Introduction to Water in California (California Natural History Guides, 76) (Paperback)

by David Carle (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Prescient and timely. . . Carle's obvious skills as an educator flow through the book as he reels in the reader with engaging hooks. . . The book is broad enough to be widely read and yet specific enough to serve as a text book."--North County Times

"A colorful overview of nature and politics."--Chico Enterprise-record --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
It takes 8 gallons of water to grow a tomato; 616 gallons to make a burger patty. In fact, the food each of us consumes per day represents an investment of 4,500 gallons of water, according to the California Farm Bureau. In this densely populated state where it rains only six months out of the year, where does all that water come from? This thoroughly engaging, concise book tells the story of California's most precious resource, tracing the journey of water in the state from the atmosphere to the snowpack to our faucets and foods. Along the way, we learn much about California itself as the book describes its rivers, lakes, wetlands, dams, and aqueducts and discusses the role of water in agriculture, the environment, and politics. Essential reading for a state facing the future with an already overextended water supply, this fascinating book shows that, for all Californians, every drop counts.
* Features 137 color photographs and 27 color maps
* Includes a table "Where Does Your Water Come From?" that answers the question for 315 California cities and towns
* Provides up-to-date information on water quality in California, covering such timely topics as Giardia, groundwater contamination, fluoride, and the bottled-water phenomenon

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Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (April 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520240863
• ISBN-13: 978-0520240865
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading if you live in California, September 18, 2005

By	B. Lehrman (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Carle engages one of most contentious and complex issue that our culture ignores - water. So we don't have enough water in California- you probably knew that. This book explores the nuances of California water - nature, culture, agriculture and infrastructure - in an concise volume that is suprisingly enjoyable for a such a dry topic.

There is enough information packed into this little book to serve as a textbook - as such, Carle has created a valuable primmer and users guide for the Golden State.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to Water, March 29, 2009

By	M. Quan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great overview book that carefully breaks down the various issues regarding water in California. The perspective is more political and historical rather than technical and your expectations should be accordingly. There is some scientific content to backup his positions but it is not the focus of the book.The book is well organized and contains plenty of illustrations and graphs. It is obvious the writer is a hippie but this is to be expected from the genre. There is a subtle bias but it is not deceptive and again is to be expected from the genre and perhaps the reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intro To Everything Water, February 8, 2008

By	M. Hecox "UCSC Slug" (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was assigned this book for a Water Law & Policy class. I absolutely love it. It has SO much information for such a small book.