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Microhistories About Making and Breaking the 21st Century
The science and tech behind how we built modern metropolises and went to Mars.
Published on September 6, 2018
The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger - Second Edition with a new chapter by the author
The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger - Second Edition with a new chapter by the author
Marc LevinsonNext time you get mad that UPS didn’t deliver your package on time, take a moment to marvel at how quickly goods can travel the world, mostly thanks to the invention of the shipping container in the 1950s. Learn how a bunch of boxes made to very particular specifications created a robust global economy. Marc Levinson repackages the story of the shipping container’s creation into one of the most engrossing histories you’ll ever read.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Mary RoachWhat happens when you can’t stop laughing in space? Mary Roach will find out for you as she studies how all the human bodily functions (particularly the gross ones) continue to work in space flight. The answers are out of this world. Roach is the queen of microhistories and we wouldn’t have many of our modern comforts without NASA’s research, so this one’s required reading.
Rust: The Longest War
Jonathan WaldmanAlong with the increasing scarcity of resources, we have a dangerous enemy to overcome: rust. At heart, “Rust” captures the spirit of human ingenuity in the face of seemingly impossible odds in a duel with Mother Nature. Jonathan Waldman’s work is a testament to how rust can’t corrode human genius and perseverance.