A dangerous place

Marc Reisner explores California's improbable transformation from a desert landscape to a densely populated state, driven by a powerful economy. He argues that this achievement is built on a denial of the state's inevitable geological fate. Reisner suggests that past earthquakes are mere precursors to a future cataclysm that will necessitate a complete rebuilding of the region. The book concludes with a chillingly realistic depiction of such a disaster and its aftermath.