The Volta River project Book

While I did give the whole book a 3/5, I 'd give the first chapter a very deserving 5/5. This chapter contains Hirschman's principle of The Hiding Hand, and the book is worth a read if only for this part alone. It may be the more controversial and non-scientific part of the book but it is definitely the more original and thought provoking. In the later parts Hirschman discusses more familiar topics of development projects but still adds his own thoughts and draws alot from principles discussed in his earlier works, especially Strategy.

What also makes this book stand out from others discussing similar topics is Hirchman's prose and style which mixes great storytelling along with explanations of the various principles and analysis.

The first chapter is recommended for everyone, while the rest is only for readers interested in (development) projects.