'Firestorm' with Jacob Soboroff

In 'Cadillac Desert', Marc Reisner masterfully narrates the captivating yet unsettling tale of the American West's transformation through colossal water management schemes. The book exposes the audacious visions, political machinations, and unsustainable illusions that have shaped the region's water resources. It documents the early settlers' pursuit of promised paradises, the ruthless tactics of Los Angeles politicians and business interests, and the bitter rivalry between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The narrative includes the construction of the Hoover Dam and the environmental and social costs of humanity's attempt to conquer nature. The revised edition includes a postscript by Lawrie Mott, updating Western water issues over the last two decades, including the impact of climate change.

In 'A Paradise Built in Hell', Rebecca Solnit examines how people respond to disasters and crises, often forming strong, resilient communities. The book delves into the human capacity for cooperation, altruism, and mutual aid during times of catastrophe, challenging the common narrative that disasters bring out the worst in people. Solnit draws on historical examples such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina to illustrate these phenomena.

In this book, Mike Davis counterpoints Los Angeles’s central role in America’s fantasy life with its denial of its own real history. He explores how the city has been depicted in numerous novels and films as a place of disaster, while also delving into the real ecological and social issues it faces, such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and droughts. Davis draws upon a vast array of sources to create a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility, capturing the nation’s violent malaise and desperate social unease at the end of the 20th century. The book includes a new afterword from 2021, reflecting on LA's 21st-century challenges.