"Beautifully written and meticulously researched."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This updated study of the economics, politics, and ecology of water covers more than a century of public and private desert reclamation in the American West.
Cadillac Desert
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The definitive history of water resources in the American West, and a very illuminating lesson in the political economy of limited resources anywhere. Highly recommended!
From Publishers Weekly
In this stunning work of history and investigative journalism, Reisner tells the story of conflicts over water policy in the West and the resulting damage to the land, wildlife and Indians. PW stated that this "timely and important book should be required reading for all citizens."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
84 of 89 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am somewhat ashamed to have read this book only recently. I should have read this one years ago.
Well, better late than never, and I am pleased to report that it deserves its enduring reputation.
...But let me assume that I am writing this "review" for an audience that is neither familiar with Reisner's book nor aware of the role water development has played in every aspect of the history of the American West, particularly of California.
Briefly, the history of water development contains the whole story of the West, from start to present. Early modern irrigation worked miracles and opened to the plow land previously unavailable for agriculture -- land that now feeds the nation and much of the world. If it were not for these early, massive hydro-projects, not one of the great cities of the West would be even conceivable, millions upon millions of people would and could never have considered settling the western half of the continent. Of course, there was a massive cost accompanying all of these benefits, measurable in human as well as environmental terms, but in those days the cost-benefit analysis was easy.
Building upon early irrigation successes, two government agencies -- the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers, may they both live forever in infamy -- garnered unto themselves massive power and independence, which they used to keep on building dam after dam after dam. The problem was not so much (at the time the dams were built) that the environmental costs were higher with every dam, until there now remains no wild river beyond the hundredth meridian of any significance whatsoever, precious little habitat for migratory birds, mass extinctions, etc., etc., tragically etc.; the real problem (at the time the dams were built) was that the new dams brought no benefits whatsoever to stack up against their costs. Each new dam represented gratuitous environmental catastrophe, effected simply because water projects became the currency of pork barrel Congressional politics.
And that's not the worst of it. Except for the Egyptian (the Nile River being a very special case), every civilization founded upon irrigation has always ended -- abruptly -- almost certainly due to the sudden and permanent despoliation of irrigated agricultural soil through concentration of salts, which is the inevitable result of irrigation. No previous irrigation civilization has ever worked on such a grand scale, or with soil already so alkaline, as ours. Death by salinity is happening with alarming rapidity in the American West even now. The end of agriculture as we know it in the West is coming, and coming soon; all the experts know it; nothing is being done.
Reisner doesn't suggest much in the way of solutions. But as history -- explaining patterns of human settlement, the effects of that settlement on the region's geography, the patterns of flow and accumulation of wealth in the West, and what may be the greatest crisis our whole nation is facing and ignoring today -- Cadillac Desert can't be beat.
91 of 98 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I enthusiastically told friends that I was reading a book about "water development in the West" and they blankly would stare back and ask "Why"? Well, I discovered that the story of moving people and water into the West where humans really have no natural right living is quite entertaining. Reisner is the perfect storyteller and he permeates this real drama of pure will, deceit, graft, engineering prowess and the pork barrel with a subtle sarcastic wit I could read all day. He makes a real effort to keep his personal views out of the picture and rely on interviews and statistics. Even though it seems that he likely sees most large water projects as foolhardy and boondoggles he presents both sides - for example highlighting how one of the massive Comubia River dams had the unexpected value of helping us win WWII through power generation. I read this for a book club and the four of us (all California natives) used it as a springboard for literally hours of conversation. This should be required reading for anyone who claims to be an informed citizen living in the American West.
There is also an excellent PBS companion 4 video series of the same name which I found available at my library (or sold through Amazon.com packaged with Chinatown) which I would HIGHLY recommend. It adds a lot thorough interviews, footage of a dam failing, and beautiful scenery that lets you appreciate the natural beauty at stake when considering these large water projects.
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Cadillac Desert should be required reading for every American. On the surface it tells the story of water development and conservation (or lack thereof) in the American west in particular and the nation in general. Throughout the book however, you are given an understanding of how our government actually works. I always wondered why a company in California will contribute heavily to a congressman from New York. Now I know. I also know why our government will spend so much tax money on seemingly wastful projects. Anyone interested in engineering will be fascinated by the construction of the huge dams. Marc Reisner also relates some of the disasters that resulted from poorly constucted or situated dams. This book is well researched and well written and for a book with so much technical information, quite easy and enjoyable to read. Anyone interested in water conservation, irrigation, American government, American history, engineering feats or development of the American west will love this book
Most Recent Customer Reviews
You are so hosing us on the prices of Kindle books!
Really? $14.99 for a book written in 1986? Seriously, I will just buy a used copy..... from someone else. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Caren McCourt
Something Stinks
$12.24 for the trade paperback that I can read and pass on to others (who'd never have to buy it)... and $14.99 for the Kindle version? You gotta be kidding me. Read more
Published 6 months ago by T. Hoch
Cadillac Desert
Excellent book on the subject of water and corrupt bureaucracies (i.e. Bureau of Reclamation and Corps of Engineers). One of the most thoroughly researched books that I've read.
Published 6 months ago by Randall C. Shaw
Fantastic
Very detailed and informative, a fantastic book for anyone who's interested in the West and the historical water challenges there.
Published 7 months ago by dkl
Still the sentinel work on this vital topic.
Despite having been written more than 25 years ago, Cadillac Desert is still the definite book outlining the history of the American West and the development / destruction of water... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Steve DeViney
Great condition
Great condition, good price, arrives on time. Interesting book as well. I recommend this to anyone interested in how the West was colonized.
Published 8 months ago by Lilly
I Miss the Salmon...
This book has been on my list of books to read for a long, long time. Now, having finally read it, I can see why so many people point to this book as being the BOOK to read about... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Allan Stellar
Not totally accurate
While the book is an interesting book and reads quickly, by no means is this a completely accurate book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by P. Vaughan
Great writing
This book is out of print. I was so pleased to get a copy via Amazon. So far I am finding the writing and the subject to be fascinating, even mystifying. Water and the west ... Read more
Published 9 months ago by J. E. Tarbox
Think it over!
I'm 16 and I picked this book to read for my AP environmental class summer assignment. While I have to admit this book is very educational and has some really good information, I... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Laura
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The American West was explored by white men half a century before the first colonists set foot on Virginia's beaches, but it went virtually uninhabited by whites for another three hundred years. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
state water project, good damsites, cash register dams, right canyon wall, irrigation features, master drain, water lobby, augmentation project, subsidized water, big growers, acreage limit, reclamation program, groundwater overdraft, rescue project, ditch companies Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Los Angeles, Colorado River, Bureau of Reclamation, Owens Valley, Corps of Engineers, United States, San Francisco, Floyd Dominy, San Joaquin Valley, Central Arizona Project, Those Who Refuse, New Mexico, Reclamation Act, American West, San Fernando Valley, Grand Coulee, Grand Canyon, Columbia River, Teton Dam, Owens River, Pat Brown, North America, West Texas, Mike Straus, The Red Queen New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The American West was explored by white men half a century before the first colonists set foot on Virginia's beaches, but it went virtually uninhabited by whites for another three hundred years. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
state water project, good damsites, cash register dams, right canyon wall, irrigation features, master drain, water lobby, augmentation project, subsidized water, big growers, acreage limit, reclamation program, groundwater overdraft, rescue project, ditch companies Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Los Angeles, Colorado River, Bureau of Reclamation, Owens Valley, Corps of Engineers, United States, San Francisco, Floyd Dominy, San Joaquin Valley, Central Arizona Project, Those Who Refuse, New Mexico, Reclamation Act, American West, San Fernando Valley, Grand Coulee, Grand Canyon, Columbia River, Teton Dam, Owens River, Pat Brown, North America, West Texas, Mike Straus, The Red Queen New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 36
books:
See all 36 books this book cites
100
books
cite this book:
See all 100 books citing this book
- The Bureau of Reclamation by William E. Warne on 6 pages
- Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered by E.F. Schumacher in Front Matter, page 304, and Index
- Empires in the sun: The rise of the new American West by Peter Booth Wiley in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency: The Progressive Conservation Movement, 1890-1920 (Harvard Historical Monographs) by Samuel P. Hays in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Washington, D.C: The World War II Years (DC) (Images of America) by Paul K. Williams in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 36 books this book cites
- Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams: Enlarged and Updated Edition by Patrick McCully on 7 pages
- Vision in the Desert: Carl Hayden and Hydropolitics in the American Southwest by Jack L., Jr. August on 6 pages
- Fire on the Plateau: Conflict And Endurance In The American Southwest by Charles F. Wilkinson on 5 pages
- America as Second Creation: Technology and Narratives of New Beginnings by David E. Nye on 4 pages
- Grand Canyon: Solving Earth's Grandest Puzzle by James Lawrence Powell on 4 pages
See all 100 books citing this book
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