This book is a study of six American seaports on the Pacific Rim and their struggle to survive in the face of dramatic industry change in the late 20th Century, at the onset of contemporary globalization. It is at the same time, a study of foreign trade cargoes, of technology and economic demand, of political pressure and innovative leadership. With their destiny uncertain, a handful of major port authorities steered courses widely varying from each other's. Some charted a new and often narrow passage between opportunity and conflict, while others held to traditional routes, ignoring changes that revolutionized the maritime seaport industry. Eventually some triumphed, while others did not. For all that this book tells about maritime seaports and their striving for dominance in a competitive environment, it is much more than a study of one industry; it is a work based on theory in the fields of strategic management, public enterprise, and organizational behavior. At base, it is an examination of critical ideas about strategy and policy, the restructuring of administrative capacities to create innovative change, and the impact of strategic planning and performance.