Tim Minshall, "How Things Are Made: A Journey Through the Hidden World of Manufacturing" (Ecco, 2025)

May 25, 2025

Tim Minshall, a Cambridge University Professor and author, dives deep into the intricacies of manufacturing. He discusses the hidden journeys of everyday products and how global disruptions have reshaped supply chains. The conversation touches on India’s growing role in smartphone production, the synergy between AI and manufacturing, and the challenges of reviving U.S. industry. Minshall also emphasizes sustainability and innovation, notably the potential of 3D printing to transform production practices in our rapidly changing world.

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INSIGHT

Every Object Has A Manufacturing Story

Every physical object around us has a detailed manufacturing story behind it.
Understanding this hidden world helps appreciate the complexity and importance of manufacturing.

INSIGHT

Tariffs Create Supply Chain Uncertainty

Tariffs cause uncertainty that disrupts global supply chain planning.
Companies seek certainty to invest confidently, but fluctuating policies hinder this.

INSIGHT

Shorter Supply Chains Aren't Always Greener

Shortening supply chains can reduce fuel consumption and pollution.
However, local manufacturing energy sources and processes can offset some sustainability gains.

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This book from Cambridge University Professor Tim Minshall provides an enlightening view of how the world of manufacturing world has an immense influence on our lives. We all reside in a world of multiple manufactured products, which include our clothing, food, furniture, electronics, automobiles, and so many other products upon which we rely, including commercial aviation, pharmeceuticals, baked good, and medical devices.

Nonetheless, the processes by which these items are made and enter our lives are nearly unknown to us. How often do we think about from where these items come, how they are made, and how they come into our lives?

Professor Minshall delivers answers in How Things Are Made: A Journey Through the Hidden World of Manufacturing (Ecco, 2025). The book traces the amazing paths that everyday products take to enter our lives, showing how products are designed, delivered, and assembled in small shops and giant factories throughout the work. The book depicts the role that global shipping hubs plays as well as the role that home delivery is playing in providing us with the products we want and upon which we depend. The book also delves into the important question of how we can improve the resiliency of the global manufacturing system. What makes the book special is that Professor Minshall pays substantial attention to the impacts of global manufacturing on nature and on how we can move to a more sustainable future.

Brimming with vitality and sparkling examples, this book depicts the grand system of global of manufacturing that allows us to have all the products we need for virtually every aspect of our existence. By making sense of this astonishing and largely concealed world, Professor Minshall is enabling us to make better choices for ourselves, our communities, and the planet.

Alfred Marcus is Edson Spencer Professor Chair of Strategy and Technology Leadership at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.

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