There is a myth that southern California is a desert watered by humans.
Quite the contrary. Through its heart, the Los Angeles river once flowed past
woodland and filled marshes. Now the river is an 80-kilometre, concrete-lined
storm drain that politicians from time to time suggest should be painted blue to
make it look more natural. So reports Blake Gumprecht in his admirable eponymous
study of the river’s “life, death and possible rebirth”. Published by Johns
Hopkins University Press, £33, ISBN 0801860474.
More from New ÒÁÈ˾þÃ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New ÒÁÈ˾þà articles
1
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
2
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
3
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
4
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
5
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
6
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
7
Can we harness quantum effects to create a new kind of healthcare?
8
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
9
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
10
Women’s better memories may delay Alzheimer’s diagnosis by years
