A Thirsty Land

A Thirsty Land tells a compelling and important story not just about the state's water history, but also about its social, economic, and political identity.

— Western Historical Quarterly

A reporting tour de force and reminiscent of Cadillac Desert, the 1986 book by Marc Reisner that is required reading for anyone seeking to understand water policy in the West. McGraw’s work is similarly nuanced, thoroughly researched and beautifully written. .  . McGraw showcases a deep understanding of Texas law, history and culture. There’s a desire not just to explain where we stand now, but how we got here.

— Texas Observer

Water is set to become the world’s most important commodity. It will be access to water that will determine which communities thrive. It will be the ability of state and local governments to set and enforce water conservation policies that will determine the long-term viability of the quickly growing cities and suburbs being planted in the desert. . . we need to worry about the right things. . . Start worrying about water.

— Inside Higher Ed

McGraw's book proves that the United States simply isn't ready for the next big drought or flood. This is a problem that's been brewing for a long time, and climate change is about to make it worse. Gulp.

— EcoWatch

Although A Thirsty Land is Texas-based, it raises questions about water as a resource and commodity that fits any location; questions we should all be considering regardless of where we live and the prodigiousness of our local water resources.

— Block Island Times

In stark prose that often gleams like a bone pile bleached in the sun, McGraw travels back and forth across Texas to give a free-ranging but deadeye view of the crisis on the horizon.

— Texas Monthly

It’s hard to write about the slow creep of environmental crises like drought without resorting to shock tactics or getting lost in the weeds…[McGraw] draws out the conflicts in compelling ways by drilling into the plight of individual water users. Even if you feel no connection to Texas, these stories are relevant to every part of the country.

— Outside

Interviewing both scientific experts and everyday water users, [McGraw] clearly delineates the competing interests, describes political and geological reality, and makes a compelling argument for statewide water policy that utilizes modern technology and fairly weighs parochial needs against the good of the whole.

— Arizona Daily Star, Southwest Books of the Year

Readers will put the book down with a sense of urgency, a set of strategies, and a feeling of hope.

— Texas Books in Review

A Thirsty Land tells a compelling and important story not just about the state's water history, but also about its social, economic, and political identity.

— Western Historical Quarterly

McGraw skillfully weaves his memorable conversations with everyday Texans into detailed research on water history and laws. The result is a highly readable and engaging book full of lively characters…McGraw argues cogently that Texas needs a rigorous statewide water plan based on natural boundaries of aquifers and the knowledge that thirsty land regions and water-abundant regions are interconnected.

— Great Plains Research