Fresh Water - Review

Ecology, June, 1999 by Jimmy D. Winter

Pielou, E. C. 1998. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. x 275 p. $24.00, ISBN: 0-226-66815-0.

Fresh water, by E. C. Pielou, is an interesting and well-written overview of primarily the physical and hydrological aspects of water. The most critical issue with this book is who is the most appropriate audience. Pielou does not specifically name her intended audience in the Prologue. However, The University of Chicago Press is marketing the book as a popular book: "For anyone who uses water - that is, for everyone - here is the ultimate user's manual." Although the publisher lists it under "biology - popular books" on their website (www.press.uchicago.edu), there is too little biology in the book for this classification. It fits better under "earth sciences - environment" or "earth sciences - oceanography and hydrology."

Despite simplifying her writing style for a wide audience, Pielou's book probably contains too much terminology and complex concepts for most laypersons; however, college-educated readers with a strong interest in natural science should enjoy the book. I think that the book is especially well suited for environmental scientists, natural resources managers, and limnologists, who have been thrust suddenly into issues concerning groundwater, hydrology, and wetlands. The book is an excellent way to gain a working knowledge of hydrology and the physical aspects of water so that one can communicate with hydrologists or study more technical hydrological works. I also think that the book could serve as an introductory-level textbook on water in a geosciences program or in a civil engineering program. I was hoping that the book could be adapted to a course in freshwater ecology, but one would have to supplement with too much biological and chemical information, and would not need as much physical information as Pielou presents.

The book contains an excellent overview of the physical aspects of water. Chapters cover the water cycle, groundwater, use of groundwater, vadose water, flowing water, erosion and sedimentation, lakes, water freezing, dams and reservoirs, wetlands, microscopic life, and atmospheric water. Pielou uses excellent examples and evenly divides her material between Canadian and American resources. She documents her information well. Although she discusses pollution in the book, I think that a separate chapter on pollution with more information would be beneficial. The book also ends abruptly; thus, it could use a chapter on the future of water and what citizens and governments should do to insure ample, high-quality water resources.

Pielou's writing style is clear, active, and entertaining. She has a talent for explaining technical material in an understandable and interesting manner. The flow of the writing is maintained by using a numerical reference system and placing references and technical explanations at the end of the book. She uses little mathematics. Although most of the sentences can be understood easily by someone with a high school education, some concepts are challenging to someone with a college science education. Furthermore, she uses too much terminology for a popular book: Archaea, aufeis, hyporheic, phreatophyte, strangmoor, ombrotrophic, anisotrophic, etc.

The book is constructed well. The paper is good quality and the book is nicely cloth-bound. The figures are simple, pen-and-ink drawings with handwritten labels, but they are effective for readers with a science background. Because the book contains simple black-and-white figures, no photographs, and no glossy paper, it is hard to imagine that a popular audience would be attracted to the book. However, Pielou and the University of Chicago Press should be commended for proving that a good book can be produced at an incredibly inexpensive price. I hope that academic people take notice and demand and write similar, inexpensive textbooks for students.

I like this book and find it useful as a reference. People with a background in natural science will find this book an enjoyable way to expand their knowledge about water and hydrology. Professors also could use Pielou's explanations to make their lectures more comprehensible to introductory-level students.

JIMMY D. WINTER University of Arkansas at Little Rock Graduate Institute of Technology Little Rock, Arkansas 72204