Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.

Comprehensive look at water issues in eastern US.

Very interesting book. It really opens your eyes to the destruction of our natural world.

Cynthia Barnett is a journalist with a passion for the environment. A native Floridian, she has seen the change that those of us who have spent our lives in this state, have watched come too quickly. Once a tangle of marsh and woods, dotted with urban outcroppings, Florida has become a vast jigsaw puzzle of urban and suburban sprawl. Water, once considered too plentiful, is becoming a scarce commodity here...the focus of battles which are already beginning. To those not yet to the battlefield, Mirage sheds light on the problems we are creating by our lack of foresight. To those already leading the charge, it is a guidebook filled with data to show both the damage we have already caused and that which we will continue to cause if chganges aren't made. Mirage is also a call to action. Those who care can make a difference that will save Florida for future generations.

This book was recommended to me by Jerry Bullard, a north Floridian. I live in south Florida--not the same aquifer but overused and under restored. Cynthia Barnett has researched this subject well and presents it in a readable way. Everyone should read this and remember the resource of water is not a given--we must protect, restore and value it, as it is a necessity for life on this planet.

Mirage is a work of science and passion. The writer has focused on that most important, scarce, and necessary resource: fresh water. She explores the political decisions and the business decisions that have affected the water supply in Florida and the rest of the East Coast of the United States. Her research is extensive; her prose is crisp; and her cause is sanity in the management of growth. I recommend this book for any reader who has an interest in science, nature, or business.

Amazing book about the problems of water pollution in Florida and the history of broader water pollution. People need to STOP USING FERTILIZER destroying waterways around the world!

This is a book that everyone should read, whether they are from the SouthEastern United States or not.It tells of things we may, or may not, know have been bad for our environment, but really gives the nitty-gritty of how really bad they have been and are still are.I want to cry and curse about these things as I read.Reading Mirage has been and educational and emotional experience for me..

A very thoughtful, well-written book that delves into the science, history and politics of water in Florida and manages to do so in an interesting and readable manner. Cynthia Barnett clearly indentifies the problems and offers reasonable solutions without becoming judgemental or dogmatic. A must read for anyone living in the State of Florida or planning to do so and highly recommended for everyone else!

Excellent overview of various water related issues.