In 1965, a refitted tanker transported 58 containers of cargo from Newark to Houston. From that humble beginning, container shipping evolved into a massive industry that devastated waterfront communities and reshaped the industry, destroying centuries-old harbors and creating vast new ones where none had existed before. The Box tells the dramatic story of how "the drive and imagination of an entrepreneur named Malcolm McLean transformed containerization from an impractical idea into a phenomenon that reduced transportation costs and made the boom in global trade possible."

Levinson makes a powerful case that McLean's thinking led to containerization today. It transformed the economics of shipping and, with it, the flow of global trade. Without the container, there would be no globalization.

The Economist

By artfully connecting the details of what happened in each port with the grand sweep of economic history, Levinson has produced a fascinating book for anyone interested in how the global economy has become interconnected.

Neil Irwin, The Washington Post

Levinson has produced a stunning display of the romance of the steel container. I'll never look at a truck the same way again.

Howard Davies, The Times (London)