John G. reviewed Cadillac desert by Marc Reisner
None
4 stars
This book is to Chinatown what an ocean is to a puddle. Of course, LA's ill-begotten water is part of this account, too. But the boek makes abundantly clear that the water woes go far beyond one city and one region and are a matter (and result of) federal policy, which to the date of his writing is incoherent at best and counter-productive in most places.
Cadillac Desert hit me over the head with the idea that dams are pretty much always bad until, to my surprise, I had to agree.
I would give the book five stars except for its irritating and unfortunate tendency to add unnecessary polemics and personal biases against individuals and places in a way that undermines the credibility of the information otherwise plainly presented. Nevertheless, the book is a readable policy paper that masquerades as a surprisingly compelling story with a heavy foreshadowing of a …
This book is to Chinatown what an ocean is to a puddle. Of course, LA's ill-begotten water is part of this account, too. But the boek makes abundantly clear that the water woes go far beyond one city and one region and are a matter (and result of) federal policy, which to the date of his writing is incoherent at best and counter-productive in most places.
Cadillac Desert hit me over the head with the idea that dams are pretty much always bad until, to my surprise, I had to agree.
I would give the book five stars except for its irritating and unfortunate tendency to add unnecessary polemics and personal biases against individuals and places in a way that undermines the credibility of the information otherwise plainly presented. Nevertheless, the book is a readable policy paper that masquerades as a surprisingly compelling story with a heavy foreshadowing of a bleak future absent change.
