Holding Back the River

A deeply human exploration of how our centuries-long dream of conquering and shaping this vast network of waterways squares with the reality of an indomitable natural world. A revelatory work of reporting on the men and women wrestling to harness and preserve America's most vital natural resource: our rivers. The Mississippi. The Missouri. The Ohio. America's great rivers are the very lifeblood of our country. We need them for nourishing crops, for cheap bulk transportation, for hydroelectric power, for fresh drinking water. Rivers are also part of our mythology, our collective soul; they are…