Perspectives on water : uses and abuses /

The editors' stated aim of assembling a book that is balanced in attitudes but still provides an overview of the full range of water as a resource is clearly reached in this volume. Of the 36 entries of variable length (2 to 21 pages), none is original and most have been excerpted from previously published materials mostly dating from the last decade. Individual chapters by 42 water experts and a few agencies are divided into five broad categories: Water, the Compund, the Resource; Water in the Environment; Water Use; Problems and Hazards; and Economics and Management of Water. The editors have provided original text and graphic materials to introduce each major section. Most entries conclude with multiple notes or references. No photographs are included, but the numerous maps, diagrams, and tables are clearly reproduced. A short glossary is appended along with a two-page listing of additional readings. The book is basically nontechnical and can be handled easily by general readers as well as water specialists. Inasmuch as no comparable book is currently available, this volume should fill the gap for years to come. Recommended for all libraries. C. Padick California State University, Los Angeles