Hoover Dam

I enjoyed reading this book and learned a great deal (e.g., this project is where Bechtel got its start, and Kaiser Permanente could be said to have been born here too). Almost more interesting than the construction details was the information on the living conditions at the site. Men flocked to Black Canyon before construction started, hoping for work, and ended up living in camps in the most squalid conditions, some with their families in tow! Reading about the eventual improvements in living conditions, along with the occasional organized-labor conflicts (IWW and UMW), and the incredibly authoritarian governance of the whole area (it was one big Federal camp, essentially), was very interesting. If you've been to Hoover Dam, or plan to go, this book will add greatly to your appreciation of what you're seeing. (I do wish it contained more photos, though.)