Library Journal, April 15, 2007

Most Western and many Eastern states face periodic
severe water shortages, but only Florida has experienced the iconic spectacle of a Porsche dealership collapsing into a drought-induced sinkhole. Authored by a journalist at the respected business journal Florida Trend, this book vividly
describes the many abuses of Florida's water supply that increasingly lead to such disasters. Barnett details the growth of overirrigated golf courses and manicured lawns of gated communities that, along with wasteful agricultural practices, deplete and contaminate the Florida aquifer in spite of the replenishments of torrential summer rains and occasional hurricanes. She skillfully depicts the historical background and national context of Florida's current water woes, including Atlanta's sprawling suburban communities that threaten the famous Apalachicola oyster beds and the exploding popularity of bottled water that menaces many of the state's sparkling freshwater springs. Barnett's Mirage, along with Bill Belleville's Losing It All to Sprawl and
Gary Ross Mormino's Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams,
completes a recently published trinity of authoritative and readable books that should offer wake-up calls to even the most rapacious Florida developer or overlobbied politician. Highly recommended for Florida and regional collections,
although libraries in other areas facing water issues may also consider for purchase.

— Kathleen Arsenault
Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Library