The Box That Changed the World by Arthur Donovan , Joseph Bonney Search Amazon for other books by or about Arthur Donovan. Rating: Reviewed by: John L. Hoh, Jr.

A buzzword in business today is to "think outside the box." On 26 April 1956 shipping magnate Malcolm McLean thought outside the industry box by "thinking inside the box." Before that date cargo was transported on ships using the "breakbulk" method. This method was extremely labor intensive, had a high incident of breakage and loss, and the high possibility of theft. An impetus in the path to containerized shipping was the day Malcolm McLean had to wait a day for his truck to be unloaded at the docks in New Jersey. This delay cost him potential revenue and he began to think of how the process could be modified so that a container could be taken from the truck directly to the ship without excessive labor.

To be sure there were challenges and roadblocks along the way. There was government intervention as truckers and railroads vied for overland freight business. There were the regulations against trans-modal freight (such as semi-trailers piggybacked on railroad cars). There were challenges of standardization, such as dimensions of the trailers used in containerized shipping. At one point Malcolm McLean had to give up control of his trucking company, McLean Trucking, in order to buy Pan-Atlantic shipping. He sought to retrofit the ships to carry semi-trailers.

Whether McLean was the original inventor of the idea is up for debate. The authors document early attempts to efficiently transport cargo in a standardized method. But it was McLean who had the tenacity to persevere despite challenges that arose. Ultimately the definition of container and cargo needed to be settled for this revolution in shipping to proceed. The Interstate Commerce Commission ruled in McLean's favor in 1955, defining the ships as "sea tractors" with the trailers being mere containers used in hauling cargo.

Early attempts included loading railcars onto multi-deck ships outfitted with rails. Many of these ships were refurbished Liberty ships from World War II. The industry, no doubt, had to mature before it was economically feasible to stop retrofitting older ships and building new. Even then it was still often cheaper to enlarge-or decrease-the size by cutting open a ship and adding or removing portions to the cargo decks.

Early names of such ventures reflect the optimism and creativity of such ventures-Sea-Land, Seatrain, Trailer Ferry (using surplus WWII landing craft), Sea Bridge, and Seatainer.

Once coastal transport of containers was secure the revolution came to overseas cargo. This arena viewed containerized shipping with scorn, not least of which the routes were controlled by cartels and labor unions fought the advances as it could eliminate jobs. But the breakthrough came in 1966 when a container of scotch arrived in Louisville, Kentucky. For many years Brown-Forman Distillers would receive breakbulk shipments and sort the cases on arrival into empty cases and broken bottles. But this shipment arrived complete, with all the scotch in saleable condition.

Soon the whole world started shipping in containerized systems. Taiwan's Evergreen Line placed an order for breakbulk-equipped ships-then the president called back and changed the order to containerized ships. Evergreen soon took a commanding presence in the industry. Surely our global economy owes its success to the innovation of Malcolm McLean 50 years ago. (This book was issued in honor of the 50th. anniversary of this innovation.)

The new method has issued its own challenges and will into the future. Many containerized ships barely fit through the Panama Canal-and some must travel around South America's southern tip. Should the Canal be widened and locks enlarged? Some harbors prove to be too shallow for the newer, bigger ships. A Maersk ship visited New York's harbor in a stunning photo when the company dramatized the need for deeper harbors. In the background of the ship are the Twin Towers-and it looks as if the ship's length far exceeds the towers' heights.

Another aspect covered are the alliances between rail, sea, and truck today as opposed to the antagonistic spirit of the post-World War II economy. Containerized shipping is part and parcel (pun intended) of hauling freight from source to destination. Mechanized means allow for the swift transfer from boat to truck to train.

The book is mainly a promotion piece of the industry. Included are letters of congratulations written by leading shippers, ports, and governmental agencies. Full-color photos and black and white drawings, especially of designing early container ships, help to highlight the history as it unfolded over the last 50 years. Charts detail the rise of containerized shipping and the rise of non-US shipping companies and ports. Overall this book is an excellent archive of the history of containerized shipping and a component of the history of global trade.