And the Waters Turned to Blood [Hardcover]

Rodney Barker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 1997

The author of Dancing with the Devil offers a chilling account of a mysterious, microscopic, aquatic organism that is threatening the eastern coast of North America and the work of a dedicated scientist as she and her colleagues race against time to stop a possible plague. 75,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Don't drink the water. Don't swim in it, fish in it, or even bathe in it. Rodney Barker's book, And the Waters Turned to Blood details the latest plague to visit our shores: Pfiesteria piscicida, the "cell from hell," an aquatic microorganism that causes sufferers to exhibit symptoms similar to Alzheimers or multiple sclerosis. As it follows the fortunes of Dr. JoAnn Burkholder, one of the first scientists to recognize the danger of Pfiesteria, Barker's book reads like a cross between science fiction and conspiracy theory: Dr. Burkholder discovers that excessive pollution in the rivers and coastal waters of the Southeastern United States causes a deadly microorganism to breed like crazy; state and federal government attempts to suppress the report.

An investigative reporter by training, Mr. Barker writes And the Waters Turned to Blood like a thriller, revealing pieces of the puzzle judiciously as he builds tension. Unlike in a literary thriller, however, there is no tidy ending to this story. Readers will be left with the disturbing knowledge that fish are still dying, fishermen are still getting sick, and the potential for disaster in this latest scourge is still unmeasured.

From Library Journal

This latest book from investigative reporter Barker reads like a medical thriller but is much more frightening because the events are true. Barker follows the work of Dr. JoAnn Burkholder, a scientist from North Carolina State University, as she attempts to obtain academic respect and funding for her research on a new species of dinoflagellate that is responsible for a number of major fish kills. Unquestionably supportive of Burkholder's views, Barker illustrates the often difficult relationship between science and politics. He presents a detailed discussion of Burkholder's struggles with state officials as she becomes convinced that the organism is toxic, not only to fish but also to humans. Written in a clear, non-technical style, this book will be of immense interest to any reader concerned with the state of the environment and its impact on human health. Recommended for all libraries.
-?Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (April 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684831260
• ISBN-13: 978-0684831268
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #947,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars And the Waters Turned to Blood, February 10, 2004

By 

Kelly Short (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And the Waters Turned to Blood (Paperback)

Rodney Barker did an excellent job at enlightening his readers of the dangers of pollution, the devastating effects of Pfiesteria, and the power of a political machine. The tale developes the story of one dedicated scientists fighting to make the world aware of the rise of a toxic dinoflagellate. A professor at North Carolina State University, Dr. JoAnn Burkholder never imagined being presented with such a massive problem on her hands. After identifying the morphing dinoflagellate as Pfiesteria piscicida, Burkholder realized that her troubles would not stop at trying to identify characteristics of the organism; Burkkholder's biggest obstacle was trying to gain support for research from her peers, concerned citizens, and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Management. Eventually, fellow colleagues would believe her claim but the government only saw Burkholder as an annoyance needed to be silenced. At the same time, Pfiesteria was reeking havoc with numerous fish kills and reports of human symptoms including short-term memory loss and severe mood swings.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect example of how far the bureaucracy can go to, August 9, 2000

By 

George Washington (San Mateo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And the Waters Turned to Blood (Paperback)

This was a book that I just could not put down for the life of me. I had a test a school but instead of studying, I read this book. Shocking!!!!

A compelling book that portrays the gauntlet of bureaucracy that Dr. JoAnn Burkholder had to ordeal when she discovered something in the waters off of the Eastern Seaboard. The leaders of N.C.'s DEM, and the DEHNR showed their obvious distaste for her and her work when this information proved to be threatening "the machine" of business as usual.

What's most shocking about the whole things is 1. The lengths that the health department officials will go to cover this up, and truly not deal with an obvious health crisis; and 2. THIS IS A TRUE STORY that is still unfolding today off the East Coast.

Well written and with courage. 5 - stars!

"Get into the fight before it's too late"

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's the book I've been waiting for, July 7, 1998

By 

A. McFarland (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And the Waters Turned to Blood (Hardcover)

Here's the book I've been waiting for, about pfiesteria piscicida (feast-eer-ee-ah pis-ki-seed-ah), the microscopic animal that is terrorizing the waters up and down the east coast of the U.S. (and perhaps coming soon to a waterway near you).

The main focus of the book is top researcher JoAnn Burkholder, and her struggle to get beyond the politics and bureaucracy of various agencies in North Carolina, in order to obtain funding to continue her research on the organism. The increased water pollution in recent years, in the form of livestock-manure runoff, and dumpings from industry, have created an environment that favors the flourishing of pfiesteria. It has at least 24 stages of life cycle, remaining in a dormant cyst stage until it senses the presence of fish. Then it comes to life, zapping the fish with a kind of neurotoxin and then eating holes in the fish. Humans who come into contact with water in which pfiesteria (in its toxic stage) is present, often suffer skin lesions that won't heal, memory loss, and disorientation. Chronic exposure can lead to personality changes and loss of cognitive function that emulates brain damage, which is what happened to lab worker Howard Glasgow, whose story is discussed in detail in this book.

It is a tale that seems familiar: a strong-willed scientist makes a major discovery about what is killing fish in North Carolina's waterways. Then she has to deal with greedy and jealous scientists who wish they had been the ones to make the discovery, and who try to ruin her career. Then she must face the media attention, and finds herself becoming an advocate for the citizens, who simply want to know if that thing that is harming the fish can harm humans too. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to say YES. But the stuffed shirts in the government agencies don't want to hear it: swayed by money, rather than truth and justice, it's business as usual. Then there is the classic conflict between jobs vs. environment. When fishermen are getting too sick to function, an! d all the fish are dead, anybody with a brain would choose "environment" over "job". Wouldn't they?

Next time I'm near a body of water where dead fish covered with bloody lesions are floating, I plan to run fast in the opposite direction.