Visions of Paradise examines the forces that have shaped the American landscape since the Revolutionary War. It begins by comparing the lives of two young men: one a self-made millionaire from Connecticut who moved to the Midwest wilderness in 1803 in search of freedom and opportunity; the other a Virginian taken captive as a child and adopted by the Indians living in that same wilderness.

Using their experiences as touchstones, Visions traces the transformation of the Midwest and West from wilderness into an agrarian and suburban landscape as the nation expanded westward.

Simpson explains how the American landscape is a reflection of traditional landscape values in which land is considered private property and a commodity primarily for functional use. Simpson also shows how our landscape has been shaped by our ideal of paradise. By learning to look beneath the surface, to see the landscape, Simpson concludes, we stand to gain a deep and satisfying connection to the land and to the history it makes visible.