The Blue Death: Disease, Disaster, and the Water We Drink - Hardcover

Morris, Robert D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1851685758 ISBN 13: 9781851685752

Publisher: Oneworld Publications, 2007

Synopsis

Dr. Robert D. Morris, an internationally recognized expert, offers an alarming warning about the natural and man-made dangers that threaten our drinking water. Through remarkable personal stories, he takes us on a journey across the globe, from the beginnings of our understanding of waterborne disease in 19th-century London, a time when the terror of cholera ravaged the world, to the disturbing realities of today's water supplies. He looks to the future and reveals that the door to disaster is not as firmly shut as we might imagine. Morris dispels our notions of fail-safe sewage and water systems and leads us through the holes that allow pathogens to find their way into our drinking water. He reveals the shocking truth about how millions of miles of leaking water mains, constantly evolving microorganisms, and the emerging threat of bioterrorism may hold the keys to catastrophe.

About this title

Product Description

Unusual book

Review

"A beautifully written book so gripping it reads like fiction, yet
nothing in the text is exaggerated. Morris speaks to the probability of
catastrophic microbial and viral outbreaks in our aging drinking water
delivery systems, the integrity of which is protected only by 19th century
technology. This book will shake the complacency of everyone who reads
it." -- Theo Colburn, PhD, author of OUR STOLEN FUTURE

"A page-turning, brilliantly conceived intellectual adventure by a
gifted physician and remarkable writer. A tour de force accounting of the
lurking dangers of polluted waters that can only be ignored at our peril." -- Devra Davis, author of the National Book Award Finalist WHEN SMOKE RAN LIKE WATER

"It's a vividly narrated and forensically argued book, showing how the threat of epidemic continues in industrialised countries thanks to a combination of old water-treatment technologies that can't remove all pathogens, and political inertia (Morris is particularly scathing about the Environmental Protection Agency). One constantly learns extraordinary facts, such as that New York City doesn't even bother to filter its drinking water, content with merely chlorinating it. The polemical message: if we're going to drink less bottled water, we'd better be assured that what comes out of the tap is safe."
-- Steven Poole, The Guardian, March 3, 2008

"Morris brings us up to the present and beyond, showing how we may now be harmed by our efforts to clean our water. A veteran of front-line battles in the water industry, he tells a fascinating story well."
-- The New Scientist, February 15, 2008

"This pungent history of water-borne disease starts with the
moment Dr John Snow stole the handle from a water pump in London's Soho,
and keeps right on going to the tragedies of modern Africa and future fears
of bioterrorism. It makes heroes of microbiologists and epidemiologists,
but is not for the squeamish." -- Fred Pearce, author of WHEN RIVERS RUN DRY

"this is a good read. Not technical and plenty of human interest with descriptive prose and extended metaphors to keep the book moving"
-- Chartered Institution of Water and Environment Management, June 2008

Edition details

• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1851685758
• ISBN 13: 9781851685752
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320