Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century Audiobook

" Very interesting history of the Hoover Dam and water rights issues in California and the west. This book will give you good insight into the water problems in the region today. "

" I truly enjoying this masterpiece. Hiltzik's thorough research informs the reader of the backstory leading up to the audacious contemplation of Hoover Dam through to its amazing completion. Followed by a tour of the actual dam--I can't make a higher recommendation! "

" An excellent read, although the section dealing with the politics behind the decision to build the dam was a bit slow. Every engineer and project manager should read this to get a feel for what can and will happen over the course of a large politics. The book doesn't pull punches - there are a lot of details that you won't hear about on the tour - corruption, discrimination, labor relations, safety violations, etc. A facinating bit of insight to pre-WWII America. "

" There were very dry parts to the book - it's seemed repetitive, even though it may not have been. Just an OK read. "

" Very good history book. "

" 3 1/2 stars. The first 40% was a drag, as it focused on water rights and political infighting. I wanted to read of the engineering challenges, bravery, and worker risks that took up the rest of the book, which was well done. "

" The author does a good job of outlining the history of the Columbia River leading up to the construction of the Hoover Dam as well as the technological advances required for the construction of the dam and how those advances translate to our modern lives. Great book for engineers. "

" I was more interested in the building side than the politics. This is slow going. "

" Fascinating story of the impact--mental and economic--of the Hoover Dam project. Also a potent reminder of the limits of human endeavor. A little tedious at points, when Hiltzik dives into the details of dam construction or contract negotiation, but overall a good read and an important reminder. "

" An outstanding account of the raising of Hoover Dam in the 1930s. Hiltzik gives ample attention to the issues of its conception, the brutality of its construction, and the politics of water use in the southwest. "

" While the addition of the little anecdotes every few paragraphs provided a welcome respite from the more dry facts about the building, I felt that for a book supposedly concerned with the Hoover Dam, it spent very little time actually discussing the dam itself. "

" Fascinating account of what may be the most audacious construction project in history. "

" The book was good at the beginning and end but in the middle it drags as the talk about boring, mind numbing negotiation meetings. "

" Very interesting history of the Hoover Damn construction. A little dry at the beginning of book that leads you to the building of the damn. But the actual construction phase of the book is very interesting. "

" Fascinating non-fiction on the making of this iconic dam. History of an area I had no prior info on. "

" Assigned review for AudioFile Magazine "

" This make encouraged me to make a road trip to find the current lower Colorado River and learn about the environment that it changed. The influence of man is almost unimagineable. "

" The Hoover Dam, its benefits and its cost. "

" Interesting story of how the massive dam was built - and the kind of political will and trickery it took. But more interesting is the story of the construction challenges. Never realized the kind of co-ordination that goes into a project - or how contracts and bids are structured. "

" tremendous start about something I've seen but knew little about Hoover Dam's conseuence and antecedent history good book but I would have liked more about the effect of the dam on modern America "

" outstanding analysis of the origins and completion of this most impressive engineering feat. "

" Fascinating account of what may be the most audacious construction project in history. "

" Great book, really enjoyed this one. "

" The book was good at the beginning and end but in the middle it drags as the talk about boring, mind numbing negotiation meetings. "