(Originally published 2011, Hardcover edition 313 pages)
Beyond the occasional dry patch of weather or a power outage that prevents the well pump from working, I've always taken water for granted here in Maine. Mr. Fishman's very entertaining and informative book drastically changed my perception. The author correctly states that rivalry over water quickly becomes an argument about priorities, values, and lifestyles. He does an excellent job of showing how our cultural attitudes about water dramatically effect how it is utilized and how many times it leads to unnecessary, dire consequences.
Mr. Fishman first explains the properties and origin of water. Then he covers such locales as Las Vegas which is surprisingly at the forefront of smart water practices as compared to the area around Atlanta that is most certainly not. Mr. Fishman visits IBM's water facility in Burlington, Vermont to explain the economics and science behind specialized water such as used in the making of computer chips. The author then takes a few chapters to explain the serious nature of Australia's decade-long drought and the politics as well as science involved in trying to survive with not enough water. He then jumps over to India which is a blueprint of how NOT to maintain and manage potable water. India's once great distribution system has fallen into such a crazy dysfunctional paradigm that only someone on LSD could likely appreciate it. Not surprisingly, the author also covers the irony of purchasing bottled water.
Mr. Fishman correctly states that no nation or area of our country is impervious to developing water problems. This is a smart book that challenges the reader to look outside the box about a valuable resource we take too much for granted.
(Meyers - A
few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the
Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent
review #297)
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