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Venice has inspired innumerable authors to praise its
cultural treasures. Garry Wills (Venice: Lion City) continues a line that
stretches back to John Ruskin and earlier. But their panegyrics, and the
vital tourism industry, will sink if the Venetians can't defend their
city against the Adriatic Sea. The problem is hardly a novel one, having
existed since the earliest inhabitants found refuge from the disorder
of the Dark Ages in tide-washed mudflats. Living on mudflats proved so
safe that to preserve the city, Venetians over the centuries have diverted
rivers and built dikes to prevent their lagoon from silting up. Thus,
the city's environment is largely artificial, ironically enough, environmentalists
fulminate, so far successfully, against further artificial measures such
as constructing gates and locks. Keahey's informative, readable report
is based largely on interviews he conducted in 2000 with the principals
- engineers, architecture aficionados, and politicians. The legions of
Venice lovers will not want to miss Keahey's reality check on Venice's
future."
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Gibert Taylor, Booklist, Jan. 2002
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