The Bookshelf: Jan. 14, 2015

Trib+Water is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of water studies. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

YOUR WATER FOOTPRINT: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products

by Stephen Leahy

Leahy drops a tsunami of sobering facts and infographics on the heads of readers who take what comes out of their faucets for granted. Focusing not on fresh water use in general but on its “footprint” — meaning water that agricultural and manufacturing processes leave polluted or otherwise locally unusable — the author sprays his urgently toned narrative with alarming observations and eye-opening comparisons. Though quoting an estimate that household use accounts for only 14 percent of humanity’s water footprint, he closes with a chapter of general water-saving tips that will at least make readers feel better as they face the apparently inevitable dry times ahead. A heavy flood of information better suited as a resource for study and reports than an immersive consciousness-raiser.

 For full review, visit kirkus.com