Towns and Big Business comprehensively examines the phenomenon of local protests against Wal-Mart superstores. Using fieldwork and archival sources, Halebsky situates these protests in the context of economic restructuring and the expansion of retailing; explains how some local social movements were able to successfully fend off the world's largest retailer; and assesses the implications for efforts to limit corporate power, resist McDonaldization, and protect local quality of life.