Let There Be Water

Israel's Solution for a Water-Starved World

By: Seth M. Siegel

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

As every day brings urgent reports of growing water shortages around the world, there is no time to lose in the search for solutions.

The United States government predicts that 40 of our 50 states - and 60 percent of the earth's land surface - will soon face alarming gaps between available water and the growing demand for it. Without action, food prices will rise, economic growth will slow, and political instability is likely to follow.

Let There Be Water illustrates how Israel can serve as a model for the United States and countries everywhere by showing how to blunt the worst of the coming water calamities. Even with 60 percent of its country made of desert, Israel has not only solved its water problem; it also has an abundance of water. Israel even supplies water to its neighbors - the Palestinians and the Kingdom of Jordan - every day.

Based on meticulous research and hundreds of interviews, Let There Be Water reveals the methods and techniques of the often offbeat inventors who enabled Israel to lead the world in cutting-edge water technology. Let There Be Water also tells unknown stories of how cooperation on water systems can forge diplomatic ties and promote unity. Remarkably, not long ago, now-hostile Iran relied on Israel to manage its water systems, and access to Israel's water know-how helped to warm China's frosty relations with Israel.

Beautifully written, Let There Be Water is and inspiring account of the vision and sacrifice by a nation and people that have long made water security a top priority. Despite scant natural water resources, a rapidly growing population and economy, and often hostile neighbors, Israel has consistently jumped ahead of the water innovation curve to assure a dynamic, vital future for itself. Every town, every country, and every listener can benefit from learning what Israel did to overcome daunting challenges and transform itself from a parched land into a water superpower.

©2015 Seth M. Siegel (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

More water politics story than water technology

I read this after Troubled Water and expected to learn a lot more about the technology built and deployed. I ended up learning a lot about Israeli politics related to water and much less about the actual technology than I had hoped.

It was a good enough book but had I known what I know now I wouldn't have picked it up.

Amazing

Both the narration and content of this book were superb. Easy to understand and very informative. Highly recommend

An Important and Timely Book

Seth Siegel points out one of the biggest problems facing humanity today, but instead of pointing fingers or depressingly laying out doomsday scenarios, he uses an excellent example of how Israel faced its water problems and how the rest of the world can too. He divides the book into three parts starting with Israel’s historic relationship with water and how the government responded to its challenging water situation. He then goes into various ways the government and private sector innovated water technologies in a truly unique way. He moves on by showing how Israel has exported its technology, used it for diplomacy and inspired others. Siegel finishes with a basic guide on how governments can follow Israel’s model. I think this is an important book for anyone who wants to learn about what we can do about our water crisis and anyone interested in Israel.

We should pay attention

The important message of this book is that we should all pay more attention to our personal, household, local, and national use and policies toward water.

The time for change is now so that our children and grandchildren may benefit.

Great insight into whats to come

I bought this audio book thinking that it might shed some light on way to invest in water to make money, I was not disappointed. Though not written for that matter, it did give good resources that led to insight into investment opportunity. I wish the US government would take note as what is to come if we do not solve the water crisis, especially in California which is controlled by Dems so one would think that they wouldn't have a problem with socializing water utility companies.

Excellent book

Very good and comprehensive illustrated book. Gives pride to the state of Israel and the water people in it.

Splashing

Dry in parts but a fountain of knowledge is here. The book is anything but brackish. In fact, it is surging with the force of a monsoon.

What an illuminating book!

How refreshing to read a book about Israel that has hardly anything to do with the political situation except for the fact that Israel turned its regional isolation into an advantage as it had to address its initial water scarcity. How fascinating to learn about all the innovative ways Israel manages its water, has turned into a water-rich nation despite its arid climate and all the technologies and knowhow it now shares with the world.

Israel's history and current approach to water abundance

Informative and repetitive so the reader can absorb the information of Israel's water history and current approach to water abundance. If you don't know anything about Israel's work in the area of water, you'll be fully enlightened. If you know something about it, you may learn more detail about their comprehensive approach, methodologies and technologies.

The narrator is easy to listen to not distracting. A book that I tried to get through quickly, but there were so many details I wanted to absorb, I took my time picking it up and putting it away, coming back to it over time. I wish the U.S and other wealthy nations could employ as many of Israel's methodologies as possible and we are slowly, but it will take a real crisis (versus an inconvenience) it seems of climate and economy before we build the system Israel has. It seems like Israel was proactive, but in a way in order to build a nation of wealth and to absorb the populations that were flooding into the area, Israel also had important incentive to build the water policies and network it has today. Even though the author presents Israel as being mostly forward thinking, I would argue it that there were some water visionaries of course, but the ideas became reality because of need. It's just human nature for most people to be reactive.

More Important than the Author Knows

What Israel did is well told, but the author is obviously not aware that global warming will make the rivers dry up. This will make what Israel did more important than ever.