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Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas
From the acclaimed author of The Box , a new history of globalization that shows us how to navigate its future
Globalization has profoundly shaped the world we live in, yet its rise was neither inevitable nor planned. It is also one of the most contentious issues of our time. While it may have made goods less expensive, it has also sent massive flows of money across borders and shaken the global balance of power. Outside the Box offers a fresh and lively history of globalization, showing how it has evolved over two centuries in response to changes in demographics, technology, and consumer tastes.
Marc Levinson, the acclaimed author of The Box , tells the story of globalization through the people who eliminated barriers and pursued new ways of doing business. He shows how the nature of globalization changed dramatically in the 1980s with the creation of long-distance value chains. This new type of economic relationship shifted manufacturing to Asia, destroying millions of jobs and devastating industrial centers in North America, Europe, and Japan. Levinson describes how improvements in transportation, communications, and computing made international value chains possible, but how globalization was taken too far because of large government subsidies and the systematic misjudgment of risk by businesses. As companies began to account properly for the risks of globalization, cross-border investment fell sharply and foreign trade lagged long before Donald Trump became president and the coronavirus disrupted business around the world.
In Outside the Box , Levinson explains that globalization is entering a new era in which moving stuff will matter much less than moving services, information, and ideas.
Globalization has profoundly shaped the world we live in, yet its rise was neither inevitable nor planned. It is also one of the most contentious issues of our time. While it may have made goods less expensive, it has also sent massive flows of money across borders and shaken the global balance of power. Outside the Box offers a fresh and lively history of globalization, showing how it has evolved over two centuries in response to changes in demographics, technology, and consumer tastes.
Marc Levinson, the acclaimed author of The Box , tells the story of globalization through the people who eliminated barriers and pursued new ways of doing business. He shows how the nature of globalization changed dramatically in the 1980s with the creation of long-distance value chains. This new type of economic relationship shifted manufacturing to Asia, destroying millions of jobs and devastating industrial centers in North America, Europe, and Japan. Levinson describes how improvements in transportation, communications, and computing made international value chains possible, but how globalization was taken too far because of large government subsidies and the systematic misjudgment of risk by businesses. As companies began to account properly for the risks of globalization, cross-border investment fell sharply and foreign trade lagged long before Donald Trump became president and the coronavirus disrupted business around the world.
In Outside the Box , Levinson explains that globalization is entering a new era in which moving stuff will matter much less than moving services, information, and ideas.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2020
56 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
About the author
Marc Levinson
18 books78 followersMarc Levinson is an independent historian, economist, and author. He spent many years as a journalist, including a stint as finance and economics editor of The Economist. He later worked as an economist at JP Morgan Chase, managed a staff advising Congress on transportation and industry issues at the Congressional Research Service, and served as senior fellow for international business at the Council on Foreign Relations.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 11, 2020
In 2006 Mark Levinson wrote ‘the box’ one of the best and most important books explaining the factors that led to the development of the global economy, he has followed it up with another superb piece of work that looks at globalisation up to the present day and how and why it has developed in the way that it has. As a student and then a teacher of globalisation issues for the past 35 years I can say this is one of the finest books that I have read on the subject. A comprehensive yet concise history of the phenomenon, looking back through four phases of globalisation namely;
1. From the late 1800’s to the First World War, when trade flourished due to changing understanding of the benefits of trade and improvements in shipping and communications (one of the few notable omissions from the book though is Adam Smith’s work not mentioned with all credit going to David Ricardo)
2. From post WWII through to the 1980’s when containerisation and falling trade barriers led to significant multinational firms expanding their operations worldwide.
3. From the late 1980’s to the financial crisis when supply chains were extended, the internet enabled complex webs of component Transhipments and national ownership of production became difficult to assess.
4. Post financial crisis where the role of globalized services has become significantly more important as value embedded in manufacturing has decreased and political and logistical limitations of mass movement of manufactured products have emerged (compounded by Covid).
Levinson is a pre-eminent business historian and the work represents the best of that tradition, avoiding unnecessary hyperbole (so common in many other globalisation literature) and not pushing any prejudicial slant on the material. One of the things that did come through to me on reading the book is just how much government actions have been effective in determining the course of globalisation, the idea that what has been achieved is due to the unrelenting and unstoppable certitude of free markets is patently demonstrated as untrue.
If I had one quibble with the book it would lie with publishers and marketers who, as they have a tendency to do, are not completely open with respect to the focus of the book. The British reviewer Mark Kermode likes to describe one of his favorite movies as ‘having a lot of Shawshank before the redemption’, similarly here there is a lot of ‘box’ before we get outside of it. In fact only the final ten pages of the book deal with stage 4 globalisation (a process still ongoing and with a degree of uncertainty as to how it will develop) yet this is what has been most prevalent in the book’s promotion.
This book is an important indeed necessary contribution to anyone interested in understanding the history of globalisation and how we got to where we are today. I I’ll strongly recommend it to my own undergraduate and postgraduate students of international business.
1. From the late 1800’s to the First World War, when trade flourished due to changing understanding of the benefits of trade and improvements in shipping and communications (one of the few notable omissions from the book though is Adam Smith’s work not mentioned with all credit going to David Ricardo)
2. From post WWII through to the 1980’s when containerisation and falling trade barriers led to significant multinational firms expanding their operations worldwide.
3. From the late 1980’s to the financial crisis when supply chains were extended, the internet enabled complex webs of component Transhipments and national ownership of production became difficult to assess.
4. Post financial crisis where the role of globalized services has become significantly more important as value embedded in manufacturing has decreased and political and logistical limitations of mass movement of manufactured products have emerged (compounded by Covid).
Levinson is a pre-eminent business historian and the work represents the best of that tradition, avoiding unnecessary hyperbole (so common in many other globalisation literature) and not pushing any prejudicial slant on the material. One of the things that did come through to me on reading the book is just how much government actions have been effective in determining the course of globalisation, the idea that what has been achieved is due to the unrelenting and unstoppable certitude of free markets is patently demonstrated as untrue.
If I had one quibble with the book it would lie with publishers and marketers who, as they have a tendency to do, are not completely open with respect to the focus of the book. The British reviewer Mark Kermode likes to describe one of his favorite movies as ‘having a lot of Shawshank before the redemption’, similarly here there is a lot of ‘box’ before we get outside of it. In fact only the final ten pages of the book deal with stage 4 globalisation (a process still ongoing and with a degree of uncertainty as to how it will develop) yet this is what has been most prevalent in the book’s promotion.
This book is an important indeed necessary contribution to anyone interested in understanding the history of globalisation and how we got to where we are today. I I’ll strongly recommend it to my own undergraduate and postgraduate students of international business.
November 2, 2020
A clear history of globalisation, with a lot of emphasis on shipping. A great intro for those interested in global trade.
January 19, 2024
Enjoyable read, but mostly stuff I already knew about globalization. More of a refinement of insights then a source of new information. The stories about Maresk were interesting at least.
November 20, 2020
Nothing as novel as his earlier books, but really good summary of past sixty years of globalization and related policies.
May 8, 2025
Increasing friction between trading nations makes Outside the Box required reading for policymakers, business executives, and investors alike.
Author Marc Levinson breaks down the history of globalization into four periods, including a third period where labour advantages in China and Southeast Asia are waning and a fourth period where the internationalization of services is picking up steam.
Today’s trading environment is characterized by older consumers who want less “stuff” and greater services, and heightened automation less subject to the risks and rewards of global value chains.
Can Apple assemble iPhones in the United States? Probably, but it’s unlikely to do America much good if the valuable components for those smartphones need to be imported from Taiwan, South Korea, and elsewhere.
For me the most shocking revelations in this book were the hidden subsidies to the global transportation systems and global value chains which made freight appear much cheaper than it actually was.
Jurisdictions across the world fought to save jobs in shipyards building newer and bigger freighters to carry fewer and fewer goods across the seas over the past 15 years. And build out more expensive deep ports, shipping terminals, and trucking hubs.
China, South Korea, Malaysia, and other ports of call spent billions making their ports big enough and deep enough to receive the super-freighters and buildup of way over-capacity in global shipping.
Today, many of those ports have been licensed to private operators, and the shipping industry itself has gone through a painful consolidation. The S. Korean government was forced to convert huge loans into equity stakes of no real value as ships ride the high seas half empty.
With the advent of artificial intelligence and 3D printing we are looking at an era where more of the things we actually desire can be produced if not locally, then regionally.
Author Marc Levinson breaks down the history of globalization into four periods, including a third period where labour advantages in China and Southeast Asia are waning and a fourth period where the internationalization of services is picking up steam.
Today’s trading environment is characterized by older consumers who want less “stuff” and greater services, and heightened automation less subject to the risks and rewards of global value chains.
Can Apple assemble iPhones in the United States? Probably, but it’s unlikely to do America much good if the valuable components for those smartphones need to be imported from Taiwan, South Korea, and elsewhere.
For me the most shocking revelations in this book were the hidden subsidies to the global transportation systems and global value chains which made freight appear much cheaper than it actually was.
Jurisdictions across the world fought to save jobs in shipyards building newer and bigger freighters to carry fewer and fewer goods across the seas over the past 15 years. And build out more expensive deep ports, shipping terminals, and trucking hubs.
China, South Korea, Malaysia, and other ports of call spent billions making their ports big enough and deep enough to receive the super-freighters and buildup of way over-capacity in global shipping.
Today, many of those ports have been licensed to private operators, and the shipping industry itself has gone through a painful consolidation. The S. Korean government was forced to convert huge loans into equity stakes of no real value as ships ride the high seas half empty.
With the advent of artificial intelligence and 3D printing we are looking at an era where more of the things we actually desire can be produced if not locally, then regionally.
December 30, 2021
A great book, providing an overview of globalization and a prediction of its future. The author, economist and journalist Marc Levinson, gives a detailed history of the globalized economy and provides recommendations on the way ahead. Taking an approach similar to history’s division of the Industrial Revolution, Levinson divides up globalization into unique phases. The first was the European led Globalization up until WWI, the second was the U.S. led post-WWII global ‘boom,’ while the third was the early 21st century expansion of China. Levinson explains the themes of each of these phases, pulling out the common trends and the constants unique to each economic situation. He doesn’t make a case for the positive or negative nature of globalization (treating it more as an “is”). But he does point out that detractors of globalization vary, again depending on the contemporary economic conditions. He ends with a prediction for the just started fourth globalization, seeing it as more service and ideas based rather than dominated by the goods and manufacturing of previous periods. Highly recommended for anyone interested in globalization and its implications for domestic prosperity.
November 22, 2025
Very easy to read book. Goes through a history of globalisation with an emphasis on trade in physical goods. He says there are three globalisations, marked by different things. The third is trade in physical goods. The fourth (current) is in services/ideas - and to support that needs governments to enact a strong education policy with social safety nets. (On this point, I wondered if he’s looked at East Asian countries and their emphasis on education.)
I liked the focus on government policy - “no country has ever climbed from poverty to prosperity by leaving it to market forces.” And then he talks about the protectionist measures that helped make Britain a global superpower in the Industrial Revolution; and how US did the same thing.
One other point that struck me is that “as value chains spread, global corporations became powerful enough to create comparative advantage where none was obvious.” He mentions the case of Intel in Costa Rica, which helped create engineers. I googled and here’s an ILO link: https://www.ilo.org/media/422016/down...
It’s a good book; the ideas aren’t new but I appreciated the evidence / new nuances that he provided.
I liked the focus on government policy - “no country has ever climbed from poverty to prosperity by leaving it to market forces.” And then he talks about the protectionist measures that helped make Britain a global superpower in the Industrial Revolution; and how US did the same thing.
One other point that struck me is that “as value chains spread, global corporations became powerful enough to create comparative advantage where none was obvious.” He mentions the case of Intel in Costa Rica, which helped create engineers. I googled and here’s an ILO link: https://www.ilo.org/media/422016/down...
It’s a good book; the ideas aren’t new but I appreciated the evidence / new nuances that he provided.
January 12, 2021
Review of the history of globalization, starting from Daniel Ricardo (Doughnut Economics has a more thorough review of early free trade/comparative advantage economists), 1970s oil crisis leading to inflation but also the globalization of banking as oil rich nations sought an outlet for their sudden stash of US currency and then subsequent mass unemployment from inflation, impact of WWII and Vietnam war on the growth of trucking, containerization and eventually shipping containerization, how government incentives for ship manufacturers created moral hazards for investors and a drastic oversupply in tonnage of shipping capacity, why return shipping to China is so cheap (near free). The idea of the value chain vs the supply chain, how regionalisation has increasingly broken this chain in recent years. Short on specific detail and future predictions. Argues that balance of goods is no longer an accurate measure due to the value chain + the number of local components used in assembled goods vs intermediate goods from developed countries then being assembled in developing countries.
December 17, 2020
A nicely written review of the progress of globalisation over the years: sufficiently synoptic, and makes lots of good points that might often get lost. But it desperately nnded tables and charts: trying to cram lots of good data into sentences means that the impact is lost: you plough on without the opportunity to stop and think, and make comparisons. It's a sthough the author doesn't have any confidence in his analysis and doesn't want you to question stuff. But the thesis is not hard, and better data hndling and presentation would have much improved the book. Also it felt a bit rushed at the end: great job in getting it out so fast with references to the pandemic, but proabably not a good idea for the book's longevity: we have no idea what the world of trade and services will look like in a couple of years.
February 6, 2025
This book is somewhat a continuation of The Box, which I really enjoyed. The first book covered topics that fascinate me, showing how different elements evolved and transformed the transport business. Here, the author moves beyond that format—still tied to the main theme, but broadening the perspective.
Although the book is detailed and rich in historical context, I felt a bit lost at times. Many parts reminded me of other publications, making it less engaging than its predecessor. Perhaps if I hadn’t read The Box, I wouldn’t feel this way, but in comparison, I can’t help but feel disappointed.
Although the book is detailed and rich in historical context, I felt a bit lost at times. Many parts reminded me of other publications, making it less engaging than its predecessor. Perhaps if I hadn’t read The Box, I wouldn’t feel this way, but in comparison, I can’t help but feel disappointed.
July 8, 2021
Not what I expected
I was hoping for more. More about services/the future and less about shipping material goods. This was the promise of the book summary. But, it wasn't until the last chapter that the author started to dive into this topics. What I would really like to see is a more speculative book about the the possible scenarios that we are likely to see in the next two or three decades in terms of trade - both physical and digital. Oh well, perhaps the author's next book will cover this...
I was hoping for more. More about services/the future and less about shipping material goods. This was the promise of the book summary. But, it wasn't until the last chapter that the author started to dive into this topics. What I would really like to see is a more speculative book about the the possible scenarios that we are likely to see in the next two or three decades in terms of trade - both physical and digital. Oh well, perhaps the author's next book will cover this...
August 3, 2023
The first book for my summer bookclub😋
Rating is more like a 3.5
The analysis wasn’t like mind-blowing but it was personally v meaningful bc I could get a recap on the ups and downs of the modern economy + could see how impactful policies, IOs, and academic work can be
So made me think widen my career prospects
I had to take breaks after every few chapters. Not a leisurely read…for me
Rating is more like a 3.5
The analysis wasn’t like mind-blowing but it was personally v meaningful bc I could get a recap on the ups and downs of the modern economy + could see how impactful policies, IOs, and academic work can be
So made me think widen my career prospects
I had to take breaks after every few chapters. Not a leisurely read…for me
July 2, 2022
Interesting enough, the most important thing I learned was about the decline in global trade in goods even prior to COVID. A really good history of foreign trade, takes a stab at how developed economies should react that mostly fails.
September 11, 2022
The relationship between money, monetary theory and policy, and international container shipping is discussed briefly in this book. The elements, aren't really tied together, but it supplies some basic intuition.
December 26, 2023
Great review of three different waves of globalization, through the lens of shipping and trade. Plus, you learn a lot about containerization! Levinson’s analysis of the current regionalization of trade complements Zeihan’s predictions, FWIW.
January 13, 2024
Good book about the recent stage of globalization from late 80's & 90's to the present. Pretty comprehensive, with very interesting viewpoint from shipping containers as a measure of global trade. Pretty objective take on world economic events.
December 27, 2020
A very good look at the history and current state of globalization.
April 24, 2021
Rather general discussion of globalisation, supply chains. Nothing mind blowing or shocking.
The first few chapters on the background of containerisation is mildly interesting.
The first few chapters on the background of containerisation is mildly interesting.
August 21, 2021
Un interesante libro sobre la globalización.
May 9, 2022
En noggrann genomgång av globalisering i fyra steg.
January 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Very useful. Taught me a lot!
January 30, 2023
I am willing to bet that if you enjoy the book Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, you’ll love this book as well because it explains the history of trade and walks you to the present globalization issues.
April 27, 2023
A decent recent history of globalisation in various countries and cases.
May 13, 2023
Entertaining and knowledgeable. I learned a lot and it wasn't boring.
I hope to reread this in the future.
I will also try other books from this author.
I hope to reread this in the future.
I will also try other books from this author.
June 30, 2023
A much better organized book than his first book The Box. This was a strong effort.
November 21, 2024
A refreshing perspective on globalization and a worthy sequel to the great book 'The Box'
December 16, 2024
Good economic history, a little weak on the current state and future. Written pre Covid, making it a bit outdated already
January 16, 2021
Outside the Box by Marc Levinson is an excellent history of globalization, particularly recent developments. The theme is that globalization has been driven not so much by "market" dynamics as by decisions taken by various governments- decisions admittedly influenced by the changes in technology that created the permissive space for government intervention. The author concluded that globalization has entered a new phase of limited growth, perhaps even shrinkage. Outside the Box is very well written, and left me feeling that I can't wait for the sequel!
January 20, 2022
A good overview of where we are with globalisation, and where it might be going.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews