48 pages • 1 hour read
Marc ReisnerCadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1986A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Reisner reiterates throughout the book that by building water projects and dams in the arid West, the US overreached itself. What evidence does Reisner present for this position? Do you find his argument convincing? Why or why not?
How has human propensity for favoring immediate gains around water impacted the current water crisis in the West? Are humans capable of living sustainably in the West? How would Reisner respond to your argument?
Reisner spends significantly more time describing the negative economic and environmental impacts of water projects and dam construction in the West than describing possible solutions for the current predicament. Why does Reisner choose to so thoroughly document the harm being done?
Is water importation into the American West a viable solution for solving the water crisis? What would be the economic and environmental costs and benefits of this solution? Would the benefits outweigh the costs? How would Reisner respond to your argument?
How did the rivalry between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers impact the current water crisis? Provide evidence from the text to support your argument. Do you agree with Reisner that greater blame should be placed on the Corps, which he believes gave “water development a bad name” (171)? Why or why not?
To Reisner, the worst legacy of the Bureau is that it acted “as the indulgent godfather of the arid West” (301). Explain what Reisner means using evidence. Do you agree with him that this is the Bureau’s worst legacy? Explain your position.
In Chapter 9, Reisner states, “In the Congress, water projects are a kind of currency, like wampum, and water development itself is a kind of religion” (308-09). Explain what Reisner means using evidence.
Do you agree that the American West is an example of a modern welfare state? What evidence does Reisner present for this position? Do you find his argument convincing? Why or why not?
Why is the title of the text Cadillac Desert? Provide evidence from the text to support your argument.
One of the most important arguments in Cadillac Desert is that much of the water crisis taking place in the West is the result of people’s attempts to control nature, particularly rivers. Was exerting this control worth settlement of the West? What would Reisner’s answer be? Do you agree or disagree with his position?
