Comprehensive and detailed history of water and agriculture in California, the use and misuse of the state's water resources. The issues are complex and the difficulties exacerbated by the push to irrigate marginal lands and land that should never have been placed in cultivation. Though the author doesn't say it, it's clear by the end of the book that capitalism has not been good for agriculture or water throughout California's history.
The book is well written. Though full of details, its reads smoothly.