Marc Reisner Books

Everyday a dirty war is being waged against dozens of threatened and endangered wildlife species. Because of an enormously lucrative black market in wildlife and wildlife parts, poaching has become a serious threat to the animals' survival. Marc Reisner offers a firsthand account of how undercover game wardens operate: the elaborate covers they devise, the meticulous groundwork of subterfuge and lies necessary to pull off a successful sting, and the heart-pounding dangers they face as they impersonate smugglers and big-game hunters or infiltrate gangs of vicious hillbillies poaching anything from alligators to gamefish. -- from jacket

The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster. In Cadillac Desert Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the competition to transform the West.Based on more than a decade of research, Cadillac Desert is a stunning expose and a dramatic, intriguing history of the creation of an Eden—an Eden that may be only a mirage.

Exploring California's transformation from a desert to a bustling state, the narrative delves into the paradox of its prosperity juxtaposed with the looming threat of seismic disasters. Reisner argues that the region's success is built on a denial of its geological vulnerabilities, particularly in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. The book culminates in a vivid, speculative depiction of the catastrophic consequences of future earthquakes, blending science, history, and cultural insights to emphasize the urgent need for awareness and preparedness.