Groundwater Books

A Civil Action

Jonathan Harr

By: Arrow Books Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $6.44

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 341 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Great Book about Human Nature and the Legal System 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the best book written about a lawsuit and is a terrific teaching tool. The author had unparalleled access to the lawyers, mostly the plaintiffs' lawyer who, somewhat questionably from an ethics standpoint, allowed a journalist to witness client meetings and strategy sessions. While some of the reviewers criticize Harr for pro-plaintiff bias because of this, Harr simply played the hand he was dealt. The defense lawyers were not about to grant that level of access. In addition, Harr does, after the trial, become close to the lead defense lawyer, the curmudgeonly Facher. This allows him to relate a useful defense perspective.

The book takes the reader from the environmental contamination of the 1950s - 1970s, through pre-litigation investigation in the early 1980s, through extensive pretrial proceedings, and then all the way throught the 1986 jury trial. Thereafter, Harr tells the post-trial story, including settlement, appeal, and government initiated proceedings that ultimately resolve the environmental clean-up issue. In short, one can experience nearly every aspect of a civil action in a highly readable narrative.

Harr is a sensitive observer who can key on strengths of the civil justice system that includes the ability to bring the powerful to account before a jury of ordinary citizens (the apotheosis of democracy, as the plaintiffs' lawyers' consulting Harvard professor says -- the law is America's "civil religion"). And he is terrific at highlighting the essential weaknesses and failings of the system. This, Harr captures in two unforgettable quotes. The first is from Schlictmann, the plaintiff's lawyer, who rues how hard it is "to do good and do well" at the same time. That, in a nutshell, captures the skewing effect that the profit motive and money have on the civil litigation process. And then there is this priceless quote from Facher, the defense lawyer: "The truth? The truth is at the bottom of a bottomless pit." The liberal discovery rules and the right of cross examination are supposed to be tools uniquely well-suited for ferreting out the truth. But the ruinous expense and confusion of the process; the foibles of the attorneys, judges, and witnesses; and the profit motive of the attorneys all combine to wreak havoc and to leave one wondering if the truth really does emerge from this process.

In the end, I take a more optimistic point of view than a number of the other reviewers. The families get compensated for the toxic tort caused by the environmenal contamination (at a minimum the families suffered from solvent poisoning that caused provable damage even if it is a stretch to prove that leukemia was caused by TCE to a reasonable medical certainty); the government finally gets off its butt, helped by the work done by Schlictimann, and forces the defendants to clean up the mess; and other companies get the message from this case and from the CERCLA legislation passed in 1980 that environmental clean up and better environmental policies are now a cost of doing business. So the system works to a large degree, though it does a poor job, or no job at all, in alleviating the pain and alienation experienced by the harmed families and community.

Perhaps the best quality of the book is its compelling portrayal of Schlictmann and Facher -- both of whom are attractive and admirable in some ways while at the same time being quite flawed and tragic. The book is about human nature as much as it is about the civil justice system, and is the kind of nonfiction novel that would have made Truman Capote and Norman Mailer proud.

This is a truly great book.

Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America's Fresh Waters

Robert Jerome Glennon

List Price: $30.00 By: Island Press Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $10.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Santa Cruz River that once flowed through Tucson, Arizona is today a sad mirage of a river. Except for brief periods following heavy rainfall, it is bone dry. The cotton-wood and willow trees that once lined its banks have died, and the profusion of birds and wildlife recorded by early settlers are nowhere to be seen. The river is dead. What happened? Where did the water go? As Robert Jerome Glennon explains in Water Follies, what killed the Santa Cruz River - and could devastate other surface waters across the United States - was groundwater pumping. From 1940 to 2000, the volume of water drawn annually from underground aquifers in Tucson jumped more than six-fold, from 50,000 to 330,000 acre-feet per year. And Tucson is hardly an exception. In a striking collection of stories that brings to life the human and natural consequences of our growing national thirst, Glennon provides an occasionally wry and always fascinating account of groundwater pumping and the environmental problems it causes. Glennon sketches the culture of water use in the United States, explaining how and why we are growing increasingly reliant on groundwater. He uses the examples of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro rivers in Arizona to illustrate the science of hydrology and the legal aspects of water use and conflicts. Following that, he offers a dozen stories - ranging from Down East Maine to San Antonio's River Walk to Atlanta's burgeoning suburbs - that clearly illustrate the array of problems caused by groundwater pumping. Each episode poses a conflict of values that reveals the complexity of how and why we use water. These poignant and sometimes perverse tales tell of human foibles including greed, stubbornness, and, especially, the unlimited human capacity to ignore reality. As he explores the folly of our actions and the laws governing them, Glennon suggests common-sense legal and policy reforms that could help avert potentially catastrophic future effects. Water Follies, the first book to focus on the impact of groundwater pumping on the environment, brings this wide-spread but underappreciated problem to the attention of citizens and communities across America.

The Drinking Water Book: A Complete Guide to Safe Drinking Water

Colin Ingram

List Price: $12.95 By: Ten Speed Press Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $0.71

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Diets & Weight Loss -> Diets -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The best drinking water book you can buy 5 out of 5 stars.
24 of 24 people found this review helpful.

This book is well named, since it is the definitive book on drinking water. It includes extensive information on water contaminants, water testing, bottled water, and home purification systems. The information is well-researched, easy to read, and well-formatted, with simple charts and diagrams supplementing the text where necessary. I bought several books on drinking water at the same time, and this one was clearly superior to all the others. Don't waste time and money; buy this book first!

A Candid Review by the Author 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

I wrote this book because after extensive communication with government agencies, universities, non-profit organizations and private sector manufacturers, I simply could not find objective information about drinking water safety and consumer options. Since I have been a professional writer and editor for over four decades, I decided to bite the bullet and do it myself. I spent five years researching material for this book and I have no axes to grind; just the desire for truth. This is the 2nd edition of this book. The 1st edition was hailed as the definitive consumer book on drinking water, and I believe this book is even better. You'll find that it contains the most objective, complete and easy-to-understand information on drinking water that is available, and this opinion has been confirmed by many authorities in the field of drinking water safety. Thanks for your time, Colin Ingram.

Editorial Review:

THE DRINKING WATER BOOK takes a level-headed look at the serious issues surrounding America’s drinking water supply. Unlike water purifier manufacturers and public health officials, Ingram presents unbiased reporting on what’s in your water and how to drink safely. Featuring all the latest scientific research, the book evaluates the different kinds of filters and bottled waters and rates specific products on the market.

Contaminant Hydrogeology

C. W. Fetter

List Price: $94.90 By: Macmillan Coll Div Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $46.35

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Contaminant Hydrogeology 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Excellent book for introduction into contaminant hydrogeology; however, not very detailed on groundwater modeling and remediation. The section on Mass Transport is very easy to understand and well layed out. Would like to have seen more examples.

Contaminant Hydrogeology 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The author does a good job of presenting the basic hydrogeologic principles (i.e., darcy's law, scalar, vector and tensor properties of hydraulic head and conductivity) needed to understand the subject matter without unneccessary overlap from his previous work Applied Hydrogeology. The book covers mass transport in saturated media, transformation and attenuation of solutes, vadose zone, multiphase flow, inorganic and organic chemcials in groundwater, monitoring and remediation. this is a well written text presenting the fundamentals but is not an exhaustive summary. I would definitely recommend this text.

Editorial Review:

Presents the theoretical background as well as the practical application of the latest technology for the investigation and remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater. Coverage of micropurging of wells prior to sampling; obtaining a ground water sample without a monitoring well; fingerprinting petroleum contamination in soil; soil and groundwater contamination from coal tar and related compounds; and contains a number of case histories showing the practical applications of the theory. A valuable reference for the working professional.

Dynamics of Fluids in Porous Media (Dover Books on Physics and Chemistry)

Jacob Bear

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dover Publications Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $6.91

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Mechanics

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dynamics of Fluids in Porous Media 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

You may never need any other text other than this one. This is a comprehensive text covering everything from defining and classifying aquifers to fluid transport, continuity and conservation, boundary-value problems, flow of immiscible fluids and heat and mass transport. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know the basics and beyond.

The Classic. 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 17 people found this review helpful.

The definitive, classic text on the subject

Complicated 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book was not easy to read for me. Takes too many words and formulas to explain simple concepts. But I'm not an engineer, maybe engineers will find it delightful.

Bear 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

An exceptional resource. Well written and thorough. Even includes mathematical techniques for solving classes of PDEs relating to porous flow.

Editorial Review:

This is the definitive work on the subject by one of the world's foremost hydrologists, designed primarily for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of ground water hydrology, soil mechanics, soil physics, drainage and irrigation engineering, and sanitary, petroleum, and chemical engineering. 335 black-and-white illustrations. Exercises, with answers.

Construction Dewatering and Groundwater Control : New Methods and Applications, 3rd Edition

J. Patrick Powers, Arthur B. Corwin, Paul C. Schmall, Walter E. Kaeck

Amazon Price: $140.00 List Price: $175.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $133.00

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Environmental -> Hydraulics

Editorial Review:

The most up-to-date guide to construction dewatering and groundwater control

In the past dozen years, the methods of analyzing and treating groundwater conditions have vastly improved. The Third Edition of Construction Dewatering and Groundwater Control, reflecting the most current technology and practices, is a timely and much-needed overview of this rapidly changing field.

Illustrated with hundreds of new figures and photographs and including numerous detailed case histories, the Third Edition of Construction Dewatering and Groundwater Control is a comprehensive and valuable reference for both students and practicing engineers alike.

Drawing on real-world experience, the authors lead the reader through all facets of the theory and practice of this fascinating and often complex engineering discipline. Discussion includes:

• Dozens of case histories demonstrating various groundwater control practices and lessons learned in groundwater control and work performed
• Detailed methods of controlling groundwater by use of conventional dewatering methods as well as vertical barrier, grouted cutoff, and frozen ground techniques
• Contracting practices and conflict resolution methods that will help minimize disputes
• Alternatives and effective practices for handling and treating contaminated groundwater
• Innovations in equipment and materials that improve the performance and efficiency of groundwater control systems
• Practices and procedures for success in artificial recharge
• Groundwater modeling to simulate and plan dewatering projects
• Inclusion of dual U.S. customary and metric units throughout

Construction Dewatering and Groundwater Control is an indispensable tool for all engineering and construction professionals searching for the most up-to-date coverage of groundwater control for various purposes, the modern ways to identify and analyze site-specific situations, and the modern tools available to control them.

Hydraulics of Groundwater (Dover Books on Engineering)

Jacob Bear

Amazon Price: $24.05 List Price: $32.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dover Publications Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $22.22

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Groundwater Hydraulics 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 5 people found this review helpful.

It was on time and in new condition. Exactly what I asked for.

Editorial Review:

This text explores the laws and equations governing the flow and storage of groundwater in aquifers. It provides groundwater hydrologists — as well as engineers and planners dealing with the development and management of groundwater resources — with all the necessary tools to forecast the behavior of a regional aquifer system. 1979 edition.

Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Soft Skull Press Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $3.84

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

awesome, inspiring 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

this is an extensive primer for those wondering about WHAT TO DO about present water crisis. it's going to take the average citizen--educating themselves and others. this is a good place to start. gut-wrenching, exciting, informative.

Editorial Review:

Edited by the coauthors of the notorious zine The Guerrilla Graywater Girls Guide to Water, this collection of original essays, drawings, and photographs is part radical history of water and part DIY guide to disengaging one's home, school, or workplace from the wasteful water grid. The pieces are arranged in three sections: "Water Wars" focuses on the history and politics of dams and water infrastructure; "The Water Grid" chronicles the rise of energy-intensive, polluting sewage treatment plants, and points out alternative systems; and "Watershed" examines the often destructive relationship between human settlements and nature, but finds hope in the experiences of those involved in watershed restoration.

Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Soft Skull Press Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $3.84

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Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> War & Peace

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

awesome, inspiring 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

this is an extensive primer for those wondering about WHAT TO DO about present water crisis. it's going to take the average citizen--educating themselves and others. this is a good place to start. gut-wrenching, exciting, informative.

Editorial Review:

Edited by the coauthors of the notorious zine The Guerrilla Graywater Girls Guide to Water, this collection of original essays, drawings, and photographs is part radical history of water and part DIY guide to disengaging one's home, school, or workplace from the wasteful water grid. The pieces are arranged in three sections: "Water Wars" focuses on the history and politics of dams and water infrastructure; "The Water Grid" chronicles the rise of energy-intensive, polluting sewage treatment plants, and points out alternative systems; and "Watershed" examines the often destructive relationship between human settlements and nature, but finds hope in the experiences of those involved in watershed restoration.