Five long reads for the weekend

Every Friday we pick five pieces that rewarded a slow read. This week: a history of the humble shipping container, a profile of the woman who runs the world's largest seed bank, and a piece on why nobody can agree how to measure a coastline.

Also on the list: a long look at how a small city rebuilt its centre around bicycles, and a personal essay about learning to swim at forty.

• The box that shrank the world: a history of the shipping container
• The keeper of the seeds: a profile
• How long is a coastline? Longer than you think
• The city that gave its centre back to bicycles
• Learning to swim at forty

Put the kettle on.