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Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition Paperback – January 1, 1993

by Marc Reisner (Author)

4.6 1,364 ratings

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“I’ve been thinking a lot about Cadillac Desert in the past few weeks, as the rain fell and fell and kept falling over California, much of which, despite the pouring heavens, seems likely to remain in the grip of a severe drought. Reisner anticipated this moment. He worried that the West’s success with irrigation could be a mirage — that it took water for granted and didn’t appreciate the precariousness of our capacity to control it.” – Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times, January 20,2023

"The definitive work on the West's water crisis." --Newsweek

The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecological and economic disaster. In his landmark book, Cadillac Desert, Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the competition to transform the West. Based on more than a decade of research, Cadillac Desert is a stunning expose and a dramatic, intriguing history of the creation of an Eden--an Eden that may only be a mirage.

This edition includes a new postscript by Lawrie Mott, a former staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, that updates Western water issues over the last two decades, including the long-term impact of climate change and how the region can prepare for the future.

Print length

582 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Books
Publication date

January 1, 1993
Grade level

12 and up
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

8.36 x 5.52 x 1.09 inches
ISBN-10

0140178244
ISBN-13

978-0140178241
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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!

Review

"Masterful. . .Among the most influential environmental books published by an American since Silent Spring."
--San Francisco Examiner

"Essential background reading for anyone who cares about the drought ravaging the West and the region's prospects for changing course before it is too late."
--Mark Hertsgaard, The Daily Beast

"Timely and of national interest. . . . Resiner captures Western water history in Cinemascope and Technicolor. . . . lawmakers, taxpayers, hurry up and read this book."
--The Washington Post

"The scale of this book is as staggering as that of Hoover Dam. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, it spans our century-long effort to moisten the arid West. . . . Anyone thinking of moving west of the hundredth meridian should read this book before they call their real estate agent."
--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"A revealing, absorbing, often amusing and alarming report on where billions of [taxpayers'] dollars have gone-- and where a lot more are going . . . [Reisner] has put the story together in trenchant form."
--The New York Times Book Review

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Revised edition (January 1, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 582 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140178244
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140178241
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.36 x 5.52 x 1.09 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #26,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Water Supply & Land Use (Books)
- #28 in Environmental Science (Books)
- #169 in U.S. State & Local History

Customer Reviews:
4.6 1,364 ratings

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Customer reviews

1,364 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the book incredible, interesting, and worth the time. They describe the information as exhaustively researched and full of unbelievable detail. Readers also find the historical accuracy fascinating and enlightening. They praise the writing quality as well-written, entertaining, and descriptive. Opinions are mixed on the reading pace, with some finding it engaging and holding their attention, while others say it's not engaging and infuriating.

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Readability Information quality Historical accuracy Writing quality Pace Reading pace Length Pacing

134 customers mention "Readability"124 positive10 negative

Customers find the book incredible, interesting, and worth their time. They say it's well-written, engaging, and entertaining.

"...It's special. VERY special. It's well-written, well-edited (which is a really nice surprise in today's market), and holds the attention easily...." Read more

"...Anyway, fascinating book (not a short read, for sure) and I learned much as to the development of California and the West. It's all about WATER!!!..." Read more

"...It is an excellent book that very completely spells out the water situation in the major western states from Colorado west...." Read more

"...All in all, a very good tome. Thank you to Neil Peart for recommending it." Read more

114 customers mention "Information quality"114 positive0 negative

Customers find the book exhaustively researched, informative, and full of unbelievable detail. They say it's a good study in sociology and psychology, giving a clear picture of the technical, economic, and political aspects. Readers also mention the book makes for an eye-opening read.

"...This book is thoroughly researched, and deals not just with California but with the water problems and development of the entire U.S. arid West...." Read more

"...It is an excellent book that very completely spells out the water situation in the major western states from Colorado west...." Read more

"...The individual chapters of “Cadillac Desert” are often mesmerizing, instilling a sense of outrage in the civic and history minded reader...." Read more

"...This book makes for an eye-opening but rather depressing read though the Postscript to the Revised Edition does give some cause for future optimism." Read more

53 customers mention "Historical accuracy"42 positive11 negative

Customers find the book interesting, enlightening, and captivating. They say the events are the stuff of legend and the people involved seem larger than life. Readers also describe the subject as fascinating and mystifying. They mention it's a wonderful story of investigative journalism and revealing how Washington politics influences wasteful spending.

"...'s descriptive narration and highly engaging style make for a captivating story, and the information presented is astounding...." Read more

"Awesome story, very educational for me as a California resident...." Read more

"This is a long CD set. It covers so much history, water rights, dam construction, impact of dams on fish and farming...." Read more

"...From the beginning, this challenging book reads like a historical fiction thriller, It begins with the human machinations on the Colorado River,..." Read more

38 customers mention "Writing quality"30 positive8 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book very well-written, entertaining, and descriptive. They say the author has a quick wit and the narration is highly engaging. Readers also mention the history and policy are presented in an incredibly engaging way with humorous stories.

"...It's special. VERY special. It's well-written, well-edited (which is a really nice surprise in today's market), and holds the attention easily...." Read more

"...Marc Reisner's descriptive narration and highly engaging style make for a captivating story, and the information presented is astounding...." Read more

"This book is amazing. Very well written and wittily humorous as well...." Read more

"...The writing style is relentlessly critical, overly detailed, strident, and never backs off...." Read more

7 customers mention "Pace"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very timely, saying it's a fast-paced style with intriguing bio sketches. They also mention it has a good price and fast delivery.

"Even though this book was originally published in 1986, it is still timely. Marc Reisner's book is well put together and engaging...." Read more

"...The fast paced style with intriguing bio sketches will keep any reader engaged." Read more

"Written in 1986 it's still timely...." Read more

"...of how the Southwest has gotten itself into the pickle it is in is timely and fascinating...." Read more

22 customers mention "Reading pace"15 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the reading pace of the book. Some find it engaging and captivating, while others say it's not an engaging read and completely infuriating.

"...(which is a really nice surprise in today's market), and holds the attention easily. I couldn't put it down...." Read more

"...Cadillac Desert is a compelling and often riveting description of Western water history, beginning with Joseph Smith and his Mormon followers who..." Read more

"...This book makes for an eye-opening but rather depressing read though the Postscript to the Revised Edition does give some cause for future optimism." Read more

"This is an incredibly long book that is engaging all the way to the end. The story of water in the American west is insane." Read more

10 customers mention "Length"5 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the book. Some mention it's detailed and accurate, while others say it's too long.

"This is an incredibly long book that is engaging all the way to the end. The story of water in the American west is insane." Read more

"...The stories, though, start to get a bit too long and familiar...." Read more

"This is a long CD set. It covers so much history, water rights, dam construction, impact of dams on fish and farming...." Read more

"...The chapters are also quite long, far more than most people will read in a sitting. I’m not quite halfway through...." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it's well-put-together and engaging, while others say it's too grouchy and not a feel-good book.

"...Marc Reisner's book is well put together and engaging...." Read more

"Good historical information but what a slog. Grouchy, negative. As if the bureaus and politicians never did a single good thing...." Read more

"Well done and eye opening! Should be mandatory reading for California students, and much of the west...." Read more

"Great condition, good price, arrives on time. Interesting book as well. I recommend this to anyone interested in how the West was colonized." Read more

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DNA Doc

Who is here because of Paolo Bacigalupi?

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024

Verified Purchase

After reading The Water Knife, I wanted more. A lot more! And boy did I get it! Mr. Bacigaluoi did not exaggerate about how good this book is. It's a thesis on water in the West. Many people have summarized the book very well, so I won't try to duplicate their work.

What I will say is this: Occasionally, you get a glimpse into a brilliant brain, and find it hard to believe that someone could dig so deeply. Most people in the US have never researched an issue for more than 30 minutes. Personally, had the privilege of spending three years looking at an esoteric protein for my PhD. I emerged as the reigning monarch of that stupid protein for all of a month before I was dethroned. So I thought I understood "deep." I was woefully unprepared for this level of DEEP!!!

Holy wow!!! To say this work is brilliant is underselling it in the extreme. This is a literal life's work of love and passion, not repeatble by any living human today. It's special. VERY special. It's well-written, well-edited (which is a really nice surprise in today's market), and holds the attention easily. I couldn't put it down. There's something very attractive about getting a glimpse into such a beautiful mind.

Thank you Mr. Bacigaluoi for directing me to this book. I won't forget the favor if you ever need anything!

7 people found this helpful

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Harvey

MOST ILLUMINATING!!! A fascinating read!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2015

Verified Purchase

Absolutely fascinating. I lived in California for some 34 years and had no idea as to the history of how Los Angeles got it's water, other than knowing that a good portion came from the Colorado River. This book is thoroughly researched, and deals not just with California but with the water problems and development of the entire U.S. arid West. I had no idea as to the building of the great (and then not so great) dams starting in the late 20's early 1930s, starting with Hoover Dam. Also fascinating treatment as to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the competition with the Corp. of Engineers, and the Congressional pork barrel system that fueled the building of more and more dams and water projects, necessary or not. AND one wonders what will happen as the dams eventually silt up even as the population of cities such as L.A., Phoenix, Tuscon, Denver increase exponentially, as they have and continue to do. Indeed, when I moved to Calif. in 1970 the state's population was about 19 million; today it is about 38 million, DOUBLE that!! And Southern Calif. is basically an arid or at best a semi-arid desert!! This book was written in the late 1980's\early 1990's; one can only surmise how the author would be talking about the extreme Calif. drought now in it's 4th year. Calif gets much of it's water from 'snow-packs', from the Sierra Nevada to the Rockies (which feed the Colorado River). The CA Governor recently stood on bare ground up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and said he should be standing on 5 feet of snow!!! Yet, as the author points out (and I observed living in So. Calif.) the only thing grown in So. Calif. is no longer orange groves, but housing developments (usually in my opinion rather noxious with their same tile roofs, and built 10 ft apart). And they are still going up by the droves on every hill and valley!! The ultimate question is where is the water going to come from to support all this, especially with the effects of climate change, now thought to be at least in part responsible for the current extreme drought??? Anyway, fascinating book (not a short read, for sure) and I learned much as to the development of California and the West. It's all about WATER!!! Harvey (p.s.: I now live back East).

24 people found this helpful

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Brad Allen

A somewhat too complete story on water in the West

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012

Verified Purchase

Cadillac Desert is available in a plethora of the National Park book stores and I have intended to read it for about the last twelve years. Finally, a trip to California pushed me over the edge as I tried to figure out the water rights signs along I-5. It is an excellent book that very completely spells out the water situation in the major western states from Colorado west. The stories, though, start to get a bit too long and familiar.

Although pretty familiar with this region of the US, I still needed a map most of the time. The locations, distances, and relationship of places is both important and punctuates the story. It is shocking the almost diabolic regression of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers in the three decades following the mid 1950's. To think that we came to believe that "any water which flows into the ocean is waste" and that it made sense to divert the Columbia River to California is almost inconceivable. The actual projects built in the 60's and 70's are equally unbelievable. Yet they are all there.

In the end, I did not finish the final 20% of the book because I pretty much understood the story and couldn't take another story of corrupt western senators, water projects that don't pay off, subsidized farms, and ill-conceived dams. Prior to reading Cadillac Desert I could not understand why we might tear down a dam. Now I can't believe we haven't torn down more.

Cadillac Desert will inform you, shock you, and get you a whole lot closer to a clear liquid we take for granted every day.

11 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Walter Moser

Les envers de la grande épopée états-unienne

Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2023

Verified Purchase

excellent livre, bien écrit, avec un prise d'humour, très bien documenté. Retrace deux siècles de civilisation états-unienne dans le Sud-Ouest (Great Desert) dans le contexte plus vaste de la lutte civilisatrice contre la nature (irriguer et urbaniser le désert). Un chapitre du Homo Deus états-unien, avec, en arrière-plan, un fonctionnement presque mafieux des institutions (les deux principaux ingrédients: money and power). Et une prévision plutôt catastrophique: re-désertification.

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Bahram Houchmandzadeh

Do we have to ?

Reviewed in France on May 30, 2023

Verified Purchase

I think that most people think that irrigation is good, no matter what. The author revisits this "cliché" through the history of irrigation in western USA and demonstrate the folly in many such endeavors. The book, published in 1985 and reprinted in 2017, is incredibly detailed and well researched.

M Clark

A comprehensive discussion of the water-related challenges of the American West

Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

Cadillac Desert is one of the most important books I have read this year. It provides a comprehensive discussion of the water-related challenges of the American West and it leaves the reader feeling very unsettled and concerned for the future of America. It provides a unique perspective on the history of the American West and illuminates both state and federal government agencies most people have probably ignored up until now. Finally, the book is beautifully written.

The book was originally written in the 1980s but was reissued in 2017 with a new afterword to catch you up in what happened since the book was originally published.

margaret Cuddihy

Read this and be warned

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

I read this because it was mentioned in The Water Knife. Found it excellent and I learned a lot about American history. Highly recommended.

Guy who cooks

A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE POWERFUL AND NUTTY US DAM BUILDERS

Reviewed in Canada on June 30, 2023

Verified Purchase

Who knew that the US has almost 20,000 government built dams, many costing billions of dollars? Who knew California steals all the water it can get from the southwest and midwest? You'll read about how many farmers and ranchers got screwed just because a US department had nothing else to do except build dams.
Easy and fun reading!

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