Suspenseful, superbly informative, crucial.--Louise Erdrich

Dan Egan has done more than any other journalist in America to chronicle the decline of this once-great ecosystem.--Judges' citation, Grantham Award of Special Merit for Environmental Beat Reporting

Fascinating and brilliant... Egan's narrative often moves like a thriller.--Vicky Albritton and Fredrik Albritton Jonsson "Los Angeles Review of Books"

Easy to read, offering well-paced, intellectually stimulating arguments, bolstered by well-researched and captivating narratives.--Lekelia Danielle Jenkins "Science"

A compelling chronicle of the many, many (many) man-caused hazards that have threatened the largest source of accessible freshwater in the world.--Susan Glaser "Cleveland Plain Dealer"

A marvelous work of nonfiction, which tells the story of humanity's interference with the natural workings of the world's largest unfrozen freshwater system.--Anne Moore "Crain's Chicago Business"

Important.... Egan's book serves as a reminder that the ecological universe we inhabit is vastly connected and cannot be easily mended by humility and good intentions.--Meghan O'Gieblyn "Boston Review"

Egan's knowledge, both deep and wide, comes through on every page, and his clear writing turns what could be confusing or tedious material into a riveting story.--Margaret Quamme "Columbus Dispatch"

Brings the Great Lakes' decline--and moments of rebirth--to life.... Firsthand tales from the people directly involved in the Great Lakes' unfolding ecological drama drive Egan's brisk narrative forward.--Danielle S. Furlich "Nature Conservancy magazine"

A literary clarion call.... Egan's narrative reflects a nuanced understanding of history and science, which is matched by his keen perceptions about public policy.-- "National Book Review"

This book feels urgent to policymakers and laypersons alike.--Kerri Arsenault "Literary Hub"

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2018-04-10

Length: 384 pages