Book Review: Cadillac Desert

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
Revised Edition 1993
by Marc Reisner

Metaphorically, water rights are a pretty dry subject. (Yeah, sorry. Couldn't help it. #sorrynotsorry) How did he manage to make it so exciting? And at the same time, so depressing ... I found it hard to put this down. The next story of ludicrous corruption, pork-barrel politics, gross myopia, or all the above, was always just round the corner. There were a few rays of hope, too, and some stories of endurance, cleverness, wisdom in the face of stupidity, and serendipitous saves from apparently certain disaster.

Reading this gave me a whole new depth of understanding, not just of water issues in the American southwest, but of human settlement in the region, and American government in execution. All that's missing is something to act as a sequel - this was revised in the early 90s. I'm on the hunt!

So as it turns out, it was not such a bad thing that my plantar fasciitis flared up so badly and I had to miss the walk to Emerald Pools with Simon and our dear friends from Canada. Instead, bought this and read the first few chapters in the lovely lobby of Zion Lodge.

Affiliate link disclosure: no, it's not. I won't make anything if you click the link above to buy it. Hmm maybe I should ...