Buy used:

$5.99

FREE delivery May 16 - 17. Details

Or fastest delivery May 10 - 14. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (16) from $5.99 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

Stephen Grace

+ Follow

More books from this author

Dam Nation: How Water Shaped the West and Will Determine Its Future Hardcover – January 1, 2012

by Stephen Grace (Author)

4.2 65 ratings

See all formats and editions

In the scramble to claim water rights in the West during the fevered days of early emigration and expansion, running out of water was rarely a concern, and the dam building fever that transformed the West in the 19th and 20th centuries created a map of the region that may be unsustainable. Throughout the arid American West, metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver need water. These cities are growing, but water supplies are dwindling. Scientists agree that the West is heating up and drying out, leading to future water shortages that will pose a challenge to existing laws.

Dam Nation looks first to the past, to the stories of the California gold rush and the earliest attempts by men to shape the landscape and tame it, takes us to the Great American Desert and the settlement of the west under the theory that "rain follows the plow," and then takes on the ongoing legal and moral battles in the West. Author Stephen Grace, is a novelist, a storyteller, and the author of several non-fiction books on Colorado. He weaves the facts into a compelling narrative that informs, entertains, and tells an important story.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

During the frenzied days of early emigration and expansion in the West, running out of water was rarely a concern, and the dam-building fever that transformed the map of the region in the twentieth century filled empty spaces with cities and farms. Today, metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Denver are desperate with thirst. These cities are growing explosively, but water supplies are dwindling. Scientists agree that the region is heating up and drying out, leading to future water shortages that will expose the startling fragility of civilization in the western United States. Dam Nation looks first to the past, to the stories of explorers venturing into a forbidding wilderness, gold miners and farmers devising arcane laws to govern water use, and pioneers struggling to settle the "Great American Desert." Next, it delves into an era of technological mastery that fulfilled the nation's dream of taming wild rivers, and finally it tackles the on-going legal and moral battles over water in the West. Author Stephen Grace weaves the facts into a compelling narrative that informs, entertains, and tells an important story.

From the Back Cover

A vivid look at the water crisis facing the West, grounded in history and compelling for residents
of the region as well as readers nationwide.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Globe Pequot Pr; 0 edition (January 1, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 333 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762770651
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0762770656
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,953,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #96,676 in Social Sciences (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 65 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Stephen Grace

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Stephen Grace studied novel writing with Stratis Haviaras, founding editor of Harvard Review, while caretaking a house where the poet T. S. Eliot lived. After his debut novel was published to wide acclaim, Grace moved to a trailer park in Wyoming in the wake of the Matthew Shepard murder to work with at-risk youth while researching another novel. To publish a book about the historical cartography of Colorado, Grace collaborated with Library of Congress curators and with Vincent Virga, called "America's foremost picture editor." To research a narrative nonfiction book about China he sought out experiences as diverse as exploring Shanghai and trail running in Tibet. To write DAM NATION: HOW WATER SHAPED THE WEST AND WILL DETERMINE ITS FUTURE, a Colorado Book Award finalist, he followed rivers west of the 100th meridian and charted currents throughout the region's history. Grace served as a consultant for the award-winning film DamNation, and he was an associate producer and the screenwriter for the award-winning film THE GREAT DIVIDE. He is also the author of THE GREAT DIVIDE, a companion book to the film. While writing GROW: STORIES FROM THE URBAN FOOD MOVEMENT, winner of the 2016 Colorado Book Award for Creative Nonfiction, he worked on a repurposed garbage truck in the alleyways of Denver and volunteered on a farm in Uganda. In his most recently published book, OIL AND WATER, Grace teams up with an oilman to tell the story of the upper Colorado River, a resource under siege.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

65 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Motya

Who would believe that a book about water policy could be interesting?

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

Water policy in the US West -- boy, does that sound boring. But this book was fascinating, a very well written, engaging account. Interesting to hear about the natural history of water in the West, the 1800s was a very wet period which set up expectations that weren't warranted for the long term. Very informative (without being boring and stuffy) to learn about the difference between water law in the East and West. Punctures the "we're self sufficient, don't need Washington" meme, the modern West wouldn't exist without federal spending on dams and reservoirs. Really enjoyed this book.

Helpful

Donald Walker

delightful and informative

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

Dam Nation is easy to read and full of many well turned phrases. The potential reader should be aware that the book is about water in the West, not amazing tales about the construction of America's dams. For me, this makes it a better book. If one wants detailed stories of engineering and construction, look elsewhere. The author takes the reader through the story of how the West was won via the control of water. This is truly important history, one the continues to play out. Why can't people in Wyoming, who have to put up with the long, snowy winter, take all the water they want from the Green River and water their arid state? Where do lawns in Los Angeles find the water to stay green? In a land of rugged individualists, how is it the federal government got stuck with the bill to provide farmers with water? Dam Nation tells stories about how water policies and laws came to be, the large scale projects that contribute to them, and the consequences of the quest for water. I learned much and enjoyed reading Dam Nation.

I deduct one star because I often felt the book was superficial. The author does not sustain arguments in discussions, but jumps around quickly from story to story or topic to topic. The failure to dive deep sometimes made me mistrust the author as an authoritative witness. His bibliography, however, suggests he is well-versed in the subject matter. And I thought his observations about government policy provided something to offend most people, so he isn't a mere ideologue. In the end, I decided his writing style made the book more engaging and easy to read, so kudos for that. I consider this a very good book, not a great book.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tom Tall

Great Book!

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2013

Verified Purchase

I'm in Seattle, it's August, and it's pouring rain outside as I type. I wish we could channel this to the arid regions that this book focuses on! (Not really. After reading this book, I understand that it's this kind of thinking that got us into the mess we're in.)

Who would've thought a 360 page book about water could be so good? Even before I bought Dam Nation, I figured I'd read about half of it before tiring of the message. But Grace keeps it entertaining throughout with many tales of the wasteful mismanagement of our country's water supply in the desert regions. We're in quite a mess. The central character of the book is the Colorado River, and all the hands that fight over the rights to suck it dry. I remember reading Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" several years ago, and thinking that the guy in that book was a complete idiot because he couldn't manage to follow a river to the ocean without losing the river first. Now I understand. There's no river left by the time it gets there. It's truly amazing how humans have altered the water landscape of the West, pumping water over the continental divide, creating and removing very large lakes, changing the course of major rivers. This book lays it all out in plain, entertaining fashion. Highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mike in TN

Review of 'Dam Nation' by Stephen Grace

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book is well researched and quite informative. But its best quality is the friendly and poetic way with which Mr. Grace describes the natural setting of the American West. In doing so, he tells the story of how the resource of water has shaped lives and steered the commerce of the American West over its history. As a hydrogeologist myself, I thoroughly enjoyed his prose as well as the factual presentation of his material. He brings hydrology to life and makes it interesting for everyone. I enjoyed it and recommend it!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

J. Eaton

Excellent History of Water Scarcity in the West

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent history of water issues in the West. The book details how the problem of water scarcity has been addressed in various ways in the past, which it itself is a fascinating read. While the author's personal viewpoint becomes clear as you read, he generally makes a balanced presentation. While the water issue in the West is very serious, and the responses to it by various interest groups and governments may not be effective, the book is not a doom and gloom presentation. The final chapters discuss practical strategies that could mitigate the crisis. The author is clearly aware of the "real politics" surrounding water that make effective solutions difficult. If you live west of the Mississippi River, reading this book helps understand what all of the rhetoric concerning water by our local politicians is all about. Further, you will better understand the issues and more effectively respond to them as a citizen. If you live east of the Mississippi, read this for understanding what we in the West face. How the problem is addressed will effect you as well.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Rebecca

Repeat material of a classic book

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book is really well-written and a good read, but there’s nothing you’ll find in here that’s not developed in more detail in Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert.

Helpful

Hale

Great book on a really important topic

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2012

Verified Purchase

Disclosure: We're related to Steve Grace. Nonethless, this is a fascinating book about all sorts of water issues in the western U.S. Steve's writing is often poetic and always honest. I thought I knew a fair bit about water issues before reading this book, but I had no idea about the intriguing history of water fights, the pros and cons of massive dam projects, and the role huge water-related projects played in our nation's political history. Grace covers a lot of ground in his tour of water issues in the west.

This book was extremely educational and thoroughly enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this vitally important topic.

Helpful

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

Dam Nation: How Water Shaped the West and Will Determine Its Future Hardcover – January 1, 2012

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Stephen Grace

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries