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The Box
by Marc Levinson • 2006
In 1956, a trucker shipped 58 truck bodies on a tanker. What followed remade the global economy.
3.86
7k+
The Box Summary
The Box 88%
In 1956, a trucker shipped 58 truck bodies on a tanker. What followed remade the global economy.
by Marc Levinson 2006
3.86
7k+ ratings
Ninety Percent of Everything
by Rose George • 2013
Behind everything you own: an invisible, lawless ocean industry that makes globalization possible.
3.79
4k+
Ninety Percent of Everything Summary
Ninety Percent of Everything 88%
Behind everything you own: an invisible, lawless ocean industry that makes globalization possible.
by Rose George 2013
3.79
4k+ ratings
The Sea and Civilization
by Lincoln Paine • 2013
Before trains, the sea was the fastest highway. World history from the deck of a ship.
3.89
700
The Sea and Civilization Summary
The Sea and Civilization 88%
Before trains, the sea was the fastest highway. World history from the deck of a ship.
by Lincoln Paine 2013
3.89
700 ratings
On History
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1997
Scotland's ships were built by war and state meddling: bounties, blockades, tobacco, and smuggling.
3.98
588
On History Summary
On History 88%
Scotland's ships were built by war and state meddling: bounties, blockades, tobacco, and smuggling.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1997
3.98
588 ratings
Longitude
by Dava Sobel • 1995
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
3.99
76k+
Longitude Summary
Longitude 87%
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
by Dava Sobel 1995
3.99
76k+ ratings
The Perfectionists
by Simon Winchester • 2018
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
4.15
7k+
The Perfectionists Summary
The Perfectionists 87%
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
by Simon Winchester 2018
4.15
7k+ ratings
The Gales of November
by John U. Bacon • 2025
The Great Lakes breed deadlier waves. The Edmund Fitzgerald was built for cargo, not survival.
4.50
15k+
The Gales of November Summary
The Gales of November 87%
The Great Lakes breed deadlier waves. The Edmund Fitzgerald was built for cargo, not survival.
by John U. Bacon 2025
4.50
15k+ ratings
The Pencil
by Henry Petroski • 1992
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
3.80
657
The Pencil Summary
The Pencil 87%
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
by Henry Petroski 1992
3.80
657 ratings
Shipwrecked!
by Martin W. Sandler • 2023
Seven shipwrecks froze time. How marine archaeologists learned to unlock them.
3.87
218
Shipwrecked! Summary
Shipwrecked! 87%
Seven shipwrecks froze time. How marine archaeologists learned to unlock them.
by Martin W. Sandler 2023
3.87
218 ratings
Maintenance of Everything
by Stewart Brand • 2026
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
4.00
516
Maintenance of Everything Summary
Maintenance of Everything 87%
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
by Stewart Brand 2026
4.00
516 ratings
The Craftsman
by Richard Sennett • 2008
Making things well is a universal human drive. Modern work is designed to suppress it.
3.84
2k+
The Craftsman Summary
The Craftsman 87%
Making things well is a universal human drive. Modern work is designed to suppress it.
by Richard Sennett 2008
3.84
2k+ ratings
Brunelleschi's Dome
by Ross King • 1999
A goldsmith promised to build the world's largest dome without scaffolding. No one believed him.
3.91
28k+
Brunelleschi's Dome Summary
Brunelleschi's Dome 87%
A goldsmith promised to build the world's largest dome without scaffolding. No one believed him.
by Ross King 1999
3.91
28k+ ratings
To Risk It All
by James G. Stavridis • 2022
Nine naval crises and the decision code each reveals for leading when the stakes are catastrophic.
3.98
684
To Risk It All Summary
To Risk It All 87%
Nine naval crises and the decision code each reveals for leading when the stakes are catastrophic.
by James G. Stavridis 2022
3.98
684 ratings
Entrepreneurial Nation
by Ro Khanna • 2012
Six times more productive: America's factory floor still beats China's, but policy hasn't caught up.
3.73
30
Entrepreneurial Nation Summary
Entrepreneurial Nation 87%
Six times more productive: America's factory floor still beats China's, but policy hasn't caught up.
by Ro Khanna 2012
3.73
30 ratings
Engineers of Dreams
by Henry Petroski • 1995
America's bridges were built by dreamers, rivals, and the hard lessons of catastrophic failure.
3.78
166
Engineers of Dreams Summary
Engineers of Dreams 86%
America's bridges were built by dreamers, rivals, and the hard lessons of catastrophic failure.
by Henry Petroski 1995
3.78
166 ratings
Reentry
by Eric Berger • 2024
Explosions, sleeping on the factory floor, and NASA skeptics: the real price of reusable rockets.
4.47
2k+
Reentry Summary
Reentry 86%
Explosions, sleeping on the factory floor, and NASA skeptics: the real price of reusable rockets.
by Eric Berger 2024
4.47
2k+ ratings
Factory Man
by Beth Macy • 2014
John Bassett III bet against offshoring. The survival of his Virginia town hung on it.
3.87
3k+
Factory Man Summary
Factory Man 86%
John Bassett III bet against offshoring. The survival of his Virginia town hung on it.
by Beth Macy 2014
3.87
3k+ ratings
Sea of Glory
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2001
The voyage that mapped Antarctica and filled the Smithsonian, sabotaged by the tyrant who led it.
4.04
7k+
Sea of Glory Summary
Sea of Glory 86%
The voyage that mapped Antarctica and filled the Smithsonian, sabotaged by the tyrant who led it.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2001
4.04
7k+ ratings
How to Sail Around the World
by Hal Roth • 2003
Stop the boat, survive the storm, and cross oceans with less: a circumnavigator's practical manual.
4.06
237
How to Sail Around the World Summary
How to Sail Around the World 86%
Stop the boat, survive the storm, and cross oceans with less: a circumnavigator's practical manual.
by Hal Roth 2003
4.06
237 ratings
Erebus
by Michael Palin • 2018
She mapped Antarctica, then vanished in the Arctic with 129 men. The full story of HMS Erebus.
4.28
12k+
Erebus Summary
Erebus 86%
She mapped Antarctica, then vanished in the Arctic with 129 men. The full story of HMS Erebus.
by Michael Palin 2018
4.28
12k+ ratings
The Golden Age of Piracy
by Benerson Little • 2016
No parrots, no plank, no buried treasure. The real pirates were slave-trading democrats.
3.40
366
The Golden Age of Piracy Summary
The Golden Age of Piracy 86%
No parrots, no plank, no buried treasure. The real pirates were slave-trading democrats.
by Benerson Little 2016
3.40
366 ratings
Boeing Versus Airbus
by John Newhouse • 2007
Two radically different bets on the future of flight: the superjumbo vs. the long-range midsize.
3.61
478
Boeing Versus Airbus Summary
Boeing Versus Airbus 86%
Two radically different bets on the future of flight: the superjumbo vs. the long-range midsize.
by John Newhouse 2007
3.61
478 ratings
Engineering in Plain Sight
by Grady Hillhouse • 2022
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
4.20
856
Engineering in Plain Sight Summary
Engineering in Plain Sight 86%
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
by Grady Hillhouse 2022
4.20
856 ratings
Concrete Planet
by Robert Courland • 2011
Concrete is older than the wheel, built Rome, and now silently corrodes the modern world.
3.89
218
Concrete Planet Summary
Concrete Planet 86%
Concrete is older than the wheel, built Rome, and now silently corrodes the modern world.
by Robert Courland 2011
3.89
218 ratings
Guitar Lessons
by Bob Taylor • 2011
Near bankruptcy, a guitar maker reinvented how acoustics are built and built a brand players love.
4.34
172
Guitar Lessons Summary
Guitar Lessons 86%
Near bankruptcy, a guitar maker reinvented how acoustics are built and built a brand players love.
by Bob Taylor 2011
4.34
172 ratings
The Book on the Bookshelf
by Henry Petroski • 1999
Why books once faced the wall and wore chains: the bookshelf as a history of engineering.
3.75
1k+
The Book on the Bookshelf Summary
The Book on the Bookshelf 86%
Why books once faced the wall and wore chains: the bookshelf as a history of engineering.
by Henry Petroski 1999
3.75
1k+ ratings
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters
by Bob Lutz • 2011
GM had half the market and the best cars. Three decades of financial management destroyed both.
3.73
1k+
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters Summary
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters 86%
GM had half the market and the best cars. Three decades of financial management destroyed both.
by Bob Lutz 2011
3.73
1k+ ratings
Skunk Works
by Ben R. Rich • 1994
No bureaucracy. No interference. A handful of engineers in a shed built planes invisible to radar.
4.46
17k+
Skunk Works Summary
Skunk Works 86%
No bureaucracy. No interference. A handful of engineers in a shed built planes invisible to radar.
by Ben R. Rich 1994
4.46
17k+ ratings
Men and Rubber
by Harvey S. Firestone • 1926
Think deeply, save a surplus, never cut quality: a tire titan's rules for surviving any crisis.
4.25
253
Men and Rubber Summary
Men and Rubber 86%
Think deeply, save a surplus, never cut quality: a tire titan's rules for surviving any crisis.
by Harvey S. Firestone 1926
4.25
253 ratings
The Things We Make
by Bill Hammack • 2023
Engineering isn't applied science: it's the art of solving problems before anyone understands them.
3.75
1k+
The Things We Make Summary
The Things We Make 86%
Engineering isn't applied science: it's the art of solving problems before anyone understands them.
by Bill Hammack 2023
3.75
1k+ ratings
Endurance
by Alfred Lansing • 1959
Ice crushed their ship. For 497 days, 28 men drifted. Escape meant 800 miles in a lifeboat.
4.46
169k+
Endurance Summary
Endurance 86%
Ice crushed their ship. For 497 days, 28 men drifted. Escape meant 800 miles in a lifeboat.
by Alfred Lansing 1959
4.46
169k+ ratings
The Republic of Pirates
by Colin Woodard • 2007
Sailors broken by the navy built their own republic: democratic, armed, and flying the black flag.
3.89
12k+
The Republic of Pirates Summary
The Republic of Pirates 86%
Sailors broken by the navy built their own republic: democratic, armed, and flying the black flag.
by Colin Woodard 2007
3.89
12k+ ratings
Panama Fever
by Matthew Parker • 2007
A forty-mile obsession that cost 25,000 lives: how a four-century dream became the Panama Canal.
3.80
920
Panama Fever Summary
Panama Fever 86%
A forty-mile obsession that cost 25,000 lives: how a four-century dream became the Panama Canal.
by Matthew Parker 2007
3.80
920 ratings
Liftoff
by Eric Berger • 2021
Three rockets blew up on a remote island. The fourth was SpaceX's final shot before bankruptcy.
4.47
7k+
Liftoff Summary
Liftoff 86%
Three rockets blew up on a remote island. The fourth was SpaceX's final shot before bankruptcy.
by Eric Berger 2021
4.47
7k+ ratings
Samsung Rising
by Geoffrey Cain • 2020
A family grocer built a tech empire on military discipline. Then the phones caught fire.
3.64
2k+
Samsung Rising Summary
Samsung Rising 86%
A family grocer built a tech empire on military discipline. Then the phones caught fire.
by Geoffrey Cain 2020
3.64
2k+ ratings
Cod
by Mark Kurlansky • 1997
The fish that built empires and fueled a slave trade. Then it stopped coming back.
3.92
25k+
Cod Summary
Cod 86%
The fish that built empires and fueled a slave trade. Then it stopped coming back.
by Mark Kurlansky 1997
3.92
25k+ ratings
A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord • 1955
Ice at 11:40. Lifeboats for only half on board. Two hours later, the orchestra was still playing.
4.10
30k+
A Night to Remember Summary
A Night to Remember 86%
Ice at 11:40. Lifeboats for only half on board. Two hours later, the orchestra was still playing.
by Walter Lord 1955
4.10
30k+ ratings
Shop Class as Soulcraft
by Matthew B. Crawford • 2009
White-collar work dulls the mind. The intellectual case for picking up a wrench instead.
3.74
11k+
Shop Class as Soulcraft Summary
Shop Class as Soulcraft 86%
White-collar work dulls the mind. The intellectual case for picking up a wrench instead.
by Matthew B. Crawford 2009
3.74
11k+ ratings
Managed Annihilation
by Dean L.Y. Bavington • 2010
The 1992 cod collapse that idled 30,000 workers was not nature's fault but management's.
3.29
21
Managed Annihilation Summary
Managed Annihilation 86%
The 1992 cod collapse that idled 30,000 workers was not nature's fault but management's.
by Dean L.Y. Bavington 2010
3.29
21 ratings
Civil Engineering
by David Muir Wood • 2012
Why bridges stand and dams hold: a compact tour of civil engineering, from soil to steel.
3.61
137
Civil Engineering Summary
Civil Engineering 86%
Why bridges stand and dams hold: a compact tour of civil engineering, from soil to steel.
by David Muir Wood 2012
3.61
137 ratings
The Driving Machine
by Witold Rybczynski • 2024
How art, war, and ego shaped the car, from the Model T to the Tesla.
3.82
197
The Driving Machine Summary
The Driving Machine 86%
How art, war, and ego shaped the car, from the Model T to the Tesla.
by Witold Rybczynski 2024
3.82
197 ratings
The Alchemists
by Jim Ratcliffe • 2018
Four out of five acquisitions fail. INEOS bet on the opposite and built a global industrial empire.
3.74
110
The Alchemists Summary
The Alchemists 86%
Four out of five acquisitions fail. INEOS bet on the opposite and built a global industrial empire.
by Jim Ratcliffe 2018
3.74
110 ratings
How to Invent Everything
by Ryan North • 2018
Stranded in the past with nothing but your wits, and the flowchart says you're before 50,000 BCE.
4.14
6k+
How to Invent Everything Summary
How to Invent Everything 86%
Stranded in the past with nothing but your wits, and the flowchart says you're before 50,000 BCE.
by Ryan North 2018
4.14
6k+ ratings
The Wide Wide Sea
by Hampton Sides • 2024
Hawaiians believed Captain Cook was a god. Weeks later, his body was dismembered in the surf.
4.46
24k+
The Wide Wide Sea Summary
The Wide Wide Sea 86%
Hawaiians believed Captain Cook was a god. Weeks later, his body was dismembered in the surf.
by Hampton Sides 2024
4.46
24k+ ratings
The Evolution of Useful Things
by Henry Petroski • 1994
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
3.52
1k+
The Evolution of Useful Things Summary
The Evolution of Useful Things 86%
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
by Henry Petroski 1994
3.52
1k+ ratings
Handcrafted
by Clint Harp • 2018
A gas station meeting, a derelict crack house, and a dumpster of wood launched a TV carpenter.
3.98
808
Handcrafted Summary
Handcrafted 86%
A gas station meeting, a derelict crack house, and a dumpster of wood launched a TV carpenter.
by Clint Harp 2018
3.98
808 ratings
Structures
by J.E. Gordon • 1978
The hidden physics that keeps the world standing, and the surprising ways everything still breaks.
4.14
4k+
Structures Summary
Structures 86%
The hidden physics that keeps the world standing, and the surprising ways everything still breaks.
by J.E. Gordon 1978
4.14
4k+ ratings
The Wager
by David Grann • 2023
A warship wrecks. Two survivor stories collide. The empire buries the truth to protect its myth.
4.17
219k+
The Wager Summary
The Wager 86%
A warship wrecks. Two survivor stories collide. The empire buries the truth to protect its myth.
by David Grann 2023
4.17
219k+ ratings
Jony Ive
by Leander Kahney • 2013
Before the iPhone, a soft-spoken British designer saved Apple with a translucent computer.
3.99
7k+
Jony Ive Summary
Jony Ive 86%
Before the iPhone, a soft-spoken British designer saved Apple with a translucent computer.
by Leander Kahney 2013
3.99
7k+ ratings
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
by Tim Harford • 2017
Fifty inventions, from barbed wire to infant formula, and the economic ripples nobody saw coming.
4.06
4k+
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy Summary
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy 86%
Fifty inventions, from barbed wire to infant formula, and the economic ripples nobody saw coming.
by Tim Harford 2017
4.06
4k+ ratings
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