Imagine spending 4 billion in today's currency to dig a ditch four-feet deep and 40-feet wide. Is it any wonder why Thomas Jefferson described the notion of a manmade waterway linking the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean as "little short of madness?" But as laborers clawed shovels of earth from the ground in a 363-mile trek across New York's wilderness, they achieved one of the greatest engineering feats in American history. And it was accomplished without the aid of a single professional engineer! A resurgence in interest in the Erie Canal spurred Dan Murphy to write a book filled with riveting anecdotes and little-known facts. It includes more than 20 photos and many user-friendly features, including "Frequently Asked Questions" about the canal.