Have you ever thought of the ocean containers your company imports or exports as cogs in the gigantic wheel of world commerce? Have you ever considered just what it takes to get those containers from point of origin to destination? Have you wondered what life is like for the crews on board the huge container ships that continually cross thousands of miles of treacherous ocean?

No matter; whether you have or not, The Colombo Bay (Simon & Schuster) is bound to give you a whole new perspective on the business of container shipping. New York City-based author Richard Pollak spent five weeks on board P&O Nedlloyd's Colombo Bay as it traveled from Hong Kong through Southeast Asia and the Suez Canal to the United States.

Pollak ably captures the two sides of the business of ocean shipping: its critical role in the world economy, and the nuts and bolts of the ship's daily operations. Along the way, he chronicles the lives of the ship's 24 officers and crew, from their personal histories to their aspirations and disappointments, while skillfully interweaving "big picture" subjects like globalization, trade security, and international economics with gripping tales of modern-day piracy and killer storms. All the while, the events of September 11—just two days before he boards the ship in Hong Kong—continually play in the background.

The Colombo Bay makes for absorbing and thought-provoking reading, not just for transportation and logistics professionals but also for anyone who cares about the human side of global business.