Rating: 
Summary: Long story short--excellent nonfiction
Review: The book's great. The criticism, laughable. What's even funnier to an old river rat is to see someone say that Shelby moves the Mississippi "250" miles; actually the reviewer doesn't understand Shelby when she refers to the '93 Mississippi flood, which affected more than 400,000 square acres, including the city of Des Moines, Shelby writes. Des Moines is, as anyone knows, on the Des Moines River--which is in the Mississippi River basin; Shelby never once says Des Moines is on the main channel of the Mississippi. She simply says it was affected in the Mississippi River floods of '93, which, like the Red River floods, affected a number of tributaries. Maybe the reviewer should take a course in hydrology and geography before lobbing accusations like that, which just make him or her look foolish.
Rating:
Summary: Long story short--excellent nonfiction
Review: The book's great. The criticism, laughable. What's even funnier to an old river rat is to see someone say that Shelby moves the Mississippi "250" miles; actually the reviewer doesn't understand Shelby when she refers to the '93 Mississippi flood, which affected more than 400,000 square acres, including the city of Des Moines, Shelby writes. Des Moines is, as anyone knows, on the Des Moines River--which is in the Mississippi River basin; Shelby never once says Des Moines is on the main channel of the Mississippi. She simply says it was affected in the Mississippi River floods of '93, which, like the Red River floods, affected a number of tributaries. Maybe the reviewer should take a course in hydrology and geography before lobbing accusations like that, which just make him or her look foolish.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many Errors--Don't Buy
Review: This book is absolutely riddled with errors. Not only does Shelby get the names of people wrong (including the governor of ND), she moves rivers (the Mississippi River moves by about 250 miles), lakes, factories and towns. She has half the town having no damage at all. Buildings are destroyed in one chapter, only to be restored in the next. These are not typographical or grammatical errors, but rather full-fledged mistakes. A good editor would have caught most of this material; Shelby was not well served by Borealis Press.One reviewer in this collection of reviews notes that the book was read before publication by several professors, is so, they certainly missed a lot of stuff. If the book has an argument, and it is difficult to find, it is hard to believe. Once you realize all of the errors, how can you trust the argument? Facts make an argument. This is not a matter of interpreting facts differently, but rather a matter of basing an argument on pure error. There is a sense throughout the book that North Dakota residents are hicks waiting on federal hand outs, too stupid to purchase flood insurance, and too easily swayed by a newspaper column. I lived through the flood, and I would hate to have people use this volume as some sort of reference to what Grand Forks was like before or after the flood. It is just too filled with errors, and should not be purchased or believed. I just regret purchasing my copy.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book was both compelling and informative. The way Shelby was able to explain the complex ideas of hydrology in terms that any person could understand was impressive. The author told a story of truth-which I believe is why the reviewers from Grand Forks have had problems with its content. Nobody likes the truth especially if it makes one look bad. This book is extremely well researched and I enjoyed reading it. Because of Shelby's sharp journalistic writing and her ability to connect with the people, she was able to tell a story that was both honest and heart wrenching. It takes a person of great talent to weave such a delicate web of human experience and fact. Thank you for the book and I will be the first in line to buy your next.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous journalist, fabulous journalism.
Review: This is a book about Democracy and the roll of government. Increasingly, as taxes, tensions and the everday involvement of government slowly rise, we ask ourselves and our leaders: Where should personal responsibility end and regulation begin? Do taxpayers owe anything to disaster "victims" who willingly live, year after year, uninsured, at the constant verge of mortal danger? And the rich social and political subtexts abound. Anyone who wonders why no qualified leader in his or her right mind would enter public service in America needs only read "Red River Rising." Shelby's descriptions of the government, the press and the people and their interactions -- from the origin of questionable information under the strict rigors of flawed government mandates, to its botched transfer through the hands of under-educated reporters, to the public's inability to assimilate and use it, is priceless. Aside from being an amazing book about strife, courage and recovery, this is a text so socially relevant to our country's current struggles that it can be extrapolated to relate to any issue on any level. From imposing a recycling tax, to going to war, this book describes how every public decision in America transpires -- right down to the last militant holdout spitting in the face of The Man. Every leader, voter and reporter needs to read this book. Bryan Harris
Journalist
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: This is an excellent book--readable, dramatic, and well-written. The book has garnered praise from the country's most respected historian, Douglas Brinkley, author of many books, including one on the Mississippi River. I think this emminent historian's praise speaks more accurately to the quality of Red River Rising than the petty typos pointed out by an associate professor of history who plugs her own book in a review commissioned by a newspaper that gets slammed in the book. Do yourself a favor and read this wonderful book, and learn the real story of the flood--the story that some people don't want you to know.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Read
Review: Wow, what a wonderful book. The author explained so well what happend during the flood, and the lives of people after. I'm looking forward to Ms. Shelbys next work.
Rating:
Summary: Like most good books, this one generates a controversy
Review: You'll probably hear from lots of bitter North Dakotans who are unhappy about this book (including the one below, whose review sounds suspiciously like the axe job of a review the book got by the local newspaper, who hates the book for obvious reasons, if you read the book). But make your own judgments--it has received positive reviews from the Star Tribune, the Pioneer Press, Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, and the Ann Arbor News. Interestingly, these are all non-partisan, non-North Dakota newspapers. This is a smart, objective look at a terrible disaster and the worst mistake in the history of the National Weather Service.
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