Interesting and informative review and history of water treatment. Dr. Robert Morris looks at the progress of water treatment and the problems of not treating the water we drink properly. He looks also at the broader view of the benefits of not just caring for the water we drink in our own country but at a worldwide level and down to the individual level of treatment we should apply.

I am one of those people who takes for granted the water I drink. At least I did until I read The Blue Death by Robert D. Morris. The first part of the book takes the reader through the height of cholera scourge in 19th century England. The contributions of scientists John Snow and Robert Koch toward the study of cholera are told as narrative even though their accounts are grounded in history. This gives the content an almost fictional feel. The 20th century brought advances in water purification ahead so far that as the deaths from waterborne viruses went exponentially down, public apathy regarding the dangers of unregulated water went up. This apathy contributed to the needless outbreaks of cryptosporidium and E coli in the late 20th century.

I thought the author did a good job of showing how well-meaning people can easily overlook details when it comes to testing the public water. A tainted water supply can pass along diseases so quickly that containing an outbreak seems impossible. I recommend this book for anyone curious about the realities of water. ( )

The writing was a bit melodramatic for me, but the book overall was interesting. ( )

Great book! Really interesting and informative look at cholera and the resistance to acceptance of the idea of waterborne pathogens, among other things. ( )