Water is for Fighting Over
It is impossible, I have found, to write seriously about water in the western United States without being in conversation with the late Marc Reisner and his classic Cadillac Desert, published thirty years ago. It’s assessment of our problems is foundational, and even if I disagree with some of what he had to say (as I do), Cadillac Desert is one of the great American books, and I must assume that most people who read me have already read him.
Henry Brean did a nice piece this morning in the Las Vegas Review Journal about my new book Water is For Fighting Over. Here’s Henry’s kicker:
Most books about the Colorado River offer a pessimistic view, including the seminal work on the subject, Marc Reisner’s “Cadillac Desert.”
Fleck jokes that his book is more like “Volvo Desert.” The future river he envisions is sturdy, reliable and built to survive a crash.
And then there is this kind review just posted on Amazon:
“Water is for Fighting Over” is worthy of placement on the shelf next to “Cadillac Desert.”
Cannot escape Reisner’s shadow.
Great reviews! Thanks for sharing.
Thought you might appreciate this:
“So we’re on the verge of a new era in water politics. Let’s hope someone will chronicle it as well as Mr. Reisner has the last one.”
WHEN THE BILL FOR THE MARVELS FALLS DUE, New York Times Review of Books, September 14th, 1986
http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/25/specials/reisner-cadillac.html