The Box. Marc Levinson
The Box. Marc Levinson. How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger. 2006.ISBN 0691123241. Today is the 50th anniversary of the first use of shipping containers. It was many years of battle and wearing down vested interests until the container started to make a real impact. But, like all standards, once achieved, it changed so much more than ever expected. The book is a delightful work on this growth. If your product requires the adoption of a standard, this is well worth the read. For Canadians, we should really take note. China would not be were it is today without the gigantic container ports they had the foresight to build. This book will help you understand why Prince Rupert really has a shot at getting some significant traffic if their container port goes ahead. These super large container vessels only make money when they are moving, so shaving off a day of transport by calling into Rupert is a really big deal. But this is a game were you go big or go home. You can not just put your toe in the water if you want the big ships to call. For Africa the continued lack of investment in major port facilities will further drive their economies in the wrong direction, no matter how cheap the labor is. Good easy read.
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