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Marc Reisner
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Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition Kindle Edition

by Marc Reisner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
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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.
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  1. Print length
    674 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 1993
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Grade level
    12 and up
  8. File size
    25595 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
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  11. Enhanced typesetting
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  12. See all details
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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

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001RTKIUA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; 2nd edition (June 1, 1993)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 1993
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 25595 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 674 pages
  • Customer Reviews:

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Marc Reisner

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,357 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the tone engaging and the book an interesting history of water development in the West. They also appreciate the accurate, well-researched information and good reporting. Readers describe the writing style as very well written and an eye opener. They say the content is exhaustively researched and completely spells out the water situation in the major western states. Opinions differ on the flow, with some finding it easy to follow and others saying it's not a quick read.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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ContentStorylineWriting styleToneFlowLength
119 customers mention "Content"115 positive4 negative

Customers find the book's content exhaustively researched, mesmerizing, informative, and an invaluable resource for better understanding the politics and realities of water. They say the history is important and instructive, giving a clear picture of the technical, economic, political, and historical aspects of water issues. Readers also say the author does an amazing job of posting arguments, backing them up, and analyzing them. They describe the book as excellent, timeless, and complete.

"...Well written, and just a fascinating and under appreciated aspect of society and history in the western US...." Read more

"I really like this book, it's so interesting and informative." Read more

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

"...Very well written and wittily humorous as well. Seems to be well-researched and thorough, although at times the reader can detect a bit of the author..." Read more

54 customers mention "Storyline"43 positive11 negative

Customers find the storyline interesting, wonderful, and well-written. They also say it reads like a historical fiction thriller and is a great cautionary tale for those living in the West. Readers also appreciate the historical accuracy, good reporting on some disasters, and the well-researched information.

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

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

41 customers mention "Writing style"31 positive10 negative

Customers find the writing style very well written, descriptive, and engaging. They also say the book is a real eye opener.

"...Well written, and just a fascinating and under appreciated aspect of society and history in the western US...." Read more

"...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

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

24 customers mention "Tone"17 positive7 negative

Customers find the tone engaging, holding their attention easily, and drawing them in quickly. They also say the books will raise the ire of all readers.

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

"...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

"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

12 customers mention "Flow"5 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the flow of the book. Some find the storyline easy to follow and seamless, while others say it drags at the beginning and is tedious to stick with.

"...It’s not easy to skim through more or less relevant parts because the chapter titles are not informative...." Read more

"...Reisner was a great writer and his engaging tale pulls no punches...." Read more

"...unfortunately it is a grueling read because of this...." Read more

"...so 500 pages were daunting at first, but looking back on it, it was an easy and enjoyable read...." Read more

10 customers mention "Length"5 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the book. Some find it long with a detailed history of not just water, 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 chapters are also quite long, far more than most people will read in a sitting. I’m not quite halfway through...." 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 stories, though, start to get a bit too long and familiar...." Read more

Captivating read
5 out of 5 stars
Captivating read
Cadillac Desert is an engaging book that’s hard to put down! The authors personal opinions haven’t detracted from the main facts being presented, although I’m only halfway through so I will update this in the future if that changes. A bit long, the pages are big and the text small!
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Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite Nonfiction Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was actually a gift for someone, as it’s my favorite nonfiction. Well written, and just a fascinating and under appreciated aspect of society and history in the western US. If you live in a western US state, and are even a little interested in water rights, public policy around settlement of the west, or the tension between humans and the natural world that sustains them, but that they also harness for economic and personal benefit - read this!
One person found this helpful
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Eat at Joe's
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a classic, a real eye opener about water in the west.
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024
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I really like this book, it's so interesting and informative.
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Chris
4.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening, disturbing story of 'The West"
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2016
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Awesome story, very educational for me as a California resident. I had no idea about the history of the Owens Valley, for example, despite having driven through it a dozen times. Make me realize just how unsustainable life is in Southern California and Southern Arizona.

One annoyance - the author uses words that are unbelievably obscure. Example, in chapter 2 ... "Sesquipedalian tergiversation was the strong suit of ...". I consider myself as having a pretty decent vocabulary but these two words are not known to me. What possible value does the use of such words have in terms of this story? I can't imagine even 1% of the readers knowing what this means, and thus, whatever contribution these obscure words may theoretically have is negated by the fact that 99% will simply have to move on (I was on a plane when reading this so could not get online and do a search at the time). If I were reading a classic novel, I might expect to encounter rich, obscure words but in a non-fiction book I don't expect to have to struggle to find the meaning of words. I guess the silver lining is, I did later learn how to download a local dictionary for future offline lookups.
3 people found this helpful
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DNA Doc
5.0 out of 5 stars 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!
3 people found this helpful
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James T. Dakin
5.0 out of 5 stars Western US water history and issues -- a classic must-read
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016
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This 1986 tour de force examines water and dams in the mostly arid Western US. Topics addressed in detail include, but are not limited to, the Army Corp of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, California Aqueduct, California Water Wars, Central Arizona Project, Colorado River, Grand Coulee Dam, Glen Canyon Dam, Hoover Dam, John Wesley Powell, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Mono Lake, Ogallala Aquifer, Owens Valley, Teton Dam, and William Mulholland.

Underlying the encyclopedic scope of “Cadillac Desert” are two basic themes.

First, the settlers lured to the arid West by the railroads and the US Federal Government in the 19th century needed cheap water to support agriculture on their 160 acre parcels of land, and also for their growing cities such as Los Angeles. Cheap hydroelectric power was often a secondary need, essential to pumping water. This need was met by projects of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers. The projects were generally promoted by local congressmen, who supported each other’s projects. In the long term this endeavor has been subsidized by US taxpayers since return revenues from the projects have generally fallen fall far short of plan.

Second, the projects and dams have been an escalating source of controversy. For the most part the projects have not been economically justifiable, especially the irrigation projects, and especially the more recent projects. Also, the dams have created lasting problems -- salination of irrigated soil; silt accumulation behind the dams; environmental devastation to streams, salmon fisheries, and migratory birds; an overstretched US Federal budget, etc. Cheap hydroelectric power has also enabled groundwater pumping which is depleting aquifers. The taxpayer subsidized benefits of cheap water have often gone to large corporate agriculture, not the small farmers for whom the water was intended. By the later part of the 20th century the public sentiment had largely turned away from building ever more dams, and indeed toward removing some of the existing ones.

The individual chapters of “Cadillac Desert” are often mesmerizing, instilling a sense of outrage in the civic and history minded reader. The chapter on the 1976 Teton Dam failure is a great example. If the leaders and promoters had thoughtfully considered the economics of the dam, or the geology of the site, the dam would never have been built in the first place. But built it was and fail it did. The spectacularly devastating failure is now used as a case study in engineering courses, providing an example of mistakes at all levels and by all of those involved.

While Reisner does seem long winded at times, it is worthwhile staying with “Cadillac Desert” to the end. On one hand, it provides many interrelated perspectives on water and the West. It also ends on a somewhat positive note as the many constituencies involved seem to be converging on a more rational approach to future water usage in the West.
56 people found this helpful
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Kyle D. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Every American Should Read This Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2023
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Every American should read Cadillac Desert. Despite its seemingly dull and tedious topic - a historical analysis of water resource development in the American West - it is one of the best non-fiction works I've ever read. Marc Reisner's descriptive narration and highly engaging style make for a captivating story, and the information presented is astounding. I had no idea the development of the West was so inextricably linked with staggering levels of corruption, incompetence, and waste driven by all levels of government, media outlets, and agro-conglomerates of all sizes or that destructive infighting between senescent departments of the federal government was actually a real thing. 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.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Walter Moser
5.0 out of 5 stars 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
5.0 out of 5 stars Do we have to ?
Reviewed in France on May 30, 2023
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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.
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M Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive discussion of the water-related challenges of the American West
Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2021
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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.
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margaret Cuddihy
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this and be warned
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2018
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I read this because it was mentioned in The Water Knife. Found it excellent and I learned a lot about American history. Highly recommended.
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Guy who cooks
5.0 out of 5 stars A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE POWERFUL AND NUTTY US DAM BUILDERS
Reviewed in Canada on June 30, 2023
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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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