Journalist March (cofounder & editor, Modoc Independent News; Two Bites of the Cherry and Other Golf Stories) is a native of central California's Monterey peninsula. This succinct work combines his skills as a writer with his familiarity with Monterey geography to provide readers with a thorough understanding of how the Carmel River has slipped into ecological disaster. One of the top ten most endangered rivers in the United States, the Carmel, which is fewer than 40 miles long, is the region's primary water source. Water, especially in the West, is a commodity profoundly affected by population growth, weather, dams, forest fires, politics, and economics. March covers all these factors to provide the fullest possible picture of the river's decline as his narrative moves from past to present and possible future. VERDICT Recommended for readers interested in ecology, California history, and the politics of water.—Michael D. Cramer, Schwarz BioSciences, Research Triangle Park, NC