Each time the waters of the mighty Mississippi River overflow their banks, questions arise anew about the battle between "man" and "river." How can we prevent floods and the damage they inflict while maintaining navigational potential and protecting the river's ecology?

The design of the Mississippi and how it should proceed has long been a subject of controversy. What is missing from the discussion, say the authors of this extraordinary book, is an understanding of the representations of the Mississippi River. Landscape architect Anuradha Mathur and architect/planner Dilip da Cunha draw together an array of perspectives on the river and show how these different images have played a role in the process of designing and containing the river landscape. Analyzing maps, hydrographs, working models, drawings, photographs, government and media reports, paintings, and even folklore, Mathur and da Cunha consider what these representations of the river portray, what they leave out, and why that might be. With gorgeous original silk screen prints and a fine selection of maps, the book joins historic, scientific, engineering, and natural views of the river to create an entirely new portrait of the great Mississippi.