Wedding of the Waters

In this summary you will learn

• How the Erie Canal came to be built
• Why the canal was considered a marvel in its day
• How this navigation route may have changed world history

getAbstract rating

Why you should read Wedding of the Waters

From a modern perspective, a ditch allowing barges to travel between Rust Belt cities in upstate New York hardly seems the stuff of high drama. But well-regarded economist and historian Peter L. Bernstein accomplishes the tough task of making readers care about the Erie Canal, the massive public works project that he believes changed the course of U.S. and world politics and trade. This compelling study portrays the waterway as a project involving enough risk and adventure to make a dot-com entrepreneur pale. Bernstein girds his history with ample modern-day perspectives to keep you interested. He does bog down at times in the arcane convolutions of early nineteenth century political disputes, but still spins a mostly fascinating yarn. getAbstract.com recommends this book to anyone looking for insight into this pivotal point in America’s - and, perhaps, the world’s - economic development.

About the Author

Peter L. Bernstein is the author of nine books, including the bestseller Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk. His other books include A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold and The Price of Prosperity. He is an economic consultant and publishes Economics and Portfolio Strategy, a newsletter for institutional investors.