Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. by Cynthia Barnett

ONE REGION / ONE BOOK

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THE BOOK: MIRAGE by CYNTHIA BARNETT

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS |  INTERVIEW WITH CYNTHIA BARNETT 

PRESS RELEASE

FACT SHEET  (download PDF version of this page)

Florida’s Eden is a nonprofit citizen initiative partnering to unite 30 counties of North Florida, creating one identifiable region for the purpose of protecting our natural resources and building a sustainable and prosperous economy.  Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. has been selected for One Region/One Book. This is the first step in the Florida’s Eden Water Awareness Campaign to build citizen knowledge and encourage dialogue on our region’s most valuable economic and natural resource.

How it works: Book clubs, libraries, schools, civic groups, homeowners associations, churches and individuals are invited to read Mirage and download questions for discussion. Communities and organizations are encouraged to create additional projects, such as business expos showcasing local water products and services, river clean-ups, and public events.  Study questions, films, and speakers are available for your group, school, or community. 

About the book: Mirage combines environmental history and investigative journalism to tell how one of the wettest places in the world has come to face water shortages. It explains key water issues, from economics to politics, in a clear, lively style. Its ultimate message is one of hope for the future. Mirage was this year’s Gold medal winner for best nonfiction in the Florida Book Awards. Publisher’s Weekly called it “vital reading for citizens and policymakers as global concerns over water scarcity grow.”  Resources at: www.CynthiaBarnett.net

In the classroom: Mirage has been adopted as a textbook in classrooms around Florida. University of Florida professors have assigned it in courses including graduate-level water politics and undergraduate-level environmental politics and critical thinking in environmental sciences. Santa Fe College is building the book into community college course curriculum as part of an all campus focus on water issues. Yet it’s an easy enough read that it’s also popular with book clubs around the state, and is on the Florida Department of Education’s 2008 Just Read, Florida! Recommended Summer Reading List for high schoolers.

About the author: Cynthia Barnett is senior writer at Florida Trend magazine, where she has worked for 10 years covering investigative, environmental, public policy and business stories. She’s won numerous journalism prizes, including seven Green Eyeshade Awards, which recognize outstanding journalism in 11 southeastern states. Barnett earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in American history with a specialization in environmental history, both from the University of Florida. In 2004, she was awarded a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan, where she spent a year studying freshwater supply. She lives in Gainesville, Florida.  More information about Cynthia Barnett and an archive of her articles can be found at CynthiaBarnett.net

To order the book: Mirage is available in paperback at $18.95 and may be ordered at your local bookstore or online.  Discounts are available for bulk orders of over a dozen copies by contacting Mike Kehoe, sales manager, University of Michigan Press, mkehoe@umich.edu, or 734-936-0388.

To learn more: discussion questions, additional programming, and ongoing regional events can be found at www.FloridasEden.org. Want to get involved? Call Florida’s Eden director Annie Pais at 352-377-0777. The Florida’s Eden Water Awareness Campaign kicks off September 19th with the exhibit, “Portray, Preserve, Prosper: The Florida’s Eden Springs Heritage District” at Santa Fe College.  A series of exciting events taking place all fall will be posted as they are announced. Click here for the latest events listings.

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