The man who thought he owned water : on the brink with American farms, cities, and food /

In her work's title, D'Elgin, a social activist, writer, and water resources consultant, references a man--this man is her father, a fourth-generation farmer in northeastern Colorado. The author focuses on the dilemma of the loss of water by farmers of modest means in semi-arid regions to wealthy urban competitors. To attract a broader audience than those directly involved in the situation, the author interweaves her autobiography and the lives of her immediate family within the semi-technical account. Having provided a compelling defense of farmers in a semi-arid environment, D'Elgin offers no conclusion as to how to resolve this rural-urban water struggle. Perhaps her publisher thought of the book primarily as a memoir and (unfortunately) omitted an index. Chapters have endnotes, and a glossary is provided, though this includes only one of the acronyms the author utilizes within the work. Above all, this book is recommended for being very interesting and timely. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers only. --Frank N. Egerton, University of Wisconsin--Parkside