... disturbing and powerful ... [Brockovich] and Boothby provide a concise treatise on the common chemical contaminants plaguing the water supplies of many American localities and then dive into a collection of true stories highlighting the largely unheralded residents of cities and towns across the country who, to protect their water, have educated themselves, organized, and purposefully engaged in long-running battles against corporate interests and local authorities. In many cases, Brockovich was fighting right along with them, and she shares personal anecdotes in addition to providing specific steps to assist readers in pursuit of their own community actions. With scientific conclusions that cannot be denied and riveting reports from the trenches, Superman’s Not Coming will resonate strongly with anyone concerned about this important topic.
Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It is a brutally honest look at how mismanagement, chemical spills, mishandling of toxic waste and sludge, and even fake studies have created the perfect storm in terms of damaging water systems in the United States ... Brockovich delves deep into places where there are unreported cancer clusters to show us the extent of it. She also brings a layman's approach to the science behind the situation, explaining most of the pollutants affecting our water and discussing their effects on human health ... This is an impeccably researched book that brings science, court cases, depositions, interviews, history, and personal experience to the table to make strong points about the dire state of many of our water systems — and the consequences of it.
... both a call to action and a how-to manual for citizen action ... Recommended as a note of encouragement or a roadmap for legal and political organizing for environmentally concerned citizens.
The author offers an easy-to-understand guide to common water pollutants, including chromium 6, chloramines, and lead, and she shares stories of citizen activists in places like Martin County, Kentucky; Tonganoxie, Kansas; and Flint, Michigan ... Her book is filled with righteous anger directed toward corporations who 'lie, cheat, sue, intimidate, falsify documents, and outright bully' and anyone who stands up to them. While Brockovich’s stories about her activism and condemnation of corporate greed are both interesting, the narrative’s real power comes from her clarion calls to regular citizens to get involved in the fight for safe water ... The author doesn’t just traffic in platitudes; she offers several concrete suggestions for how people can gauge the safety of their own drinking water and stand up to corporations and politicians. Brockovich describes herself as 'a foul-mouthed, short-skirted blonde woman from Kansas,' and her book showcases her authenticity, rough edges and all. While the prose could use some polishing, it serves adequately, explaining why the current water crisis threatens us all and how concerned people might go about changing it ... A convincing call to arms about the global water crisis from a sharp, plainspoken activist.
... as weighty as those issues may seem, [Brockovich] also provides action steps for people concerned about their own water, and tells the empowering stories of people speaking up about water contamination in their communities ... The drinking water problems exposed in Brockovich's book may be troubling to readers, but they're offset by just as many people fighting for clean water.
