How pineapples got cheap
The other dominant banana company in New Orleans was founded by two Sicilian immigrants, the Vaccaro brothers, in 1899. They began with the importation of bananas from Honduras. They flourished because they bought up the city’s ice factories in order to preserve the bananas. At the time, the company was known as Standard Fruit, and is now part of t
... See moreImani Perry • South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation
For years after the price of long-distance phone calls collapsed in the United States, my older relatives would still announce that a call was “long distance.” Such calls had previously been special, because they were expensive; it took people years to understand that cheap long-distance calls removed the rationale for regarding them as inherently ... See more
Clay Shirky • Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators
in these modern times everything from asparagus to venison comes to the table by plane and is available all through the year. Heaven knows where it all originates—hothouses, food factories, or different hemispheres, I imagine—but there it is, whatever you want, at a price. Or rather, several prices. It costs more, obviously. It won’t be as fresh as
... See morePeter Mayle • Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France (Vintage Departures)
Ultrafast services promise something like the magic moment that put Uber on the map. With Gorillas or Getir or Flink, you don’t have to think about what you may eat in the days ahead, what you need to buy, or find a time that you’ll be home to receive your order. There are no substitution requests. Instead, you get home from work, think about what ... See more
Sacra • Ultrafast Delivery: The $28B Market to Build the On-Demand Bodega
KEY TAKEAWAYS Until recently, flying was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford it. But following deregulation in 1978—and accelerating in the 2010s—airfare became not only affordable but downright cheap. Airlines used to primarily make money selling coach tickets. Today, airlines generate a large and growing percentage of revenue from oth
... See moreScott Keyes • Take More Vacations: How to Search Better, Book Cheaper, and Travel the World
Why does luxury brand Balenciaga sell a $2,000 purse modeled after a $1 blue Ikea shopping bag? What’s behind the craze for seemingly distressed and worn-out Gucci sneakers? What is Sarah Jessica Parker doing rummaging through the dusty clothes in Rome’s Via Sannio flea market? Why is Cracco, a Michelin star–winning Italian chef, using commercial p... See more