If you’ve ever done business in a foreign country, you probably sympathize with the feeling that you’re missing something. Laws and regulations are different. Banking procedures are unfamiliar. Local economies aren’t what you’re used to. Even business etiquette in a new country can throw you for a loop. Lacking a thorough grasp of a country’s economic, political, cultural, and military history can make navigating the business world challenging. After all, a country’s history is deeply entwined with its modern-day economy. Panama is no exception to this rule. For executives looking to gain valuable insights into doing business in Panama, exploring the Top 10 Books Every Executive Should Read About Panama can provide a comprehensive understanding of the country’s dynamics. Panama has a rich and complicated history that few foreigners (and still some locals, for that matter) really understand. By spending some time getting to better understand this history from multiple perspectives, you can come to understand how and why Panama’s economy came to be what it is today. As a result, you’ll be in a much better place to successfully conduct business in Panama.For executives seeking to delve deeper into the intricacies of Panama’s history and its impact on the business landscape, exploring the Top 10 Books Every Executive Should Read About Panama is an invaluable resource that can provide diverse perspectives and enhance their comprehension of the country’s historical context. Not sure where to start? Thankfully, there are plenty of phenomenal books about Panama that share this fascinating history through unique perspectives. We asked our members for their top book recommendations for executives wanting to learn more about Panama and came up with this list. From historical accounts to contemporary reads, each of the books on this list will broaden your understanding of Panama and its business landscape. So check out our list of the Top 10 Books Every Executive Should Read About Panama. The hardest part will be deciding which one to dive into first. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins Published in 2004, this semi-autobiographical book details Perkin’s career working as a consultant for the firm Chas T. Main in Boston. During his time at the firm, his main duty was to convince developing countries to accept development loans from the U.S. and then contract U.S. companies to do the work. What does this have to do with Panama? Well, Panama was one of the countries that Perkins and his team worked extensively with. This book, therefore, gives an interesting glimpse into Panama and its history as it relates to U.S. investment. It’s no secret that the U.S. and Panama have had an enduring and complicated business relationship. This book will help you understand this relationship from a new perspective. Check it out here. How Wall Street Created a Nation: J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Panama Canal, Ovidio Diaz-Espino No matter what sector you work in, you can’t understand how business operates in Panama without understanding the Canal, its history, and US-Panama relations. The Panama Canal has been and continues to be crucial to the economic development of the country. Diaz-Espino spent years researching the Canal’s origin to share it with readers. In this book, he shares the fascinating story of the United States’ involvement in building one of the most lucrative engineering projects of the 20th-century thousands of miles south of their border. Packed with speculation, fraud, and corruption, we promise you won’t be able to put this one down. Check it out here. The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914, David McCullough David McCullough is famous for making history come alive through his books. The Path Between the Seas is no exception. Published in 1977, this National Book Award-winning novel recounts the story of the creation of the Panama Canal. In this book, McCullough seamlessly weaves the stories of various individuals involved with the Canal’s planning, construction, and inauguration. If you want to know more about Panama’s history, but don’t have the appetite for a dry history book, this is for you. This pleasurable read will keep you wanting more, long after you’ve reached the last chapter. Check it out here. Runnels: The Hangman of Panama, Andrés Villa Even before the construction of the Panama Canal, Panama’s geography has made it an important location for the movement of goods. This book, based on a true story, takes place in the 1850s. Before the construction of the Panama Canal, raiders in the isthmus’s narrowest strip targeted goods transported on the railroad. Enter Randolph Runnels, a Texas Ranger hired by a New York shipping company to go after the raiders. Every page brings new dangers and action as Runnels attempts to tame these dangerous gangs. Apart from action, this book also imparts fascinating information about an important chapter of Panama’s history. Check it out here. Secrecy World, Jake Bernstein In Secrecy World, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jake Bernstein takes a deep dive into the parts of Panama’s financial sector that aren’t always visible. The incredibly informative book gives insight into the importance of Panama as a financial and corporate structuring hub by looking at the inner-workings of Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian law firm from where the Panama Papers were leaked. Thanks to scrupulous research across three continents, Bernstein is able to paint a powerful and coherent picture that makes a complicated process clear. This book provides insight into Panama’s unique mix of banking, incorporation, and foundation laws that are still in place today. Check it out here. The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money, Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier When it comes to investigative journalism, the closer you can get to the source, the better. When it comes to learning more about The Panama Papers, you can’t get closer to the source than the book The Panama Papers. One of the author’s of this book is Bastian Obermayer, the German journalist to whom these top-secret documents were originally leaked. Upon receiving access…
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