In 1972, Sears, Roebuck & Co. was the quintessential American success story. It accounted for over one percent of the gross national product. Two out of three Americans shopped there during any quarter of that year. Suddenly, Sears found itself in a downward spiral: profits plummeted, the stock price collapsed, and civil war erupted within the corporation. By 1984, Sears was back on top--bigger than ever.The Big Store is the inside story of Sears' decline and resurrection. Allowed unprecedented and unrestricted access to Sears' records, offices, meetings and executives, the award-winning journalist Donald R. Katz has written a spellbinding tale of heroes and villains, of monumental errors, daring planning--and stunning triumph.