Arriving Today

From Factory to Front Door -- Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy

By: Christopher Mims

Narrated by: James Fouhey

The Wall Street Journal technology columnist reveals the fascinating story behind the misleadingly simple phrase shoppers take for granted—“Arriving Today”—in this eye-opening investigation into the new rules of online commerce, transportation, and supply chain management.

We are at a tipping point in retail history. While consumers are profiting from the convenience of instant gratification, rapidly advancing technologies are transforming the way goods are transported and displacing workers in ways never before seen.

In Arriving Today, Christopher Mims goes deep, far, and wide to uncover how a single product, from creation to delivery, weaves its way from a factory on the other side of the world to our doorstep. He analyzes the evolving technologies and management strategies necessary to keep the product moving to fulfill consumers’ demand for “arriving today” gratification. Mims reveals a world where the only thing moving faster than goods in an Amazon warehouse is the rate at which an entire industry is being gutted and rebuilt by innovation and mass shifts in human labor practices. He goes behind the scenes to uncover the paradoxes in this shift—into the world’s busiest port, the cabin of an 18-wheeler, and Amazon’s automated warehouses—to explore how the promise of “arriving today” is fulfilled through a balletic dance between humans and machines.

The scope of such large-scale innovation and expended energy is equal parts inspiring, enlightening, and horrifying. As he offers a glimpse of our future, Mims asks us to consider the system’s vulnerability and its resilience, and who shoulders the burden, as we hurtle toward a fully automated system—and what it will mean when we are there.

85% Amazon, 15% Rest of Logistics

Very fascinating read to hear of a broad look at the supply chain from factory to the door. The book was as described. I wish it went further into other parts of logistics instead of just Amazon, part FedEx, and part UPS (about 1 chapter dedicated to FedEx and UPS each).
Other areas I hoped it would cover but didn’t is the rise of other third party logistics (3PLs) and their technology differs/is catching up to Amazon. Amazon is just 1 channel/ logistics company but most of our supply chain doesn’t run through Amazon and their network/technology.

Incredible

What a great look at how we get our stuff! I loved the detail and the breadth and depth of the topics covered from trucking to AI.

interesting but technical

Not as good as I thought it was going to be. The facts and research were good, but it was very dry and technical.
Reader good, but all the "do over" passages sounded different. it was very obvious when a do over had been inserted.

a lot of good research very insightful

good story but the audio seems very patched together. it's hard to listen to. it was clearly recorded in many little pieces with different quality. good book bad editing.

Fascinating, timely, well written and read

Christopher Mims takes a very deep dive into the history and machinations of today’s logistics. Follow along as a USB charger manufactured in Viet Nam months ago arrives at the home of the Amazon user who just ordered it yesterday, in March of 2020. So detailed and interesting, I will listen to it again soon!