The Path Between the Seas
by David McCullough
The Panama Canal, 1870 to 1914: the French failure, the disease, the American takeover, Goethals's management and Gorgas's conquest of yellow fever. The best project-management book ever written as narrative history.
Read it if…
you manage large projects and want the greatest case study.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want a short read.
Try instead: Founding Brothers →
Three things you will actually use
- Solve the hidden constraint first (disease, not dirt).
- Organisation beats heroics.
- Learn from the previous failure.
Do this first
Read the chapters on Gorgas and the mosquito.
Our verdict
The greatest project case study.
See the book →
Compare with other Leadership books
Browse all Leadership book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
As an Amazon Associate, WisdomDeck earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Click to see” go to Amazon. We are not paid for opinions, prices and availability are not shown here and change on Amazon, and we never see your purchase details. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.