It was made into a 4-part PBS series, available on YouTube. This book is #61 on the Modern Library’s list of the 100 most important non-fiction books written in English. The bulk of the book describes damming projects that implemented the 1st law of water usage in the West: “Water flows towards money and power.” Reisner, who died in 2000 at age 51 has done a tremendous amount of research, including interviews with some of the major figures responsible for the damming of most of the major rivers in the west, Floyd Domini in particular. The early sections describe the battle over water between Los Angeles and other areas around 1900 LA, led by the engineer Mulholland, won, but he died in disgrace. This is a very detailed description of the science and politics of water usage in the West (and to some extent the southeast). Reisner's law: water flows to money & power This book is a great historical account of how water created the west and the west created water. The audacity of humans to divert and harness water simply because they can, begs the very large question of whether they should. It has always been the location of water that shapes our world, but I never appreciated how wealth, greed and arrogance shapes who gets to use it. I am glad for the education, and quite the eye-opening education this is. On the other hand, the content of this book was awesome. On top of that he often mispronounces words, like JOB's Daughters. And you are glad you got the information because it is really amazing necessary stuff, but you can never quite get that rasping breathy hiss out of your head. And you do it because you really need the information, but it takes 28 hours of painfully listening to that freaking death rattle to get it. Joe Spieler's narration is like listening to a man on his death bed gasping for breath, who beckons you to lean forward to hear his last critically-important sentence.

Cadillac desert by marc reisner