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The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water Audiobook
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(3.05) - 398 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The water coming out of your tap is four billion years old and might have been slurped by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. We will always have exactly as much water on Earth as we have ever had. Water cannot be destroyed, and it can always be made clean enough for drinking again. In fact, water can be made so clean that it actually becomes toxic.
As Charles Fishman brings vibrantly to life in this delightful narrative excursion, water runs our world in a host of awe-inspiring ways, which is both the promise and the peril of our unexplored connections to it. Taking listeners from the wet moons of Saturn to the water-obsessed hotels of Las Vegas, and from a rice farm in the Australian outback to a glimpse into giant vats of soup at Campbell's largest factory, he reveals that our relationship to water is conflicted and irrational, neglected and mismanaged. Whether we will face a water scarcity crisis has little to do with water and everything to do with how we think about water—how we use it, connect with it, and understand it.
Portraying and explaining both the dangers—in 2008, Atlanta came just ninety days from running completely out of drinking water—and the opportunities, such as advances in rainwater harvesting and businesses that are making huge breakthroughs in water productivity, The Big Thirst will forever change the way we think about water, our crucial relationship to it, and the creativity we can bring to ensuring we always have plenty of it.
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"Thought-provoking book about the inefficient pricing/use/distribution of water with lots of fascinating statistics. Occasionally mired in too much minutiae, but the book is very readable because the writing is imbued with the author's sheer awe for water."
— Aditi (4 out of 5 stars)
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A timely warning about the dwindling global water supply.
— Kirkus
The Big Thirst Listener Reviews
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" Water is waaay undervalued, but falling asleep a few times while reading... Maybe I've been working too hard, but some good research about water could be delivered better. "
— Patrick, 2/11/2014 -
" There are lots of statistics in this book. I am very aware of water's importance. "
— Bob, 2/11/2014 -
" Hate it. Hate it. The product of over 200 pages. If you took every rephrased sentence out of there. It would be 20 pages. Wow. Just wow. "
— Alex, 1/22/2014 -
" Excellent book. Everyone should read it to get a better sense of our relationship to the water on earth. "
— Audrey, 1/16/2014 -
" Not a "dry" book, this book is "saturated" with facts about water. Everything you ever wanted to know about water, and then some. Case studies in Las Vegas, Atlanta, India and Australia. "One man's flood waters is another man's water supply" is a quote from one of today's water players. "
— Elizabeth, 1/13/2014 -
" the boringest book in the world no offense but im not someone who is tolerant to read a book full of facts about water srry i don't like non fiction books sorry no offense to other ppl "
— Rachel, 1/12/2014 -
" Good book with great information. Can be a bit tedious at times, but worth skimming through to the parts you're interested in. "
— Leah, 1/10/2014 -
" Interesting when it actually got around to discussing the stories of various cities around the world, but those stories got drowned out by the constant stream of data and statistics thrown into the mix. "
— Cheryl, 1/10/2014 -
" This should be required reading for all citizens. "
— Peter, 12/3/2013 -
" Very thorough and impressive book about the truly stupendous amount of uses of water, and how it may be conserved and reused more efficiently in our lives. Invariably one of the most important topics of humanity's future. "
— Hadrian, 7/5/2013 -
" An excellent read about water issues. Nicely annotated. Puts a big focus on using recycled for lawns and toilets and setting up different psyches and infrastructures. I enjoyed this! "
— Klanderson, 11/26/2012 -
" This is a great companion book to (the much better) Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner. "
— Tim, 10/31/2012 -
" This is an important book. We all need a greater awareness of where our water comes from and why its availability is not guaranteed, no matter where we are. "
— John, 10/15/2012 -
" I will never think of water the same way again. "
— Lisa, 8/26/2012 -
" So interesting. I will never look at water the same. A great book that is all about people's relationship with water. "
— Tracy, 7/4/2012 -
" Eye opening for many. Great read for those that care about water. "
— Eric, 6/30/2012 -
" This was a really fascinating and informative book! I loved it! Some people might think this would be a boring topic, but the way Fishman writes the books makes it anything but. Highly recommended! "
— Mara, 4/16/2012 -
" Explains water issues in a very simple, easy to understand matter. I couldn't put it down! "
— Pauli, 8/1/2011 -
" interesting and certainly relevant for anyone living in Texas. This was a book club book and I didn't finish it. I can't finish any book right now by a deadline. Too much going on outside. "
— Cindy, 6/6/2011 -
" Interesting topic and details covered, but a tad bit repetitive/drawn-out. "
— Chris, 6/2/2011 -
" Everything you wanted to know about the earth's fresh water situation. and more. "
— Chuck, 5/29/2011 -
" review in process, to be posted on my blog... "
— Matthew, 5/26/2011 -
" This was a really fascinating and informative book! I loved it! Some people might think this would be a boring topic, but the way Fishman writes the books makes it anything but. Highly recommended! "
— Maratara123, 5/8/2011 -
" Very thorough and impressive book about the truly stupendous amount of uses of water, and how it may be conserved and reused more efficiently in our lives. Invariably one of the most important topics of humanity's future. "
— Kaworu, 4/14/2011 -
" ATOS Book Level: 4.7<br/>Interest Level: Middle Grades (MG 4-8)<br/>AR Points: 16.0<br/>Lexile: 670L<br/>Word Count: 108260<br/><br/> "
— Alan, 4/11/2011
About Charles Fishman
Charles Fishman is a former metro and national reporter for the Washington Post and was a reporter and editor at the Orlando Sentinel and the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Fishman has won numerous awards, including three Gerald Loeb Awards, the most prestigious award in business journalism. He grew up in Miami, Florida, and went to Harvard. Fishman lives outside Philadelphia with his wife, also a journalist, their two children, their two Labradors, and their two parakeets.
About Stephen Hoye
Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.