Rating: 
Summary: A Neccessary Book of American History
Review: Marc Reisiner has written a book that should be on every book list to read by the under graduate. I am ordering my third one as I have given the others away. Whether interested in American government or not, this is a must read for everyone. This account of how the Water Laws were used for private gain as well as some put to good use is astounding. I think this book goes hand in hand with the corrupt handling of the BIA as both have provided interesting money and land to politicians.
Rating:
Summary: A Glimpse of the Future
Review: Reisner's supremely researched and very readable account of American's water policy in the western United States represents the very best type of historical writing. It provides a record of the past, the consequences to the present and a glimpse of the future. The impact of too little water for too many uses by an ever increasing number of people clearly demonstrates the need for restraint in area's which American has a voracious appetite - growth and consumption. As I write this review the impact of those appetites has come to roost in my hometown - Klamath Falls, Oregon. The worst drought in 100 years, the Bureau of Reclamation reducing irrigation flows by 90%, farmers going bankrupt and water quality eroded. Multiple federal laws colliding - Endangered Species Act, irrigation regulations, treaties with Indian Tribes - and a county sheriff asking the Federal Government to stop guarding the gates that control the flow of what little water is left. All the result of a water policy spun out of control. It's one thing when this scenario plays out in a region of 50,000 people. What will happen when the same thing comes to Denver, or Dallas, or Phoenix, or Las Vegas? It will come - to all of them - and more.
Rating:
Summary: bona fide page-turner, eye-opener, and mind-blower
Review: A compelling documentary history on the West's water problems. If the idea of a revisionist history on the West is something new for you, this is as good a place to start as any. Written by a journalist and master storyteller, the book reads like a cross between a documentary, investigative report, and a suspense novel. Reisner writes with a pronounced partisan (pro-environment) bent that is entertaining and provocative, but nonetheless sometimes distracting, even to a reader who embraces his point of view. As for content, Cadillac Desert covers a broad range of history and issues across the West, focusing mostly on the construction of the Western dams, and the federal bureaucratic and pork-barrel culture surrounding it, but also covering other stories such as the LA-Owens Valley water battle. It is far from the "definitive" statement in this field; such a work would occupy many volumes. Also, because of its narrative approach, the book offers less in terms of overarching social and economic analysis (Worster's Rivers of Empire is more insightful along these lines). Cadillac Desert's greatest value, however, lies in its compelling presentation -- it may not lay out all the answers, but it is bound to get your juices flowing, wherever your ideological impulses may lie, and spark further interest and investigation.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Must Read
Review: This book is a must read for anyone interested in the future of the American West. Mr. Reisner's writing style is engaging and thought-provoking and his grasp of the english language immense (keep a dictionary handy). This lesson in history and human nature serves as a wake-up call that the practices of the past can no longer be tolerated. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Reisner a few months before his death, and hearing him present his ideas regarding the future of our water resources. His ideas are more relevant than ever; he will be greatly missed.
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Summary: Required for Southern Californians
Review: I will never take for granted a car wash or green grass in So. California after reading this book. Excellent read, on par with John McPhee.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: An inspiring piece of work. It makes a rather "dry" subject interesting and entertaining as well. Perhaps my favorite non-fiction book.
Rating:
Summary: On becoming an informed West-coaster..
Review: I read this book on the recommendation of several friends and was impressed by its universal scope of the subject matter. I found the historical persepective fascinating: the development of LA, the huge dams that won wars, and the interplay of government agencies with too much power and too little foresight to understand the world they were shaping. Reisner manages to bring a somewhat stale subject to life (bureaucrat battles in D.C.) with convincing character sketches and situation set ups that were immensely entertaining. I did however notice a thread of his personal feelings spilling over into some of the discussions that in the middle of the book made me stop devouring wholeheartedly his opinions and summaries of the world he describes. I was getting used to him throwing these facts out there and letting you draw the obvious conclusion but then he loses a bit of that objective voice. But this is a minor issue. Cadillac Desert is one of the most informative and startling books I've come across about the settlement of the American West, and to agree with another reviewer, this should be required reading for those living in that part of the U.S.
Rating: 
Summary: "whoa, slow down a minute son!"
Review: I found Cadillac Desert to be a page turner but I also caught myself frowning at times. As someone who has spent his life mostly in California, but also in Texas and now Oregon, I was reasonably familiar with the issues discussed. While I agree with Reisner that great injustices have been wrought on the environment and against the citizens of the western states to the benefit of wealthy corporations, I think that Reisner should let the facts stand for themselves. Instead, (I felt that) he made it a point to mock those whose policies were counter to his own beliefs. Perhaps this makes the book flow, and increases its appeal (re: sells more copies), but I would have preferred to have more substance than, for example, discussions of the sexual appetite of one of Reisner's villains. Such character studies weaken his arguments and stain him with the partisanship of which he seemed so critical. Thus, we get a story of good vs. evil, as if scripted by Disney, and Reisner even leaves us with a happy ending. One other minor issue is that the use of figures did very little to illustrate the magnitudes involved. Though probably few readers are interested in taking the time to truly examine what the numbers mean, I found it difficult to grasp the meaning when he compared the amount of water flowing in one river to the amount of water used by, say, New York City. Now then, the comments above notwithstanding, I found myself engrossed with Cadillac Desert and though it was perhaps not as eye opening as it would be to someone from east of the 100th meridian, nevertheless, this was not the stuff taught in California history when I was in school. It also led me to waste time at work - such as I am doing currently - digging for more information about water usage, and I have annoyed my wife, a civil/environmental engineer, with countless questions related to water resources engineering. While I have not given this book a particularly high rating, I think that it is highly enjoyable and a perfect book for anyone who struggles to stomach nonfiction. Mr. Reisner, I apologize to you for asking too much; I was hoping for a book that would serve as a rallying point for all of us concerned about water use manipulation in the West. However, though you are probably dead on accurate on most counts, your obvious passion makes Cadillac Desert too personal to stand as an impartial statement of fact.
Rating:
Summary: Should be Required Reading
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Like discovering a secret history of the west.
Review: What a fantastic book. So much of what we learn about the history of the United States from television or standard textbooks (the highs and lows of various presidential administrations ad infinitum etc.) misses the most important events that are going on beneath the surfact of all that politics. This is a book that exposes the type of history people should be learning about. Its like a secret, and fascinating, history of the Western United States over the past century, and how what we have done in only recent decades will reverberate for millenia to come. One word to the wise: if you're an environmentalist who is convinced that big government democrats are more friendly to your cause than small-government conservatives, this book may force you to rethink some of your assumptions. A rich and powerful government is not necessarily good for the environment.
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