Cadillac Desert discussion

Any person planning on reading Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert should prepare to feel emotions ranging from frustration to sheer embarrassment at the greed displayed by generations of Americans. Reisner chronicles the history of water resources in the American West beginning with the very first explorers. He is able to offer extensive factual evidence in order to support his own beliefs regarding water conservation and government beaucracy. Reisner incorporates into his timeline every relevant facet of the debate a person could ever want to know. As a result, he offers a carefully composed progression of the American West from an unsettled desert to the home to millions of Americans. If the reader does not feel frustration upon reading the facts alone, Reisner’s commentary will surely do the trick. Reisner is not shy in adding his own personal feelings to the abundance of factual support. Although one must be careful not to confuse the facts with Reisner’s opinion, his comments do not come uninvited. If anything, they make the piece more engaging. The factual details and Reisner commentary combine to paint an entertaining, exquisitely complete, picture of the progression of the American West from an unsettled desert to the home of millions of Americans.
The reader will be left wondering how they could have been so ignorant. For many, dams and desert cities seem inconsequential. Or maybe, they are a reminder of how inventive and advanced Americans have become, that we can nature and win. Yet, Reisner, from the very first chapter, convinces the reader otherwise. He includes detail after detail of the irresponsibility of the American developer. If anything, this could be his biggest fault. At times, the argument is lost among the abundance of historical details. At points, I found myself disgusted with the repeated recklessness of government agencies and politicians thought ‘enough is enough.’ Yet, that was undoubtedly Reisner’s intention. Though the details may seem overwhelming, they serve a purpose.
Throughout the Desert, I was repeatedly struck by how authentically Reisner cares about the future of the American West as it slowly dries back into an arid, uninhabitable desert. Humans will only be able to fight the natural order of the environment for so long before it turns on us. Our reckless development and over allocation of water will undoubtedly lead to future consequences; the only question is whether we will recognize this in time to prepare ourselves. Reisner not only makes this blatantly obvious, but also inspires one to walk outside and shut off his or her sprinklers.

Much better said than my review. Wish I was more eloquent. I agree 100%