Book · 1993 · Technology & Engineering
Cadillac Desert
The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition
Why people recommend it
Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner is a classic historical and environmental non-fiction book that traces the political maneuvering and massive engineering projects that reshaped the American West through the construction of dams and water management systems. Mark Dunkelman recommended Reisner's book as his third recommendation during an appearance on The Ezra Klein Show in April 2026. Dunkelman noted that the book essentially traces the same historical arc as other regional developments, focusing in large part on a figure named Floyd Dominy as he ran the Bureau of Reclamation and oversaw the large-scale building of dams across the entire Western landscape. By highlighting this monumental undertaking, Dunkelman pointed listeners toward an essential text detailing how government policy, ecological manipulation, and water politics fundamentally transformed an arid region. The recommendation emphasized the profound environmental and human costs associated with taming western rivers and expanding infrastructure across the United States.
Who recommended it
- Mark Dunkelman Recommended
Mark Dunkelman — 1 mention
“But there's a book by uh Mark Reeseman called Cadillac Desert which essentially traces the same arc uh with a guy named Floyd Dominy running the Bureau of Reclamation and building dams all across the West.”