At Home in the Muddy Water: A Guide to Finding Peace Within Everyday Chaos
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Practical Advice
  • Not too abstract, Not too nuanced - Just Right!
  • Ezra the Great
  • A great tool for anyone willing to use it
  • self-help
At Home in the Muddy Water: A Guide to Finding Peace Within Everyday Chaos
Ezra Bayda
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590301684
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Book Description

May we exist like a lotus, / At home in the muddy water. / Thus we bow to life as it is. This verse is an important reminder, says Ezra Bayda, of what the spiritual life is truly about: the willingness to open ourselves to whatever life presents—no matter how messy or complicated. And through that willingness to be open, we can discover wisdom, compassion, and the genuine life we all want. In At Home in the Muddy Water , Bayda applies this simple Zen teaching to a range of everyday concerns—including relationships, trust, sexuality, and money—showing that everything we need to practice is right here before us, and that peace and fulfillment is available to everyone, right here, right now, no matter what their circumstances.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Practical Advice.......2005-09-16

Easy to read, understand, and put into practice. Common sense, practical advice. Similar content as his "Being Zen" book.

5 out of 5 stars Not too abstract, Not too nuanced - Just Right!.......2005-04-04

I was truly inspired and edified by reading this book. Mr. Bayda's insights into the principles of Buddhism are gentle, accessible and practical. These books are informative and I am glad they were recommended to me by a friend. I would also say that while many Buddhism books are either too abstract or too nuanced, this book comfortably falls in the middle providing real insight. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars Ezra the Great.......2004-11-10

Reviewing a book such as this is no easy feat. Quasi-spiritual, semi-self help books are a dime a dozen, and many of them are terrible. They attempt to reduce common sense to a formula that, once applied to one's individual life circumstances, permanently alters the course of one's life.

Do you know anyone whose life has radically changed as a result of reading a self help book?

I bought this book (along with Being Zen, Ezra Bayda's previous title) because I am interested in Zen Buddhism. I bought them rather randomly, having never heard of Mr. Bayda before (these books did not, however, serve as an introduction to Buddhism for me; I have been interested in the practice for many years). I am extremely impressed, however, by Mr. Bayda's simplicity and practicality; I don't think I've read a more accessible book on Buddhist practice. I would argue, in fact, that he does it better than Pema Chodron (whom he credits as a source of inspiration). Mr. Bayda's books are the result of some fantastic writing and editing.

Mr. Bayda says that these two books are really Parts 1 and 2 of the same work, and I would agree: You should read both of them, so that the important concepts are really hammered home. After all, these books are not intended to be feel-good, airy-fairy words to make one "feel better"; this, in fact, is what I believe to be the "strength" of Buddhism---the fact that its primary goal is not to make one feel better, but rather to point us toward residing in the ordinariness and pain of every day life. Mr. Bayda's effort is directed at pointing us in the direction of an "authentic life," as opposed to the "substitute life" which so many of us are accustomed to living. Mr. Bayda offers sound, succint, and challenging advice on how we can apply the principles of Buddhism to our lives in a practical and compelling way, without ever using exclusively Buddhist terminology. A person of any faith would find this book both accessible and informative.

In the end, I cannot recommend either of his two books highly enough. While reading these two books (or any other books for that matter) have not and will not change my life, taking to heart the teachings really could.

5 out of 5 stars A great tool for anyone willing to use it.......2004-01-27

As with my dad's first book, BEING ZEN, I could read AT HOME IN THE MUDDY WATER countless times and always find it useful. There always seems to be something or someone in life that I want to change. I see repetitive patterns in the way I relate to others and to life. I watch myself react and put up defenses and strategies of control. I think I am clear, with a good analysis of the situation, of myself, and of others. And yet, the same patterns return. The same difficulties and questions come again and again, varying only in the circumstances under which they arise, but not in the base emotions and beliefs themselves. AT HOME IN THE MUDDY WATER helps me to see and experience my difficulties on a deeper level, getting to the very base, the very core of my hurt, my fear, my anger and my pain. This book, like BEING ZEN, helps me to deal with life daily, whether it be with reacting to something as small as being cut off on the freeway to something larger, like depression, self-doubt, and difficulties with relationships. Many times, I must admit, the equanimity my dad speaks of in his books feels out of reach. But I know it is possible to achieve because I have watched him in spiritual practice for over 27 years. My dad still feels pain; he still gets hurt, angry, disappointed and filled with fear. But he relates to all of these things differently than most. His spiritual practice, as so clearly laid out in these books, allows him to experience life in all of its colors and shapes, in happiness or in grief, in peace or in total chaos. The practice is always the same: simply to BE HERE. The tools are out there, but it is up to each of us to put them to use for ourselves. AT HOME IN THE MUDDY WATER is such a tool.

5 out of 5 stars self-help.......2003-09-17

This book is excellent for someone who is practicing without a teacher. I found the discussion of how to deal with a "dry spot" in your practice especially helpful. It's difficult for a solo practioner to step outside the self thing and see what's sabotaging your practice. I am thankful to Mr. Bayda for his ability to articulate so well what's going on.
Water in the Middle East: A Geography of Peace (Peter T. Flawn Series in Natural Resource Management and Conservation)
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    Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
    ProductGroup: Book
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    Finding "streams in the desert" has never been more urgent for the peoples of the Middle East. Rapid population growth and a rising standard of living are driving water demand inexorably upward, while the natural supply has not increased since Biblical times. Ensuring a fair and adequate distribution of water in the region is vitally important for building a lasting peace among the nations of the Middle East.

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    He Leads Me Beside Still Waters
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A truly insightful read!
    He Leads Me Beside Still Waters
    Jennifer Kennedy Dean
    Manufacturer: The Praying Life Foundation
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    5 out of 5 stars A truly insightful read!.......2003-03-19

    This 40 day retreat was a breath of fresh air to me. I used it for morning devotions and I'm still (three months later) trying to absorb all of JKD's insights. She writes with a passion for God and her spiritual thoughts are well worth your time to study. I am hooked. I'm in the process of reading all of her books.
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      Manufacturer: Univ of Hawaii Pr
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        Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
        ProductGroup: Book
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        Despite the development of a consensus foreign policy during the early years of the Cold War that supported containment of the Soviet Union, there were both internationalists and pacifists who opposed the efforts of the Truman administration. These groups felt that American actions, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty, and even the Korean War weakened the UN, threatened the Soviet Union with war, hindered European economic recovery, and promoted colonialism. Often mislabeled as isolationists, both the pacifists, with their traditional opposition to war, and the liberal internationalists, who supported efforts to continue the wartime alliance with the Soviets through the development of a strong UN, felt that the United States should play an active role in world affairs. The "peace movement" forces have been marginalized or dismissed as insignificant by many historians, however, while their impact was minimal in the late 1940s and early 1950s, their ideas would later re-emerge to have a strong impact on American policy, particularly in the "ban the bomb" and the antiwar movements of the Vietnam era. They continued to support efforts to maintain the Soviet alliance through the UN, to assist in the reconstruction of the world economy, to promote disarmament, and to end colonialism. While a commitment to these ideas would probably not have prevented the Cold War, it might have lessened its severity or slowed the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
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          Manufacturer: Routledge
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          Through Fire With Water: The Roots of Division and the Potential for Reconciliation in Africa
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            Manufacturer: Africa World Press
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            This collection of essays presents fifteen case studies of African countries whose recent past has been shaped by conflict. Its exploration of the historical roots of violence and of the potential for reconciliation and justice reveals the experiences of communities and nations that are struggling to build a peaceful, prosperous future. It is essential reading for students of development, politics, and history, and for the general reader who wants to know more about current affairs in Africa. The case-study countries include: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

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            Finding Peace in Troubled Waters
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • Deeply Moving Book
            • Life is Good!
            Finding Peace in Troubled Waters
            Art E. Berg
            Manufacturer: Deseret Book Company
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            Do you feel you have lost your ability to cope? Are you dealing with something that makes you feel hopeless? In Finding Peace in Troubled Waters, ten concepts that can be life preservers are offered for those who find themselves struggling to keep from drowning on sorrow or self-pity while being battered by waves of adversity. Whether your struggle is with a life-threatening health problem, a difficult personal relationship, or some other challenge, Art Berg's insights and perspective will help you survive and overcome.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Deeply Moving Book.......2004-07-23

            This book is deeply moving, I have listened to the tapes as well and am of the opinion that Art Berg has much to share with anyone that has ever felt depressed, discouraged, or overwhelmed with life. His ability to connect with the reader and convey feelings and experiences effectively is outstanding, as one is left looking at his own life with pondering reflection.

            5 out of 5 stars Life is Good!.......2002-08-08

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            Dancing In The Water Of Life        Volume 5:1963-1965: Seeking Peace in the Hermitage (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton)
            Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
            • Turning toward the world:the pivotal years,Vol 4
            • Brilliant Merton. Again.
            • Perfect Merton!
            • Merton finest journal.
            • Execllent day-by-day summary of the hermitage experience
            Dancing In The Water Of Life Volume 5:1963-1965: Seeking Peace in the Hermitage (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton)
            Thomas Merton
            Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover

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            5. Run to the Mountain: The Story of a VocationThe Journal of Thomas Merton, Volume 1: 1939-1941 (The Journals of Thomas Merton, V. 1) Run to the Mountain: The Story of a VocationThe Journal of Thomas Merton, Volume 1: 1939-1941 (The Journals of Thomas Merton, V. 1)

            ASIN: 0060654821

            Book Description

            The '60s were a time of restlessness, inner turmoil and exuberance for Merton, a time during which he closely followed the careening development of political and social activism -- Martin Luther King Jr., and the March on Selma; the Catholic Worker Movement; the Vietnam War and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Volume 5 chronicles the approach of Merton's fiftieth birthday and marks his move to Mount Olivet, his hermitage at the Abbey of Gethsemani, where he was finally able to embrace fully the joys and challenges of solitary life: "In the hermitage, one must pray or go to seed. The pretense of prayer will not suffice. Just sitting will not suffice... Solitude puts you with your back to the wall (or your face to it!), and this is good" (October 13, 1964).

            Making his struggles and his happiness practically tangible on these pages, Merton was never a better writer than in his journals. His gifts are as abundantly clear in this volume as in its predecessors."'Publishers Weekly

            "Merton at his best: sophisticated, honest, humorous, and mystical."'Kirkus Reviews

            "When all the journals are published, it is likely that they will take their place with the famous journals of Henry David Thoreau, G. M. Hopkins, Edmund Wilson, and perhaps be seen as an American version of St. Augustine's `Confessions.'"'Catholic News Service

            Customer Reviews:

            4 out of 5 stars Turning toward the world:the pivotal years,Vol 4.......2001-02-22

            This book illustrates vividly the calms and the storms of living out a life of commitment.There is enough content in the book to effectively encourage the persevering christian who seeks to deepen his or her relationship with Jesus Christ.Notations on the daily life in the monastary,and the relationship Merton had with his fellow monks and superiors,serves to illuminate the fact that here we have no "plaster saint", but man in all his frailty! Merton calls us,through this book,to live out our indiviuality with respect to the tradition from which we come. There is suberb referencing to all literature mentioned throughout the text,and the introduction summarises well the events in Merton's life to which these journals belong.If you are a Christian ,then this book will surely give you the thirst to deepen your relationship with Jesus,through prayer.

            5 out of 5 stars Brilliant Merton. Again........2000-10-19

            Thomas Merton has become, since his absurd death,many thingsto many people. Only with Pope John Paul II, in my estimation, has such a varried and vocal sparring been going on for legacies and interpertations{I actually do not know who will have the more influential leagcy. My guess is merton.}In this, the 5th volume of these magnificent diaries, Merton has begun the transition to hermit,such as it was.Much of the published writings from this period have the smooth polish of an editors hand. Not so with these entries. Merton still writes,to borrow a phrase from Ross Mcdonald, like a slumming angel,and his nuggets of insight into his own foibles, that of his brethren{his abbot, of course, comes off no better here than the previois volumes}comes through almost painfully at times.. His reading list is so varied and prodigiois, that coupled with his correspondence, I cannot fathom how he found time to write,never mind pray,and meditate . Herein I think is the true genius,a word that has become so commonplace that it has lost its power.Mertons powers of concentration must have been extraordinary,his ability to focus on the thing at hand, without losing interest in momentary gifts{the fire-light reflecting through a glass jar of honey, the sound of deer scurrying about in new fallen snow.]The Thomas Merton I encountered here is an adult,believer,long discarding the triumphialism of the newly converted,grwing more at peace. Of course, we know how this part of the journey ends,so reading this again with that in mind makes it all the more pointed,and still retaining its power. HAving read all 7 volumes, I look foward to re-reading them for I believe them to be that good, and certainly worth the time, effort and cost.

            5 out of 5 stars Perfect Merton!.......2000-09-02

            This fifth volume of Merton's Journals hits a home run, an analogy Thomas Merton would probably relish. I've read volumes 1 through 5, and here Merton hits his stride. The diarist in Merton contributes nearly everything within his vast sight and makes it important and touching. The lengthier review on this page covers the base ground admirably. One of the really interesting aspects of these journals is the inadvertently given bibliography of Merton's own reading material, everything from Elias Canetti to Barth to D. T. Suzuki! These volumes give us a whole and uncompromising look at Merton's innermost sensibilities, apparent in his formal oeuvre, but turned over and examined like a winter leaf in these journals. I think the various editors of these volumes, a different editor for each, deserve high praise for the consistency of tone in their editing, one volume to the next; a job done wisely and well. It is as well a tribute to the consistency of Merton's path over the years. He was a true monk, an authentic thinker in the best tradition, and a heck of a writer. When Thomas Merton writes, he never loses that clear-sky-with-stars timbre of voice, spending his real humility like gold, and awakening all the sleeping people. The more I read these journals the more I miss him. Noble and unforgettable.

            5 out of 5 stars Merton finest journal........1998-09-25

            This, the fifth of Thomas Merton's complete journals, covers Merton's move to becoming a full-time hermit, the fulfilment of a deep desire for solitude that had haunted Merton from his earliest days at Gethsemani. It begins in August 1963 when Merton was living as a part-time solitary and traces the gradual expansion of the amount of time he was allowed to spend at the hermitage until he was allowed to take up full-time residence there in August 1965. This volume concludes at the end of 1965 allowing us to see Merton's reflections on his first few months as a hermit.

            Some parts of this journal will already be familiar to readers as it contains journal entries that were prepared for publication by Merton in the journal A Vow of Conversation, as well as his account of his visit to meet the Zen scholar Suzuki and an early version of Day of a Stranger. Having said that, over half of the material in this journal is previously unpublished and even those parts previously published can read quite differently in their unedited form. Vow leaves the reader with the impression that Merton had effortlessly made the transition to life as a full-time hermit whereas, in Dancing, this transition appears far from easy and a visit from his former novice Ernesto Cardenal brings to the surface the instability Merton experienced with the move.

            Dancing in the Waters of Life begins with a masterful introduction by Robert Daggy which highlights the central movements in this volume - Merton's move to the hermitage, his movement into his middle years with increasing health difficulties, and his continuing efforts to work out the paradoxes in his life. At times in this journal we see Merton at his most free and yet, almost in the next sentence he can be highly introspective and obsessed with certain aspects of his life. This tension runs throughout this volume and, as Daggy points out, accounts "for the highs and lows, the joy and the despair, the enthusiasm and the carping." (xii-xiii.) Merton's own sense of this continuing movement in his life, of the dance, comes over clearly in a passage he wrote in January 1964: "The need for constant self-revision, growth, leaving behind, renunciation of yesterday, yet in continuity with all yesterdays...my ideas are always changing, always moving around one center, always seeing the center from somewhere else. I will always be accused of inconsistencies - and will no longer be there to hear the accusation." (67.)

            Dancing allows us the most direct contact with Merton of any of the journals yet published. The difficulties of this period which Merton writes about, the tensions, his continuing ill health and his coming to terms with middle age and the absurd world of the sixties can make this volume sound like the ravings of a man obsessed with himself. Yet there is a fine balance here between the madman and the prophet, as was frequently the case with the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. When one considers Merton's other writings of this time - Emblems of a Season of Fury, Seeds of Destruction, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Gandhi on Non-Violence, along with such classics essays as "Rain and the Rhinoceros," and his "Message to Poets" - it is the stature of the prophet which becomes evident and this journal gives us an intimate insight into the dynamics of the prophet.

            In this journal we can see the sources to which Merton was turning for his own spiritual and intellectual nourishment. Of particular interest to Merton in this period are Rilke, Barth, Bultmann, and Sartre. The Church Fathers, scripture and the religious writings of other traditions are all evident along with a growing awareness of his natural surroundings, brought about partly through a growing closeness to nature and its rhythms in his life at the hermitage: "Came up to the hermitage at 4 a.m. The moon poured down silence over the woods, and the frosty grass sparkled faintly. More than two hours of prayer in firelight...Sweet pungent smell of hickory smoke, and silence, silence." (93.)

            Although not as intensely involved in the peace movement as he was earlier in the sixties Merton's awareness of the issues confronting it is clearly still evident as is his grasp of a wide range of national and international issues - race relations and civil rights, the space race, American politics, Viet Nam and the effects of the Vatican Council.

            In all the journals of Thomas Merton references can be found to the various anniversaries that were important to him. In this journal the dominant such date is his fiftieth birthday. Throughout this journal Merton makes references to a variety of health problems and his fiftieth birthday provides the occasion for an extended reflection on his life connecting his present self with various moments in his life from Oakham, through Cambridge and Columbia to Gethsemani concluding "Why go on? Deo gratias for all of them." (199.) As he approaches middle age Merton is more able to see the unity of his life and discovers, in the midst of his vulnerability, a new sense of happiness which he had not experienced previously writing "Lay in bed realizing that what I was, was happy. Said the strange word `happiness' and realized that it was there...And I was that." (177.)

            This is a journal full of movement, from Merton's daily journeys between the hermitage and the monastery, through his frequent visits to Louisville, to his first ever return visit to New York since entering Gethsamani. There is also the movement of his restless spirit, of his continuing debates with the abbot, the church and the wider society. The rhythm of this movement gives it at times the feeling of a dance, one in which Merton dances very lightly, touching on spiritual masters down through the ages and calling his reader to undertake the same dance in their own life and to join in the general dance of creation.

            5 out of 5 stars Execllent day-by-day summary of the hermitage experience.......1998-08-05

            The journals of Thomas Merton give us a unique insight into the day-to-day life of a truly extraordinary person and they demonstrate how Merton progressed in his own thinking and spirituality. This volume is particularly insightful because it covers the time during which Merton's hermitage experience became a reality. The daily entries detail the construction of the little concrete building on the hill overlooking the Abbey of Gethsemani first as a conference center where Merton would meet with various visitors, including members of other religious denominations, then as a place where he was allowed to go occasionally for his own spiritual privacy, next as a spot where he could live as a semi-hermit who would spend a day-and-night or two away from the abbey, and finally as Merton's permanent home when he became a full-time hermit. This journal reveals Merton as less frustrated than he appears in the previous volume, in part it must be presumed because Dom James, his ! abbot, seems to have become more sensitive to his desire for greater solitude. It is during this period that Merton reaches his 50th birthday and he writes on several occasions of impending death, almost as though he were anticipating that he would live only a few more years. Reading the daily life of Thomas Merton in his own words, in entries that he did not necessarily intend for viewing by others, provides the very best portrait of this truly complex, this inspired and inspiring man who was and would continue to be the greatest spiritual voice of the 20th century.
            Rivers of Eden: The Struggle for Water and the Quest for Peace in the Middle East
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • Much more than meets the eye
            Rivers of Eden: The Struggle for Water and the Quest for Peace in the Middle East
            Daniel Hillel
            Manufacturer: Replica Books
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover

            GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
            Regional PlanningRegional Planning | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
            Water Supply & Land UseWater Supply & Land Use | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
            ASIN: 073510476X

            Book Description

            After years of discord, peace in the Middle East now seems close at hand. But the hope of a settlement stands on much shakier ground than the participants suspect, says scientist Daniel Hillel. What they don't see, and what most observers overlook, is that the severely wounded environment of the region threatens to undercut any long-lasting accord. The widespread destruction of vegetation and natural habitats, the erosion of uplands, the desertification of semiarid areas, waterlogging and salinization of valleys, and, most of all, the depletion and pollution of precious water resources--no political formula will promote lasting peace in the Middle East, argues Hillel, unless it addresses these ills. In Rivers of Eden, Hillel examines this natural crisis and explores its crucial role in the political and economic future of this troubled region. He shows how environmental degradation, exacerbated by an uncontrolled explosion of population, is itself a cause of strife in the area, dislocating and disorienting countless people and fomenting despair and extremism. And yet, he adds, since no one country in the region can solve its water problem alone, the very cause of conflict is also an inducement for promoting peace. This hope illuminates Rivers of Eden as it traces the vital issue of water in the Middle East, ranging from its first appearance in folklore and religion to the present. As Hillel shows, the history of civilization in the Middle East is in many ways the story of how societies in this arid environment managed or mismanaged their land and water resources. Here we see how this history plays out from intertribal rivalty (for instance, the legendary "War of Basoos," begun over the errant trespass of a thirsty camel), to the choking of the mighty Nile at Aswan and the slow, salt-poisoned death of Mesopotamia. From the historical and scientific circumstances of the region's water resources, Hillel turns to conflicts brewing even now over the waters of the Euphrates-Tigris, the Nile, the Jordan, and several groundwater aquifers. The future welfare of the Middle East, as of many economies around the world, depends on timely action to resolve these issues. This book offers hope for such a resolution. A world renowned environmental scientist, Hillel has worked throughout the Middle East, as consultant to the governments of Israel, Pakistan, the Sudan, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and elsewhere, and as an advisor to the World Bank. He brings first-hand insight to his account and an urgent concern for the degraded Fertile Crescent, which he believes can and must be rehabilitated. Comprehensive, penetrating, and clear, his book compels the attention of anyone interested in the future of the Middle East and of the environment at large.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Much more than meets the eye.......2000-04-09

            Hydrology of the Middle East may seem like a dull subject at best, but this is in fact one of the best books I've ever read (including non-fiction). Combining history and science, Hillel provides an extraordinary account of both the importance of safe water supplies and the impact that this has on modern politics. These issues may not be readily apparent to fortunate individuals who, like me, grew up without ever having to worry about obtaining water, and it may be those people in particular who will derive the greatest pleasure and benefit from this book.

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