Last Call at the Oasis: The Global Water Crisis and Where We Go from Here

by Karl Weber (editor)

Less than 1 percent of the world’s water is fresh and potable—and no more will ever be available. Thanks to pollution, global warming, and population growth, water access is poised to become today’s most explosive global issue. This book, based on the film Last Call at the Oasis by Academy Award®–winning director Jessica Yu, offers insights into the coming water crisis from visionary scientists, policymakers, activists, and environmentalists, including:

ROBERT MORAN on how oil and mineral development pollute and divert water supplies—often beyond public scrutiny PETER H. GLEICK on discovering the “soft path” to global water security ROBERT GLENNON on how the power of markets can help protect the world’s water LYNN HENNING on how a family farmer became a passionate “water activist” ALEX PRUD’HOMME on how the water crisis affects us all GARY WHITE on how innovative social and economic strategies can make clean water available even for the world’s poorest people HADLEY ARNOLD AND PETER ARNOLD on how arid regions like America’s Southwest can wisely husband water supplies for cities and farmers alike ROBYN BEAVERS on how today’s smartest businesses are making sustainable water management a competitive advantage ZEM JOAQUIN on nine “ecofabulous” ways of saving water at home—and doing it with style BILL MCDONOUGH on how smart design can preserve water’s “Endless Resourcefulness” for generations to come

    No resource on earth is more precious—or more endangered—than water. Last Call at the Oasis is a powerful tool for learning about the water challenges we face as well as the remarkable solutions available to us—if we have the will to use them.
 

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2012

About the author

Karl Weber, president of Karl Weber Literary, is a writer, editor, and book developer with over twenty-five years' experience in the book publishing industry. He is an expert in general-interest non-fiction publishing, specializing in topics from business and personal finance to politics, current affairs, history, autobiography, self-help, and personal development.

Weber's recent projects include the New York Times bestseller Creating a World Without Poverty, co-authored with Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize (2008) and its sequel, Building Social Business (2010); the New York Times number one best seller What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception by Scott McClellan (2008), which Weber edited; and two best-selling companion books to acclaimed documentary films, Food Inc. (2009) and Waiting for “Superman” (2010), both of which Weber edited.

Reviews

[Foxglow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not yet seen the documentary, but the book opens the discussion on a vital part of continued existence, drinkable water. We need, as a society to change our paradigm about storing, transporting and using fresh water. The book includes easy changes to make at home with minor adjustments on our part. These changes need to be made now before our fresh water supplies are no longer redeemable.

[Meesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion to the film by the same name Last Call at the Oasis -see the film- it's really relevant even though it's a few years old- we saw in when it first came out and rewatched it recently (found it at the library as I did the book) - really a thorough explanation of what's going on with the water and drought situation. The book chooses a number of areas to go into more depth and has an excellent appendix of resources.

[M Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked this up, I was expecting something more along the lines of "Pillar of Sand" or "The Last Oasis", but instead was surprised to find a series of essays. Some of the essays were interesting (like the one about mining in Kyrgyzstan) but others would not. Having read about this topic a lot before, I found myself skimming many of the essays that were not terribly interesting to me.

[Heathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway***
The book started out quite well. Each "chapter" is really a profile on a different water-related expert. It's an important subject matter & there were lots of helpful tips contained in this book, but some chapters were sooooo mind numbingly boring. I loved the chapter about Lynn Henning - actually, she deserves her own book because I would really enjoy hearing more of her first-hand accounts. But starting with the Arnold chapter, the book started going downhill, only picking up slightly towards the end. Too much scientific data that isn't presented in a very attention-grabbing way. Science buffs would love it, but I'm more of a history buff, so it just couldn't hold my interest.

[Ajay · Rating 2 out of 5]

An case for far more than conserving water, this book promised to explore the true scope of the global water-energy nexus, delve into the details of the structures that support and perpetuate the current system, and suggest alternatives strategies to save out planet. Needless to say, I was a little hyped.

This book failed in all 3 regards, fails to be sufficiently interesting or informative, and sources from places like "The Story of Stuff" which are fanciful drivel. The topic of discussion is real and important to discuss, but unless you are looking for a US-centric, surface-level discussion of water issues I would suggest skipping this book.

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

More inspiring than depressing!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important read on water, an endangered species. Some articles are more interesting than others, which are a bit dry and pedantic.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Data rich but it was hard to stay interested. Watched the documentary after and I was more moved by watching it.