Book Title: Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America
Author: Chris Wood
Publishing Company: Raincoast Books
Number of Pages: 333
ISBN: 978-1551928142
Released: April 28^th 2008
 

 
Reviewer: Kristiana Barber (Calgary Correspondent - Canada)

During the time it has taken me to read Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America, Calgary has experienced blizzards, thirty-degree heat and a solid week of nearly non-stop rain causing a flood watch.  Weather such as this would indicate a progression through winter, spring and summer and might make you wonder just how long it took me to finish reading this book. However the snow, the rain and the sun were all squeezed into the one tiny month of May. Calgary has never been known for its consistent or predictable weather however in the last couple of years it seems as though it's not only extreme happenings such as blizzards in May, but also the intensity with which they occur that have people talking.

In Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America, author Chris Wood investigates the changes occurring in our global atmosphere, such as extreme weather, and the way these changes are affecting how we live and the future we could soon face. Although the title might lead a person to believe that this book will be heavy on science related material, it manages to provide a pleasant mixture of technical jargon with much more relatable true stories. The book focuses on real-life extreme weather and water crisis in countries such as Canada, the United States and Mexico and provides a well-rounded view into the diverse environmental problems to be faced both in the present and in the future.

I found Wood's work a welcome break from the usual fear inducing science found in books on similar topics and also enjoyed reading about the ways that science has actually affected the lives of real people. Although I enjoyed the more relatable content offered by Wood I felt the layout of the book could benefit from a bit more organization. At times I often felt the switch between experience and science was somewhat disjointed and lacking in smooth transitions.

This is however a minor criticism of an otherwise informative and captivating read. Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America is an honest look at how the choices we make now will have great consequences for society as a whole in the years to come.