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A review by keeshkid
The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California by Mark Arax
3.0
This book focuses on California and drought relative to farming. The section on ground subsidence and groundwater was extremely eye opening. It portrays the absolutely warped logics that lead more and more farmers to plant more and more water intensive crops like pistachios and almonds. It’s at its best when it is looking with a sharp eye at greed and shortsightedness. Even then, I think some of the analysis veers too closely to taking these farming interests at their word and doesn't do enough real grappling with the environmental and community impacts of these systems.
However, it’s also just kinda weird. The author randomly chimes in with commentary about his life and personal history that feels out of place or detracts from the writing (so many one off sentences about his father’s murder and none of that ever went anywhere!). It feels at times that it’s assuming you have more foundational information than the average layperson on this topic (I was glad I read Cadillac Desert in advance). I also did listen to a large chunk of this as an audiobook so this influenced me but the structure felt a little off. I would also say that it engages with the environment impacts of water and drought less than you would expect a book on this topic to do. It does, even with all the weirdness, have some really fascinating tidbits about california history.
I do wish it engaged more with indigenous perspectives here - there are a couple sections that talk about indigenous issues but I wish Arax had done more there. I think it would have added something to have the interview/profile style he uses throughout the book featuring an indigenous californian in order to bring those perspectives into a modern light, instead of consigning tribal concerns to the past.
However, it’s also just kinda weird. The author randomly chimes in with commentary about his life and personal history that feels out of place or detracts from the writing (so many one off sentences about his father’s murder and none of that ever went anywhere!). It feels at times that it’s assuming you have more foundational information than the average layperson on this topic (I was glad I read Cadillac Desert in advance). I also did listen to a large chunk of this as an audiobook so this influenced me but the structure felt a little off. I would also say that it engages with the environment impacts of water and drought less than you would expect a book on this topic to do. It does, even with all the weirdness, have some really fascinating tidbits about california history.
I do wish it engaged more with indigenous perspectives here - there are a couple sections that talk about indigenous issues but I wish Arax had done more there. I think it would have added something to have the interview/profile style he uses throughout the book featuring an indigenous californian in order to bring those perspectives into a modern light, instead of consigning tribal concerns to the past.